This report identifies and describes practices that support the achievement of students enrolled in five high performing, high poverty elementary schools. Findings indicate that despite variations, the school share many similarities in terms of the strategies they employ to strengthen academic performance: (1) the schools embrace the belief that all students can be academically successful; (2) administrators put the talents and experience of teachers to their best use; (3) faculty and staff regularly communicate across teaching areas and programs and are eager to learn from one another; (4) staff use student assessment data to identify areas where students can improve and where their own teaching strategies can be adjusted to meet students needs; (5) a culture of student-centered learning predominates; (6) educators persist in addressing academic barriers to learning, collaborate with colleagues in identifying solutions to barriers, and participate in schoolwide intervention strategies; (7) faculty and staff view parents as critical partners; (8) while special education services are valued and supported, educators consider a referral for such services as a last resort; and (9) educators share a view of special education as a means to fully integrate students into the regular education program. Recommendations for change strategies are provided. (Contains 20 tables.) (CR)