The methods of operations research (OR) can make many contributions to the solution of the complex problems which beset urban education. OR techniques such as PERT are useful aids to planning school construction, budgets, and research projects. System planning models can be used to represent urban educational systems and to predict the effects of possible system changes. Gaming can be employed in administrator training, systems analysis in the design of instructional systems, and techniques such as cost benefit analysis in educational evaluation. In general, operations research teams provide an organization with scientific bases for problem-solving. OR teams should be composed of individuals who understand operations research and scientific methods, who can handle management problems, and who can work effectively with others in the organization. These teams should deal with specific problems and report both to organizational directors and to individual management teams. (LB)