THIS LONGITUDINAL FIELD STUDY EXAMINED THE INFORMAL RELATIONSHIPS BY WHICH SCHOOL ORIENTED LEADERS INFLUENCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY IN THE EDUCATIONAL ARENA OF AN OREGON COMMUNITY. CONSIDERED WERE 15 BUSINESSMEN AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WERE NAMED AS LEADERS BY MANY OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WERE ALSO RECOGNIZED AS BEING INFLUENTIAL IN LOCAL SCHOOL MATTERS. THESE INFLUENTIALS BELONGED TO ONE OR ANOTHER OF FOUR INFORMAL GROUPS--(1) THE BUSINESSMEN, LONG POLITICALLY DOMINANT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND CONCERNED WITH THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT--(2) YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONCERNED WITH IMPROVING MUNICIPAL SERVICES--(3) SEVERAL FRIENDS, ALMOST ALL SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS, WHO HUNTED AND FISHED TOGETHER--(4) THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER EDITOR AND THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, FRIENDS OF LONG STANDING. UNLIKE THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT, WHOSE ACTIONS HAD REFLECTED THE VIEWS OF THE BUSINESSMEN, THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT DEVELOPED FAR MORE FLEXIBILITY IN ROLE BEHAVIOR, USING MANY GROUPS AS REFERENTS IN HIS POLICIES AND PRACTICES. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION WERE NOTED. THIS UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ED.D. THESIS IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. L.C. CARD NO. MIC. 60-6077. MICROFILM $2.75. XEROX $8.00. 175 PAGES. (AUTHOR/LY)