To study the actions that can be used to manage and support change in high schools, two researchers made two-day visits to two high schools in each of nine districts in various geographic areas of the nation, where they interviewed students, staff, and central office personnel. In each district, researchers selected one school they judged to be changing a great deal and another school they considered to be typical. The focus of the visits was to explore the following questions: What are the types, sources, and purposes of change? What are the key units of change? What are the key situational factors that influence the change process? and, How is the change process managed? The purpose of two-thirds of the interventions was found to be developing supportive or organizational arrangements and resources, and an analysis of these actions suggested that much initiating of change occurred in the schools, but little facilitation was provided to support change. Several of the current high school change myths were challenged by the examples of effective interventions reported, leading to a set of tentative guidelines for change managers. These guidelines include: (1) seek forgiveness rather than prior approval; (2) ignore the disenfranchised department status and forge ahead; (3) use staff development to cure terminal stagnation of instructional practice; (4) create a new policy or position and rally the troops around; and (5) sneak up on the blind side and employ persuasive incrementalism. A review of current literature indicates that more investigation is needed to provide illumination about the management of high school change and improvement efforts. (DCS)