In 1995, the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school district began an initiative aimed at improving student achievement titled the Children Achieving initiative. This reform agenda introduced 10 components that included local decision making, development of standards, and increased professional development for staff. The Children Achieving agenda is likely to affect another ongoing effort to improve schools, the federal Title I schoolwide program. To examine the impact on the Title I implementation projects in the School District of Philadelphia, this study focused on four inner-city elementary schools, each of which represented a different "cluster." One school had a predominantly Hispanic American population, another had a significant Asian limited English proficient population, and the other two had largely African American enrollments. The study examined how the latest reform facilitated the integration of curriculum and instruction for Title I students, and how new policy initiatives provide the technical and professional support to help teachers use instructional strategies that benefit Title I students. Also studied was how the reform agenda facilitates policy coordination or widens organizational fragmentation at different levels of the school system. Case studies of the four schools show that the two school-reform strategies of Children Achieving, standardized and centralized policies and the development of structures for lateral communication, find substantial congruence with Title I schoolwide programs. Both reforms regard parent and community involvement, local decision making, early intervention through full day kindergarten, and support for professional development as integral components. It is not yet clear whether both programs are providing the increased learning time and content coverage that are central to improving academic achievement. (Contains 1 table and 18 references.) (SLD)