For more than a century, urban public schools have provided economic opportunities through education to some of the nation's largest, most diverse, and neediest populations. By embracing these challenges, our nation's urban schools have provided the know-how and backbone upon which our cities have grown and thrived. In this report, the Council of the Great City Schools is sharing the stories and examples of accomplishments that represent the progress and good work that is going on in our urban schools. It is hoped that these stories will inspire similar successes in other cities as they create an image of urban public education that more completely and accurately reflects the hard-won successes of urban city schools.