When the author's school received the exciting news that they had moved from 714 to 752 on the Advanced Placement Incentive (API), the school staff were shocked, elated and paralyzed with fear. The author's conviction is that this is what fueled their API increase this year--the dedication of time to the discussion and dialogue about relationships, and then putting those conversation into action. With their mentoring program, after-school activities, leadership opportunities for students, alternative recess peer tutoring, spirit rallies, environmental efforts, peer leaders, English classes for parents, a parent center, and student recognitions, they are walking the talk of relationships. They are proving that the tenet of relationships is a prime player in the assessment and instruction arena.