QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, STAFFING, AND DUTIES OF RESEARCH UNITS WERE RECEIVED FROM 108 OF 130 SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVING A RESEARCH UNIT. MOST UNITS ARE DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS, WITH DIRECTORS REPORTING TO A SUPERINTENDENT. ONLY 28 UNITS DEVOTE FULL TIME TO RESEARCH. FIFTY SEVEN ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN TESTING, GUIDANCE, PUBLIC INFORMATION, STATISTICS, PLANNING, AND DATA PROCESSING. STAFF SIZE AND BUDGET ARE BASED ON RESPONSIBILITY AND SIZE OF SYSTEM. SIZE HAS LESS EFFECT THAN EXPECTED--THE SMALLEST STAFFS SPENT HALF TO THREE-FOURTHS TIME IN RESEARCH. FIFTY-TWO PERCENT OF THE UNITS CONDUCT SURVEYS FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE SYSTEM AS A MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY, 42 PERCENT LIST IT AS MINOR, AND 6 PERCENT DO NOT ENGAGE IN SUCH SURVEYS. ABOUT 30 OTHER DUTIES ARE LISTED. THOSE CITED BY MORE THAN ONE UNIT ARE DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH LIBRARY, PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC LAW 874 AND STATE FUNDS, SALARY SCHEDULES, TEACHER CERTIFICATION AND RETIREMENT, AND PUBLICITY. OF 102 UNITS, 47 SPEND LESS THAN HALF TIME ON RESEARCH, WHILE 77 SPEND LESS THAN HALF TIME ON SURVEYS AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES. DOCUMENT AVAILABLE AS ERSC 5, FOR $2.00 FROM NEA, 1201 16TH ST., N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036. (AF)