There are many ways to improve low-performing schools but no simple solutions. Making changes to improve student performance can be a painful process for schools. Strong leadership, staff commitment, and a fundamental belief that all children can learn are necessary conditions for turning around low-performing schools. Even then, the task remains great. A history of failure and low expectations can lessen the ability of low-performing schools to even hope to improve.

Schools must focus, get control of the school environment, and put in place rigorous curriculum and instructional practices. In order for schools to be able to do this, education leaders on the state and local levels must support changes that will create and sustain a supportive environment for learning. School reform cannot take place outside of the context of such support. As this guide has demonstrated, state and local leaders can play crucial roles in creating an environment that supports school improvement by:

• Promoting challenging standards for students, teachers, and school leaders;

• Establishing accountability systems that provide schools with explicit goals for increasing student achievement and ending social promotion, incentives to take on challenging reforms, and consequences for persistent low performance;

• Supporting strong leaders who can help take teachers through the sometimes painful process of school reform, foster collaboration, and strengthen parent and community involvement in schools;

• Giving schools the tools and information they need to assess school needs, choose turnaround strategies, agree on coordinated instructional practices, and monitor performance to create a cycle of continuous improvement;

• Allocating resources in such a way to support ongoing and instruction-focused professional development, assistance to students who need extra academic help, school readiness, and comprehensive school reform strategies;

• Supporting districtwide transformation through strategies such as charter schools and public school choice.

The task of fixing failing schools is not easy, but the alternative is unacceptable. As we enter a new millennium, it is time for America to renew its commitment to future generations -- to raise our expectations for all children, to refuse to accept failure, and to work together to strengthen our schools so that every child can strive toward high levels of achievement and learning.

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