This case study is designed to determine the structures, actors, processes, and relationships that are involved when State government in Michigan determines policy for the public schools. The report looks at an instance of policymaking in each of the issue areas of finance, desegregation, and program improvement -- in this case, State assessment. Since developments in the finance area were extensive and needed to be covered in considerable detail, the report treats that area more fully than it does the others. Background data include the many documents available in the State and related studies done by other scholars. In addition, 39 formal interviews with policy actors were conducted, and a number of other informal interviews were conducted with other informants. For the most part, these data were collected in 1972 and early 1973 with some updating in 1974, particularly in the finance area. (Author)