Frustrated with years of below-average performance on standardized tests, high dropout rates and a negative image of its schools, the board of education in Maine School Administrative District 11, a 2,200-student school district in central Maine, charged a 15-member committee of educators, school board members and community representatives to review the experiences of middle school and high school students and to develop recommendations to improve teacher practice, learner experiences, student aspirations and academic achievement. The academic audit, which took place from April 2006 to January 2007, revealed many aspects of students' school experiences were on target and positive, yet substantial areas of concern had surfaced. These concerns, if not addressed with a sense of urgency, would continue to be obstacles standing in the way of making learning and teaching experiences better in the school system. The academic audit committee has recommended the following changes for improving teacher practice, learner experiences, student aspirations and academic achievement: (1) Educational coherence; (2) More diverse learning opportunities; and (3) Safe and educationally supportive climate. The school district made important changes as a result of the academic audit. In this age of more accountability and the expectation for data-based decision making, conducting an academic audit can mine telling information about learner and teacher experiences, leading to more precise planning for needed school and systemic changes.