Americans have woken up to the fact that their educational system is failing the nation and failing many of their children. There are now rising demands to make the schools more effective and to hold them accountable for their performance. Transforming America's Schools offers something new in the current educational debate. Our knowledge base about what it takes to make schools effective is now well-developed. There is a wealth of information, but this information has never before been translated into a coherent plan of action. The gap has been filled by Transforming America's Schools, a book that could only have been written by two authors who combine a mastery of the research material with many years of practical experience, wrestling with the problems that confront - and too often thwart - the reform-minded administrator. Transforming America's Schools is not merely a practical manual and inspiring program for school administrators. It is essential reading for parents, teachers, school board members, community leaders, legislators, and instructors in colleges of education.