The curriculum-management audit was developed to provide school districts with a tool for making districtwide improvements. The audit can be used to help districts improve quality control over their instructional programs. This book offers a step-by-step guide to school improvement with a focus on conducting an internal audit. The first four chapters provide background information about the audit. Chapter 1 expands on the use of the audit to support systemic change. It provides a process for determining readiness to undertake the process and discusses why districts have undertaken the curriculum-management audit. The second chapter defines what the audit is and is not. Chapters 3 and 4 delineate the principles and key concepts used in the audit process. Chapters 5 through 9 present each of the five standards evaluated by the audit--the control, objectives, connectivity and equity, assessment, and productivity standards. Each chapter includes information about the questions that the audit seeks to answer, gives theoretical background needed to elicit facts, provides forms that can be directly copied and used in the audit report, gives sample findings from recently completed audits, and lists the data sources predominantly used. The 10th chapter details the process of transforming the facts gathered for each standard into findings and recommendations. Chapter 11 examines the organization of an audit and addresses the options of using an external team or an internal staff person. The final chapter explores ways in which a quality curriculum-management system can be used to help orient and delineate school objectives for beginning teachers. The curriculum-management audit is based on the work of Dr. Fenwick English. A glossary, 39 exhibits, and 2 planning forms are included. (Contains eight references.) (LMI)