To improve its cultural development, increase the economic efficiency of its public investment, and optimize equality of opportunity, Kentucky must introduce a new State school finance program. Such a program should provide for more efficient use of the public dollar, establish a framework wherein the public can measure school productivity, return enough educational decisionmaking to the local level to enhance community involvement in the schools, increase the State investment in education to maximize the public benefit, and equalize educational opportunity among all children of the state. Major advances have been made in the educational opportunities being provided for the public school children in Kentucky, but the finance law which was adequate for the 1950's and 1960's will not necessarily meet the needs of the 1970's and 1980's. Kentucky is not unique in this respect, for virtually every State is involved in a major study of its school finance program. An overview is presented of the principal technical studies which have been conducted as a part of Kentucky's search for methods to improve its school finance program. In each instance recommendations or conclusions have been developed based on the work of the Citizens Advisory Council, the reports submitted for each technical study, and the experience and professional judgment of the staff of the National Educational Finance Project. (Author/DN)