A recent deluge of national studies and reports warns the United States that our future hangs in the balance because our educational system is failing our society. These studies cite projections that American competitiveness is at risk because we have failed to address a growing demographic inevitability--that the segment of the population that is growing the fastest is comprised of those students who are most at risk in our educational system. An expanding body of research (including the studies in this journal volume) suggests that learning communities have potential to contribute to closing the achievement gap.