To assess current problems and achievements in education and to project directions for school administration beyond 1970, the AASA appointed a Commission to study the preparation of professional school administrators. This report is designed to provide background for the work of this Commission. The 1960's have seen teacher walkouts, use of armed forces to maintain public order in cities, unrest over the war in Vietnam, and student unrest. On the other hand, notable achievements were made in educational quality, quantity, and innovations. Also, advances in preservice and, to a lesser extent, inservice preparation for school administrators were made, but more advances are needed. The active practice of school administration changed, especially in areas of employee organizations, minority group unrest, demands for economy, social conflict in cities, and school control. Such developments raise questions as to the focus of the Commission's study. The most likely areas for the concern of the Commission are, therefore, strategies for managing change, theories of system organization and structure, information systems, master plans for program evaluation, new technologies for managing school operations, and comprehensive planning as a basis for resource allocation. (HW)