This paper is concerned with the impact of the Individually Guided Education/Secondary Project (IGE/S) in a middle school. Participation observation is used to understand how the intervention process is incorporated into everyday patterns and norms of the school. No individualization of instruction occurred. The findings suggest that basic teaching assumptions of the middle school staff remained unchallenged. Teachers saw the problem of reform as maintaining control and discipline so students would acquiesce to the authority of professionals. The IGE/S activities made the prevailing school orientations seem psychologically appealing. Further, the reform functioned externally to legitimate the school program within the larger communities. (Author)