When a program of innovative change is proposed for a school, it may well be possible to predict which of the various subsystems of the school will offer the most resistance. The group who are required to make the greatest modification in their normal procedures of operation will raise the highest level of resistance. (Author)

An open social systems model is used to frame and test a series of hypotheses. The socioeconomic status of the environment and four internal system elements (structure, individual, culture, politics) of the school are used to explain two sets of school outcomes: student achievement and teachers' assessments of overall school effectiveness. A…