This book recounts the successful 8-year effort on the part of Grambling State Univesity, a historically black college in Louisiana, to raise the success rate of its students in passing the National Teacher Examination. The chapters in the book include: (1) "Excellence: In Search of Meaning" (Johnnie R. Mills); (2) "Literacy in Student Performance: A Data Base for Change" (Johnnie R. Mills); (3) "First Things First: Preparation for Change" (Johnnie R. Mills); (4) "Overture for Excellence: Toward a Program Plan" (Johnnie R. Mills); (5) "No U-Turns: Comprehensive Curriculum Revision" (Jo Ann Dauzat); (6) "Faculty Development for Excellence" (Jo Ann Dauzat); (7) "Monitoring: Student, Faculty, and Change" (Earline Simms); (8) "The Deanship: Major Problems Confronting Leadership for Academic Excellence" (Burnett Joiner); and (9) "Progress: Program Outcomes and Lessons Learned" (Burnett Joiner). After chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9, consultant's notes provide an outsider's account of what happened at Grambling, assessments of problems, and evaluation of the college's achievements. (JD)