Aimed at central office administrators, school board members, staff developers, and state-level policy makers, this document is about restructuring the educational system and the two most prevalent restructuring strategies--school-based management and shared decision making. The document attempts to create awareness of the current system's problems, discuss the promises and realities of site-based management, present the results of a survey examining shared decision-making, offer recommendations, and suggest helpful resources. Section 1 discuses the rationale for restructuring the system, highlighting changes in demography, the economy, and the value system. Section 2 discusses school-based management, presenting the strategy's promise and reality in three areas: increasing teacher expertise; increasing parent involvement; and increasing school effectiveness and student academic outcomes. The third section identifies the barriers to changing traditional behavior and the types of training programs needed. Section 4 recommends that: (1) school sites and districts effect a transformation of authority; (2) a systemwide culture supporting collegiality be developed; (3) professional development be provided; and (4) the entire educational system demonstrate commitment to shared decision making. Section 5 offers various resources to help practitioners develop strategies. Appendices contain a list of survey respondents, a survey summary, numerous charts, and a directory of training resources and programs. (131 references) (MLH)