The paper explains the design of a national survey which was intended to identify factors associated with variations in the properties and contents of individualized education programs (IEPs); provide descriptive information about the target population; the nature and setting in which special education services are provided to this population; assess changes in significant properties of IEPs from one year to the next; and provide insights into the extent to which the services actually provided to handicapped students coincide with those specified in their IEPs as mandated by P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). Section One provides an introduction with information on background of the survey; survey objectives; design related activities (literature review, exploratory site visits, and development of instrumentation); and procedures for analyzing IEPs and enrollment data in Curriculum Information Center files. A second section outlines the 10 basic evaluation questions to be addressed in the survey, objectives of the State Facility Substudy, components of the Retrospective Longitudinal Study, and confidentiality procedures. (SBH)