This bulletin is a product of the Local School Units Project, a cooperative effort of the Office of Education, the National Professional Advisory Committee, the Works Progress Administration which funded the project, and the Office of Education Professional Advisory Committee. Its work could not have been completed without the support of the chief State school officers, the State project directors and their staffs, and members of the State departments of education in the ten States. Chapter 1, Status and Development of Public-School Organization in the United States, describes the existing organization and historical development of local school units, and their effect on the educational program. Chapter 2, Organization and Operation of the Local School Units Project, explains the: (1) reasons for undertaking the study; (2) purposes and organization of the Local School Units Project; (3) procedures for studying the units; (4) evaluation of existing educational conditions; (5) procedures for proposing more satisfactory school units; (6) projecting a program for effective project proposal; and (7) dissemination of the findings. Chapter 3, Nature and Operation of Local School Administrative Units, provides: (1) an analysis of local school units; (2) classification of units; (3) some complexities in the application of a classification; and (4) illustrative applications of the suggested classification. Chapters 4-13 present, for each of the 10 States (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee), the social and economic background of the State; historical development, types, number and size, and operating relationships of local school units; the procedures for changing unit boundaries; and factors encouraging and discouraging the organization of satisfactory local school units. A summary reviews the status and operation of local school units in the 10 States. The final chapter, Formulation of Plans for the Improvement of Public-School Organization, includes: (1) procedures in planning the organization of satisfactory school units; (2) the relation between the structure of local school units and their effectiveness; (3) determination of desirable minimum standards for local school units; (4) proposed programs in Oklahoma and other project States; (5) proposed legislative programs; (6) evaluation of proposed programs; and (7) some factors and conditions to be recognized in a program for improving the organization and administration of public education. Appended is a selected annotated bibliography. (Contains 25 footnotes, 97 tables, 40 charts, 13 maps, and 8 figures.) [Best copy available has been provided.].