Leading educational reformers have recently contended that students in U.S. secondary schools rarely are challenged to use their minds in any meaningful way. Faced with the remarkable absence of classroom thoughtfulness in U.S. schools, educational reformers have suggested that major organizational changes are necessary to improve the emphasis on higher order thinking in schools. This paper elaborates on a previous research study in which the relationship between organizational features and the promotion of classroom thoughtfulness by studying social studies departments in 16 secondary schools were investigated. Four departments, in contrast to the other 12, made structural changes in school organization. The purpose of the study was to gain more detailed knowledge of how organizational features were associated with the departments' level of classroom thoughtfulness. Teachers, department heads, students, and principals were interviewed and five social studies classes at each school were observed a minimum of five times during two-week long visits. Innovative organizational structures are not associated with higher levels of classroom thoughtfulness. A focus upon organizational programs might be more fruitful to classroom thoughtfulness than restructuring efforts. An appendix that lists minimal criteria for classroom thoughtfulness, a table presenting statistical data, and a list of references are included. (DB)