This report explores state level governance as it is currently practiced in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. After a brief introduction, section II's attention to the evolution of state boards offers a historical perspective of state intervention in educational policy-making, a review of major questions concerning the state's role in the last 20 years, and an analysis of the development of organization and cooperation in and among the states in their approaches to education. Section III, on policy formation, examines current governance structures in each of the five states under consideration and reviews their board agendas, priorities, policy formation and development processes, and research utilization. In section IV, the author itemizes current"hot topics" in policy development for each state and gives a state-by-state list of publications in that area. The fourth and final section outlines four areas in the process of policy initiation and development that need clarification or improvement in several of the states and offers five recommendations for state boards confronted with problems in these areas. An appendix provides a sample of the "Governance Interview Sheet" by means of which information for the report was collected. (JBM)