Located in north-central Mississippi, ABC Elementary School is part of the XYZ County School District. While historically recognized for athletic achievement, County XYZ schools have only recently gained recognition for educational achievement. ABC Elementary School has contributed to the district's educational growth and achievement. The average enrollment at ABC Elementary is approximately 500 students for grades kindergarten through 6th grade. The teacher/student ratio is approximately 14:6. Demographics for the 2014-2015 school year indicate 46% female and 54% male; 66% white, 31.3% black, and 2.7% other. With more than 67% of schools receiving free or reduced lunch, ABC Elementary School is considered a Title 1 school at the school level. According to the Mississippi Assessment and Accountability Reporting System, ABC Elementary was considered an underperforming school, which did not experience growth during the 2010-2011 school term. year, ranking 100th in the state. During the 2014-2015 school year, ABC's performance and growth model indicated significant improvement, ranking 28th in the state for most rigorous curriculum and assessments. In recent years, the focus on student outcomes has produced a sense of urgency among staff. From the top down, decisions about student outcomes have become more specific and data-driven. To guide these changes, assessment data from a variety of sources has been continuously collected and analyzed to make important instructional decisions. Universal screening along with district curriculum assessment results for student placement were analyzed. Depending on the achievement level, the student received enrichment or remediation instruction and placement in reading classes at...... middle of the paper ......most students are considered of low socioeconomic status, I would be certain to do as ABC did and provide training to teachers to understand students who come from poverty. This training would go a long way in helping middle-class teachers understand where their poor students are coming from. There is no recipe to apply when planning school improvement, only the steps to take. Improvement must be specifically tailored to the needs and resources of the school. Effective improvement incorporates many aspects from a variety of sources that are adapted to meet the needs of that particular school. Effective improvement plans are created and implemented with the hope that once goals are achieved and results and growth are achieved, they will also be sustained. Effective improvement is designed to do just that: improve schools.