Previously faced with the problem of curriculum reform, elementary and secondary schools now must deal with the deeper social problems of poverty, racial discrimination, sexism, and relevance. Since the survival of many schools hinges on their adaptability, they will require procedures for studying ways of responding to change and of evaluating proposals for action. Yet, many pressures bear on the school systems, making reform a slow process. This report analyzes characteristics that make an organization flexible or capable of coping with change and suggests some elements that might be used in fashioning a strategy for dealing with change in schools. While stressing the importance of the school culture as a determinant of school conditions, the report offers suggestions for strengthening or improving the culture through collective action by teachers and principals and through a conscious plan for dealing with change in the school. (Author/LAA)