This hearing was called as one of a series of hearings to address concerns related to the role of the Federal Government and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in reaching the goal of providing equal educational opportunity to all in the United States. Arguing that significant inequalities in educational opportunities still exist, Major R. Owens (Representative from New York and chairman of the subcommittee) points out that these inequalities are most evident in the nation's inner cities and among minorities. A major problem identified by Owens is the need for additional support for school systems that must provide effective educational programs for at-risk students. The primary concerns addressed by this hearing were the proposed Institute for the Education of At-Risk Students, the depoliticization of educational research, the necessity for planning to meet the needs of rural educational programs, and the relationship between OERI, the Federal Government, and educational improvement. This transcript of the hearing includes testimony and prepared statements presented by eight witnesses: (1) Major R. Owens, Representative from New York; (2) James Comer, the Yale Child Study Center at Yale University; (3) Todd Strohmenger, the Rural Small Schools Program at the Appalachia Educational Laboratory; (4) Linda Darling-Hammond, National Center for Restructuring Education Schools and Teaching (NCREST) at Teachers College, New York; (5) Keith Geiger, the National Education Association; (6) Edmund Gordon, Yale University; (7) Shirley McBay, the Quality Education for Minorities Network; and (8) Laura Rendon, North Carolina State University, Raleigh. (DB)