In January 1989, a one-page questionnaire was mailed to 1,093 U.S. public school districts to examine the extent to which educational research and development (R&D) resources had been received and used since September 1987. Conducted by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the U.S. Department of Education, the survey particularly asked about district awareness and use of products and services from four major OERI programs: (1) Regional Educational Laboratories; (2) National Research and Development Centers; (3) the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system; and (4) the National Diffusion Network (NDN). The response rate was 95%. Analyses of the responses revealed that, while these programs are widely known and their products are cited by many, their use can and ought to improve. The results of the survey also prompted a future research question: How frequently should local educators be expected to use R&D resources? It is argued that examination of this question may shed new light on the need for new knowledge and its place in school administration. Results of the data analyses are displayed in seven figures and 10 tables, and copies of the questionnaire and its accompanying cover letter are attached. (DB)