This case study provides a practical example of collaborative action research at work in a classroom setting, and illustrates how collaborative action research can be used to help teachers answer questions about their own practice and professional development. Following a review of the available research and historical foundations for collaborative action research, the Chapter 1 program for remediating students at risk for failure or dropout is described. Research with the authors' Chapter 1 eighth graders focused on using alternative assessment to motivate students. Excerpts from the teacher's and students' learning logs and teacher-student interviews are provided, tracing the process of planning, implementation, and evaluation of the alternative assessment techniques and activities. Results indicated that alternative assessment improved motivation and academic achievement among four out of five students studied, while teacher-student relationships also benefitted. Drawbacks of collaborative action research and alternative assessment are also discussed, including considerable time and effort requirements for frequent meetings, coordinated and organized data collection, and the complexity of evaluating student writing. (Contains 91 references.) (PB)