Macro and Micro Implementation.

Abstract : Significant educational change requires more than the introduction of new technologies or the alteration of traditional curricula. Significant change cannot be accomplished without new patterns of behavior. That is, new roles and relationships for teachers, administrators, and students need to be defined and maintained. Implementing such change is a difficult and uncertain process, which neither social science theory nor practical wisdom has thus far been able to illuminate. This essay, drawing on an analysis of educational innovation attempted in 200 U.S. school districts, describes critical aspects of the implementation process and suggests conceptualization that might serve as a basis to guide the development of theory and practice.