Considerations in the design and implementation of the technical assistance (TA) system for supporting Pennsylvania's statewide school improvement initiative are analyzed. After a brief introduction, the authors describe the key features of the initiative, called Long-Range Planning for School Improvement (LRPSI). They briefly review recent research data on TA's importance in school improvement efforts. A lengthy section then recounts the design of Pennsylvania's TA network, highlighting five areas: TA role definition and implementation, TA staff selection and training, TA system organization and maintenance, support systems for TA staff, and evaluation of TA activities. Five long charts are used to relate prescriptive information from TA research to specific design features of Pennsylvania's TA system. Next a short update is provided on the progress of LRPSI and the TA network. The conclusion briefly reflects on the applicability of recent linking-agent research to the TA system's design. Seven appendixes cover further research findings on school improvement and TA, training related to the TA program, TA system reporting forms, the support roles of state and district agencies, college and university roles, a sample LRPSI guide, and guidelines for LRPSI midpoint progress reports. (RW)