Strategic planning is a technique that has been developed to help managers and leaders address the need for organizational transformation in response to societal change. Its elements include external environmental scanning, internal capacity analysis, participation and involvement, mission and strategic goals, implementation/linkage plans, and monitoring and assessment. This monograph addresses the need for strategic planning in restructuring education to accommodate the societal changes brought about by information technology. After an introductory overview, the paper addresses the use of strategic planning at the state level, suggesting that such planning must be coordinated at three levels of state leadership: state policy, state program management, and state leadership. A typical model of strategic planning involves five phases of effort: (1) planning to plan and establishing a climate for change; (2) developing the strategic plan; (3) developing implementation plans; (4) implementing and monitoring plans; and (5) renewing the strategic plan. A brief concluding section discusses strategic thinking and the implications of strategic planning and related management techniques for state policy, effective management of state agencies, the state support system for leadership development, training in change management, and building statewide consensus. Appended is a discussion of strategic planning in the Appalachia Educational Laboratory's region. (TE)