This publication is aimed at assisting countries as they respond to the problem of organizing a continuing process of change in the schools. The seven case studies contributed to this volume illustrate ways of balancing organizational processes and the free initiative of individual schools and teachers, within the varying traditions of each country. This volume is the first of a series of four which present case studies in education innovation (see ED 085 327 and SO 006 884). The "central level" means national level in three instances and state of provincial level in four, although, the national level may be involved, as in the United States, through federal legislation. Case studies include the Schools Council, United Kingdom; the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Canada; the National Council for Innovation in Education (NCIE), Norway; the New Jersey Administration, United States; the National Board of Education (NBE), Sweden; The Bavarian State Institute for Educational Research and Planning, Germany; and Research for Better Schools Inc., (RBS), United States. (JH)