The Comprehensive School Improvement Program (CSIP), a holistic school improvement plan currently operating in selected New York City schools, is explained in this guide. The handbook is divided into three sections. Section 1 discusses the goals of the CSIP, which are to enable the principal to become a more effective instructional leader of the school, and to involve the whole community in making its school more effective. The process equips community members with the skills to: analyze data; work collaboratively and reach decisions by consensus; formulate solutions, set goals, and implement plan activities; conduct effective meetings; resolve conflict; and evaluate plan effectiveness. Section 2 outlines the CSIP model and describes the program's eight phases, which are: (1) program entry; (2) schoolwide needs assessment; (3) planning committee formation; (4) review and summary of needs assessment; (5) development of CSIP; (6) plan implementation (monitoring and formative evaluation); (7) summative evaluation, revision, and refinement; and (8) process maintenance and institutionalization. Section 3 contains 11 appendices which outline roles and responsibilities of various program participants; provide recommendations for implementation and evaluation; and present a tool for keeping track of the disposition of agenda items. An 11-item bibliography is included. (KH)