BASIC SOCIAL SYSTEM AND ROLE THEORY CONCEPTS ARE APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. POSITIONS, ROLES, INTERACTIONS, AND STRUCTURAL ASPECTS ARE BRIEFLY DEFINED. CHANGE IN A SOCIAL SYSTEM IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FORCES. OVER THE YEARS, SCHOOL SYSTEM CHANGE HAS BEEN LARGELY SPORADIC, EXPEDIENT, SCATTERED, LATE, AND SUPERFICIAL. TEN STEPS ARE DESCRIBED THROUGH WHICH A SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN REALIZE A PROGRAM OF CONTINUOUS SELF-RENEWAL--(1) SENSING POSSIBLE AREAS AND NEEDS FOR IMPROVEMENT, (2) DETERMINING ITEMS WHICH MERIT FURTHER INVESTIGATION, (3) DIAGNOSING SPECIFIC NEEDS THROUGH SOME FORM OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, (4) INVENTING OR GENERATING REMEDIES BY WIDE PERSONNEL PARTICIPATION, (5) WEIGHING RESULTANT SOLUTION PROPOSALS, (6) DECIDING ON THE COURSE TO FOLLOW, (7) INTRODUCING THE CHOSEN INNOVATION INTO THE SYSTEM, (8) OPERATING THE INNOVATION ON A TRIAL BASIS, (9) EVALUATING THE INNOVATION BOTH CONTINUOUSLY AND PERIODICALLY THROUGH AN OBJECTIVE AGENCY, AND (10) REVISING THE INNOVATION TO IMPROVE ITS EFFECTIVENESS. SPECIFIC MECHANISMS ARE BRIEFLY OUTLINED FOR EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "CHANGE IN SCHOOL SYSTEMS," AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL TRAINING LABORATORIES, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, 1201 16TH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036, FOR $2.50. (JK)