Data obtained in a 1983 survey of state legislative education committee chairpersons are summarized. The survey was conducted to discover if there were any trends acorss states in their recent efforts to improve education and to profile each state's educational policy activities. Survey findings include: (1) state efforts to improve schools began before 1983 and focused on proficiency testing; (2) the momentum of educational reform has shifted from testing to curriculum improvement; (3) in 1983 states began to place priority on selective subjects (math, science, computers); (4) states vary in their educational improvement efforts; (5) in 1983 education and taxes ranked as the leading state legislative budget issues; and (6) state policymakers frequently use blue ribbon education commissions to lay the groundwork for major policy reforms. Included is a list of 10 additional sources of information, footnotes, and a listing of the 36 states responding to the survey. (MD)