This book brings together the wisdom and experience from over 50 schools that have been categorized as "high performing, high minority, high poverty." It shows the reader how the leaders of those schools succeeded--in their own words. The book shows how one can be a turnaround specialist. Included are actual examples and real life stories which illustrate how the leaders at these schools raised academic achievement; motivated students; boosted parent and community involvement; and applied the 3 r's--rigor, relevance, & relationships. The chapters comprising this book are: (1) Defining The Focus: Practitioners Speak; (2) Student Learning and Achievement; (3) Staff Empowerment; (4) Parent/Family Involvement; (5) School-Community Collaboration; (6) Prioritization; and (7) The Road Map to Improvement.