Made up of five components, the School Planning, Evaluation, and Communication System (SPECS) is an approach to program planning and evaluation applicable to all instructional and noninstructional programs and activities. As such, it focuses on outcomes, processes, and inputs in a continuous cycle of planning, evaluation, and replanning. As well as being applicable to individual programs, SPECS can be used as a districtwide design for program assessment and development that compares district program outcomes with broad community goals. Successful implementation of SPECS includes several months of preparation, a long-term strategy, a multiyear master plan, an indistrict coordinator, adequate provision of time for staff member participation, sufficient inservice training, and adequate resources. A three-phase series of activities has been developed to facilitate the implementation process. SPECS produces immediate effects such as informational products and long-term effects such as more systematic program planning and evaluation, a more systematic view of the school and classroom, greater efforts to individualize instruction, and increased role clarity. (Author/JM)