Fourteen recent studies (published since 1980) regarding the status of public education in America and the relationship between education and the economy are analyzed in this paper. Also reviewed are two futures reports and two studies completed by individual States. The analysis is divided into five subject headings: (1) goals and expectations; (2) curriculum, including discussions of administrative issues, subject areas/competencies, and special populations; (3) the teaching and learning process, focusing on management, evaluation, and higher education; (4) the profession, examining in particular teacher education, the professionalization of teachers, the principal, and public attitudes toward teachers; and (5) responsibility/leadership. Each of these five sections contains a graph which shows the topics addressed by each report analyzed, as well as a summary. The final summary focuses on implications for decisionmakers interested in setting goals and formulating plans for educational improvement in their school systems. (GC)