The Staff Development for School Improvement Project (SDSI) combined the resources of Wayne State University with 19 schools from 15 school districts in the Detroit (Michigan) metropolitan area. The university provided a facilitator to guide each school through the following six-step change process: (1) awareness, readiness, and commitment; (2) needs assessment; (3) proposal writing by the building planning team; (4) implementation of the plan; (5) evaluation of progress; and (6) reassessment and continuation. Questionnaire responses from the school staffs showed that 82 percent or more agreed that the university had provided relevant activities, and noted improvements in a number of areas. Interviews with the planning teams indicated that the most positive aspects of SDSI were staff involvement in planning and decision-making and commitment to a long-term goal. The most difficult aspects of the program were time constraints and writing the first year plan. The majority of the successful schools: (1) had freguent contact with their university facilitator, (2) planned long-term programs with frequent SDSI activities, (3) arranged for released time for staff participation, (4) involved the majority of the staff members in SDSI activities, and (5) had the support of the school principal. Appended to the text are eight references and tables of school characteristics, schools' questionnaire responses, and characteristics of more- and less-successful schools. (MLF)