Despite the commissions and politicians that decry the failures of public education, thousands of teachers, principals, and administrators struggle daily to provide children with an education that will open doors. This article examines some of these educators' efforts, which demonstrate that change and success are possible. Interviews were conducted with Siegfried Engelmann, professor of instructional research at the University of Oregon College of Education; Joanne Johnson, a 4th/5th-grade teacher at Goshen Elementary School in Springfield, Oregon; Bruce Joyce, director of Booksend Laboratories in Pauma Valley, California; Robert Slavin, codirector of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk at Johns Hopkins University; and Barbara Sizemore, dean of DePaul University School of Education. Some key strategies used by the five educators included: (1) direct instruction--a structured instructional program that works on the assumption that all children can learn and that basic skills should be the main focus of a compensatory-education program; (2) inquiry-based curriculum--an experience-based instructional philosophy in which curriculum is keyed to current events and issues of local or personal interest; (3) action research--a combination of approaches to improving classroom teaching and outcomes that combines specific steps designed to bring about improvement with testing to ensure the improvements occur; (4) Success for All--research-based programs in reading, writing, and language arts that emphasize cooperative learning, the identification of children in need, one-on-one tutoring where needed, assessment, and strong parent involvement; and (5) School Achievement Structure (SAS)--a highly structured set of routines designed to enable students, especially those living in poverty, to pass standardized tests. While there is no single, perfect way to create successful change, there are programs that work and people who are dedicated to improving educational opportunities. (LMI)