THIS STUDY CONSISTS OF THREE SEPARATE SECTIONS--(1) DESCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCIES WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN OPERATION, (2) A DISCUSSION OF OPTIONAL STATUTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR A NETWORK OF REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCIES, AND (3) SUGGESTIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EXPAND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BY STRENGTHENING EXISTING REGIONAL AGENCIES AND ESTABLISHING NEW REGIONAL AGENCIES WHERE NONE NOW EXIST. THE REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES DESCRIBED CAN BE CONSIDERED AS PROTOTYPES. THEY DEMONSTRATE THAT REGIONAL MULTI-DISTRICT PROGRAMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY IN A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF RATHER DIVERSE LEGAL PROVISIONS. SOME OF THE AGENCIES AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED ARE RELATIVELY NEW. SOME WITH OR WITHOUT RECENT MODIFICATION HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. MOST ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR STATE SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS ALTHOUGH SOME OPERATE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FORMAL STATE STRUCTURE FOR EDUCATION. ALL HAVE DEVELOPED FROM RECOGNITION THAT THE PROVISION OF MANY HIGHLY SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES REQUIRES AN OPERATIONAL BASE LARGER THAN THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. (ES)