What are the linkages between school-based governance and instructional change? This paper describes how two ATLAS schools developed the linkage between school-based governance and instructional change. (ATLAS means "communities for Authentic Teaching, Learning and Assessment for all Students"). ATLAS was funded by the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC). Data were gathered through interviews with each school's planning and management team and with individuals in school leadership roles. The paper summarizes the chronology of program implementation in each school. A conclusion is that the schools eventually organized around both management and instructional issues, although their approaches were based on the local context and the "home" organizations of the ATLAS facilitators. Both schools ended with stronger instructional programs and stronger planning-management teams. ATLAS functioned as a catalyst for change. The outcomes point to the importance of the school context (factors that affect implementation) and principals with facilitative leadership styles. Two tables are included. (Contains 22 references.) (LMI)