Pennsylvania's school districts and area vocational-technical schools are required to submit long range plans to the Pennsylvania Department of Education every 5 years. Part of the planning process involves the development of strategies, or action plans, for achieving the long term objectives identified in the long range plans. This planning guide discusses the steps to take in developing these strategies, the purposes for the action plans, and the elements of the plans that must be documented when the long range plan is submitted to the department of education. The guide then discusses differences among districts and how these differences will affect the individual district's plans. Commonly asked questions about the development of action plans are posed next, and clarifications of the state regulations' purposes and requirements are provided in response. The guide then presents a step-by-step outline of the action planning process at the individual school level, based on human resource development technology. Particular attention is paid to the principal's role in guiding the process and obtaining staff involvement. A sample planning format and a checklist of action planning activities are included in the guide. (PGD)