Results of a study of the efforts of three Texas school districts to develop school-based management are reported in this paper, which discusses project development and progress in implementation. Fifteen schools--2 senior high, 6 junior high/middle schools and 7 elementary schools--from three districts--one predominatly Hispanic, one suburban, and one Black/Anglo--participated in the project. The overall project sought to develop collaborative decision making as a means for achieving school improvement. At the end of the first year, a questionnaire was administered to participants and onsite interviews were conducted with administrators and teachers active in program leadership. A climate survey was administered in two districts, and interviews were conducted in one district at the end of the program's second year. No school fully implemented school-based management as originally envisioned, but most made progress toward that end. Collaborative efforts between and among faculty members within a school developed more rapidly than did faculty/campus administrator and school/district collaboration. Obstacles included vague expectations and definitions of school-based management and teachers' time constraints. The full impact of the program on school improvement was difficult to determine due to interaction with other secondary innovations. A conclusion is that collaborative decision making and school-based management are not accomplished quickly or easily. (3 references) (LMI)