Despite ongoing reform efforts, academic achievement in the U.S. educational system is declining both on internal measures as well as on international comparative assessments. While students from affluent backgrounds continue to do well academically, there is a growing achievement gap as underprivileged urban students fall further behind. This report builds on the work of scholars including Schultz, Tough, and Darling-Hammond and describes these challenges for our education system, and then demonstrates how some successful urban schools have been able to achieve progress despite great hurdles. Furthermore, this work looks abroad to examine how other countries are able to attain a higher level of achievement and do so equitably. The essay concludes by arguing that by looking to these examples, effective reforms can be designed to increase academic achievement and also promote equity.