Abstract

This paper describes changes that occurred at one school, resulting in dramatically improved student achievement in reading. Factors beyond a school’s control such as ethnicity and poverty have been cited as risk factors associated with students’ academic underachievement (Harker, 2003; Nash, 1982, 1993, 2002, 2003). Despite unchanged external risk factors one school, referred to as Chestbrook School, changed factors it did have control over to facilitate reading achievement at age appropriate levels, for most of its students.