When establishing statewide and nationally comparable educational evaluation and assessment systems, state education agencies (SEAs) must consider factors affecting policy in at least four areas. First, the full range of purposes for establishing such a system should be clarified. It must be decided whether the system exists to provide data for reporting or for decision-making, whether comparisons should be made within educational units or between them, and what emphasis is to be placed on various forms of learning. Second, the evaluation tools selected must be compatible with the purposes identified. The range of evaluation information gathered and the contextual data collected must be appropriate, and attention should be paid to whether the tools used are suitably diagnostic and reveal significant facts. The third area of concern is the potential for misusing or misinterpreting the data. Full disclosure of a broad range of data, coupled with thorough explanation of how to understand it, is vital. Fourth, careful consideration must be given to the degree of collaboration that is desired with other agencies, and the extent to which other decisions affect the achievement of the desired cooperation. (PGD)