The School Improvement Through Instructional Process (SITIP), an initiative undertaken by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), is described, and an evaluation of its progress from December 1980 through June 1982 is provided. Innovative teaching methods introduced by the SITIP project are described: (1) active teaching; (2) mastery learning; (3) student team learning; and (4) teaching variables. Also delineated are the activities of local education agencies (LEA's) and the roles of center office staff, school-based administrators, and teachers in four areas: (1) training; (2) planning; (3) local implementation; and (4) technical assistance provided by MSDE. A model of the SITIP design is illustrated, and activity areas (preparation, initial commitment, awareness conferences, local plans drafted by LEA's, implementation, expansion, technical assistance, follow-up training, and assessment of progress and impact) are described. In a discussion of planning at both state and local levels, elements that had a direct relationship to successful implementation are identified. Descriptions are given of awareness conferences, summer institutes, and follow-ups conducted by MSDE. Included in the descriptions of these events are comments on attendance, needs and concerns of the participants, and relationships among training, planning, and implementation. Technical assistance efforts of MSDE are discussed, and evidence of their effectiveness is cited. An overview is given of the scope and impact of local implementation of the SITIP instructional processes. Critical findings are presented, including planning-related decisions that might be addressed by local educators and issues that intermediate or state education agencies might address. (JD)