Key results and conclusions from the first year (1986-87) of the Detroit (Michigan) Effective Schools Project are presented. The project was designed to determine how low-achieving schools in Detroit can best be helped and to ascertain factors with greatest impact on retention and achievement. Focus is on assisting selected schools designated as Chapter 1 schools under the provisions of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, including eight elementary schools (Couzens, Herman, Hosmer, Ives, Keidan, Peck, Rose, and Stephens) and four middle schools (Earhart, Longfellow, Nobel, and Remus Robinson), by involving these schools in comprehensive self-study/needs assessment and improvement planning and implementation. The district's School Effectiveness Questionnaire was administered, achievement data collected, a school profile created, and interviews conducted to insure input from parents. Findings indicate that: (1) special attention to schools has a positive impact on increasing staff morale; (2) school self-studies are key sources of information for assisting schools in assessing their own needs; (3) instructional programs lack the necessary link between thinking skills and basic learning skills; (4) remedial programs lack the necessary link to basic school programs; (5) teacher beliefs about students' capabilities and home backgrounds have an impact on student achievement; and (6) parents want more involvement in school decisions and activities. It is recommended that the project be continued and that it emphasize in-school activities focusing on shared decision making, improving leader behaviors, instructional and classroom management, and congruency between remedial and basic school programs. Support is recommended from state, federal, and local entities. An appendix contains tables, figures and charts, the School Self-Study Instrument, and a review of the School Effectiveness Questionnaire. (TJH)