Compiled for school administrators who must initiate or respond to external mandate for change, this guide draws on the experiences of 10 rural school districts that participated in the federally funded Experimental Schools (ES) program for perspectives that can be used in the successful management of change efforts in school districts. Organized around four areas of knowledge which administrators need in order to promote, guide, and survive changes, the booklet emphasizes the importance of understanding: (1) an accurate and realistic image of organizational settings; (2) the change process and its important stages; (3) the pitfalls and opportunities that previous efforts have revealed; and (4) ideas for designing strategies which can be effectively used in a particular local context. Discussions of case studies of the ES districts reveal how the change process unfolds and how conflicts can be resolved; outline an image for viewing change in educational organizations; and offer specific guidelines for approaching change in small school districts. (JD)