At its meeting in August 1985, the members of the National Governors' Association formed seven task forces for the purpose of examining in-depth critical problem areas in American education. Focus was upon problems in the areas of: (1) teaching; (2) leadership and management; (3) parent involvement and choice; (4) readiness; (5) technology; (6) school facilities; and (7) college quality. In this monograph, summaries, reports, and recommendations from the task forces are presented. Main recommendations generated by the reports include: (1) Now is the time to work out a fair, affordable career ladder salary system that recognizes real differences in function, competence, and performance of teachers; (2) States should create leadership programs for school leaders; (3) Parents should have more choice in the public schools their children attend; (4) The nation--and the states and school districts--need better report cards about results, about what students know and can do; (5) School districts and schools that are inefficient should be taken over by the state and reorganized; (6) School buildings should be in use all year; (7) States should work with preschool children from poor families to help them get ready for school and to decrease chances they will drop out later; (8) Better use of technologies is an important way to give teachers more time to teach; and (9) States should insist that colleges assess what students actually learn while in college. (JD)