This report on the education of minorities results from policy research projects conducted at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at Texas University (Austin) as part of the Quality Education for Minorities project to provide background research for development of a national action plan on improving the quality of education for Alaska native, American Indian, Black American, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican students. The following papers are presented as chapters: (1) "Education for Minorities and the National Interest" (R. Marshall); (2) "Parent-Child Interventions for Children Age Zero to Three: The Role of the States" (S. J. Means); (3) "Neither Equitable nor Excellent: The Effects of Tracking on Minority Students" (F. Mecca); (4) "Everyone Can Learn Math" (R. M. Nielsen); (5) "Mathematics and Science Education: Reclaiming Minorities at the Elementary School Level" (D. T. Garza); (6) "Assessment and Referral of Hispanic Bilingual Special Education Students: A Growing Controversy" (C. C. Talkington); (7) "Magnet Schools: A Quality Alternative" (E. Fonken); (8) "Magnet Schools for Disadvantaged Students in Texas" (J. Cano); (9) "Performance-Based Funding for Schools: A Practical and Feasible Alternative" (D. M. Marchick); (10) "Choice in Minnesota: Open Enrollment as a Means of Educational Reform" (J. S. Wicinski); (11) "Coordinating Social Services: The Role of Schools" (J. M. Ehrlich); (12) "The Potential Impact of Restructuring on the Education of Minorities: The Miami Experience" (B. Rungeling); (13) "The Use of High-School Vocational Counseling To Help Students Choose and Implement Career Choices" (S. L. Holland); (14) "Improving the School-to-Work Transition of Minority Youths" (R. W. Glover); and (15) "Effective Strategies for the Recruitment and Development of Black Faculty at Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education" (R. Pickering). One figure and 21 tables illustrate the essays. Contains 454 references. (SLD)