To ensure that school systems are prepared for the future, their boards must provide for both internal and external conditions through careful assessment and planning processes. Strategic planning consists of setting long-term goals, determining the best means of attaining them, and relating the chosen course to operating plans. This type of planning is a complex process, susceptible to inefficiency and incompleteness. A formalized model, however, can contribute to successful planning by developing participants' understanding. Such a model can be constructed in nine steps, as follows: (1) analyzing existing conditions; (2) defining long-range, general objectives and short term, specific goals supporting these objectives; (3) analyzing the external environment; (4) assessing available resources; (5) synthesizing the first four steps to identify deficiencies in existing strategies; (6) exploring alternative strategies; (7) choosing a strategy; (8) developing contingency plans; and (9) translating the strategy into operating plans. The school board may be involved in this process in any of three ways. It may simply prescribe goals and objectives for the school system, or it may take a passive role, reviewing administration proposals. The most productive course, however, is for the board to work cooperatively with the administration. (MCG)