This research report argues for viewing the complex, often messy process of school reform implementation as a "conditional matrix" coupled with qualitative research. As illustration, two studies (of six reform efforts in one county and of implementation of an untracking program in Kentucky) are reported. Preliminary analysis reveals that the reform implementation process is marked by several important considerations: (1) reform efforts in schools do not succeed on simple technical considerations alone, nor in a linear fashion; (2) consequences of actions taken in one context become the conditions for actions taken in other contexts, as part of a complex dynamic shaped by the structural and cultural features of school and society; (3) the implementation process is viewed differently from different perspectives; (4) school culture mediates educators' actions and structural constraints; and (5) school site educators do not respond to design team or government actions passively and automatically. The actions of educators in Kentucky and Florida in the face of state mandates suggest that the way in which power is interpreted must be examined as well as the way in which it is imposed. Contains 39 references. (MSE)