This report of a 2-year study on public university responsiveness to academic and vocational reforms in public K-12 schools and community colleges focuses on: (1) how state universities respond to curricular experiments, and (2) the difficulties reformers encounter with universities. The report presents a brief summary of previous progressive education reform efforts; discusses the nature of current reform efforts, including constructivism, restructuring, national goals and standards, and human capital and lifelong learning programs; and notes universities' ability to influence entrance requirements, state master plans, policy interest groups, and funding. Four case studies of Oregon, Maryland, Ohio and California examine implementation of K-12 reforms in those states. They outline the state education system, note empirical evidence of university responsiveness, examine the climate for reform, note systemic accommodations, and discuss barriers to responsiveness. The study concludes that although public universities may be able and willing to accommodate school reform, it will be necessary to change university quality control standards, learn to think of curriculum as a system within which decisions are made and implemented, and focus university-level professional development on strategic responses to lower school reforms. (Contains 30 references.) (CH)