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Comparative educational administration is not yet a recognized field, although a number of works concerning cross-cultural educational literature are directly applicable to such studies. Four themes are apparent in relevant works. Beginning in the 19th century, the earliest works focused on European schools in the hopes America could learn from the European systems. The second period of literature was marked by comparative works ranging from analyses of cultural and political barriers and structural-functional descriptions. In the post-World War II period, American educators concentrated on how to import democratic ideals to formerly totalitarian systems. At present, the literature of comparative inquiry is dominated by economics, including rate of return studies, and studies concerning the consequences of structured economic relationships. Comparative educational administration lacks the literature base found in the fields of comparative law, public administration, or political science. The time is overdue for a comparative approach to the study of educational administration. The role of administrators can be studied in conjunction with such issues as the nature and effects of schooling, preserving cultural integrity, the viability of rural areas, the role of education in national development, the responsiveness of educational bureaucracies, and change models. Tools to be used in this field are social and philosophical analysis and knowledge about cultural imperatives. (Author/JM)