A facilitator who was subsequently assigned to the principalship discusses the implementation of the Standards of Excellence model in Philips Elementary School (Denver, Colorado). In implementing the components of Standards of Excellence, principals were required to assume the role of instructional leader. Accordingly, assistance was rendered to familiarize principals with the research, enable them to present the material to their staffs, and help them direct staff in the self-assessment process. The second step for the principal was then to establish a committee to interpret the data gathered from the assessments. After two years, significant progress has been made in schools' abilities to develop long-range plans, respond to outside mandates and changing community needs, and assess and plan for curricular changes. Changes at Philips School include (1) a school brochure and a recent reception for area realtors, (2) increased student interest in tracking academic progress, (3) increased teacher participation in academic issues, (4) voluntary sharing of daily teaching objectives by teaching staff, and (5) increased requests about the school by parents of prospective students at the intermediate grade levels. Modeling has been the key to these changes, whether in instructional conferences, staff meetings, or classroom teaching. (TE)