FOUR MAIN ASPECTS OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM LIMIT THE APPLICATION OF DIFFUSION RESEARCH FROM OTHER SOCIAL SYSTEMS (MEDICINE, INDUSTRY, AND AGRICULTURE) TO THE FIELD OF EDUCATION--(1) BECAUSE OF SCHOOL SYSTEM VULNERABILITY, CHANGES THAT RUN THE RISK OF DISTURBING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ARE ESCHEWED, INNOVATIONS THAT ARE PERSUASIVELY PUBLICIZED ARE LIKELY TO BE ADOPTED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT EVALUATION, AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENTATION IS LIMITED, (2) BECAUSE OF QUASI-PROFESSIONALISM, TEACHERS ARE INCLINED TO RESIST INNOVATIONS, WHETHER PROPOSED BY ADMINISTRATORS, CONSULTANTS, OTHER TEACHERS, OR LAYMEN, (3) BECAUSE OF GOAL-DIFFUSENESS, TEACHERS TEND TO STRESS INSTRUMENTAL OR LEARNING-PROCESS GOALS WHILE PARENTS DESIRE STRESS ON SUBSTANTIVE AND TERMINAL GOALS, AND (4) BECAUSE OF FORMAL CONTROL WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION, DEVIANT OR INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR BY TEACHER MEMBERS OF THE SYSTEM IS SERIOUSLY LIMITED. THESE FOUR VARIABLES ARE CONCEPTUALIZED IN A MODEL THAT INCORPORATES 28 INTERRELATED STRUCTURAL SOURCES OF RESISTANCE TO EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION. A NEW "STATUS OCCUPANT" STRATEGY, EMPHASIZING THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER AS INNOVATOR, IS PROPOSED FOR INDUCING EDUCATIONAL CHANGE. BY INCORPORATING THE POSITIVE FEATURES OF THREE EXISTING STRATEGIES (RATIONAL MAN, COOPERATOR, AND POWERLESS PARTICIPANT), THE NEW STRATEGY SEEKS TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES ARISING FROM THE DOMINANT LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND ANCILLARY ORGANIZATIONAL PROPERTIES OF EDUCATION. THIS PAPER WAS PREPARED FOR THE UCEA CAREER DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR, CO-SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON (17TH, PORTLAND, OREGON, OCTOBER 22-25, 1967). (JK)