Two regional educational data processing centers, operating in the field of school planning and services, are described in detail and used as examples to aid in establishing similar information systems. Instructions for creating a center are offered in general: developing an event chart and defining objectives, scope, staff characteristics, expenses, and evaluation methods. More detailed information is offered for planning the centers (including sources of information, financial planning, and procedures); for the immediate, long range, and future goals of the centers; for economical, coordinated operational activities; for center staff education requirements and responsibilities in the areas of administration, consulting, systems and programing, operations, and services and conversion; for computerized services offered by a center to local schools (such as scheduling, mark and attendance, machine test scoring, and payroll and school census); for the types of hardware and software available, and factors to consider in applying them; for methods used in disseminating information concerning the center (workshops, publications, convention displays); for types of system evaluations possible and categories for measuring performance, and for determining areas of cost in the center. (SP)