This paper examines the concept of school climate as a key factor in the success of planned change in elementary schools. Beginning with a general review of the literature on organizational climate and using as its basis three major reviews that appeared in the mid-1970s, the paper defines climate, examines variables that have been used as part of climate constructs, examines distinctions between climate and other organizational variables, and discusses key measurement problems related to climate. The paper then examines research on organizational climate in schools. Discussion centers on Halpin and Croft's Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire and Likert's Profile of a School, and studies which have used these instruments to examine change in schools are summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of the limitations of existing instruments to measure school climate and offers suggestions for future research. Three tables, five pages of references, and one page of reference notes are included. (IW)