Developing a vision of the future and deciding how an organization will look and function in that future are essential ingredients of planning for organizational success. This handbook offers tools for strategic planning and conducting needs-assessment studies. Chapter 1 describes societal changes in the United States and its impact on education. Chapter 2 describes strategic planning and its six steps: (1) assessing the external environment; (2) assessing internal capacity; (3) developing a vision for the future; (4) developing goals and objectives; (5) implementing the plan; and (6) evaluating progress and revising plans. The third chapter offers guidelines for conducting an environmental assessment through the use of surveys, reporting procedures, interviews, community forums, the charette process, and the delphi technique. Tips for reviewing the process are included in chapter 4. The epilogue contains information about using strategic planning in community education. (LMI)