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Educational curricula have often been shaped more by worldwide standards and modern values than by national or regional influences and may, in some cases, be irrelevant to student and local community needs. This paper explores ways in which curricula can be adapted to a region's specific, social, political, and regional conditions. It begins with a review of the literature on the philosophical context and process of adapting curricula, and then examines several case studies illustrating local community input into curriculum development. These include the introduction of western education into societies in Africa; the Balochistan Instructional Materials Development and Training Cells (BIMDTC) project to produce primary-level curriculum materials in Pakistan; and the Gonoshahajjo Sangstha, a non-governmental organization in Bangladesh, established to facilitate the social mobilization of the poor through literacy and education. The paper concludes with a discussion of strategic approaches to school reform, including local input regarding education reform and school clusters. (Contains 31 references.) (ND)