With more students returning to in-person instruction, school systems can begin to shift their focus from surviving the crisis to helping students recover. Above all else, that means accelerating students back to grade level--not by rushing through the curriculum, but by using proven strategies that help students engage with the most critical work of their grade as quickly as possible. This guide is designed to help system leaders create a plan to do just that--starting with the critical decisions this summer that will shape what's possible for students and schools over the next several years. We offer recommendations not just on goals and instructional materials, but on the authentic community engagement, change management, and organizational development that are critical to any plan's long-term success. We also highlight the most effective ways leaders can use one-time federal resources from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) to support their learning acceleration plans--and avoid spending those resources on initiatives less likely to create meaningfully better experiences for students.