The schools in Providence, Rhode Island, like those in most large and midsize cities, suffer alarming drop-out rates. In 1989, Urban Collaborative, an independent, public middle school for teenagers at risk of dropping out, was founded. The results have been phenomenal. More than 80 percent of the students go on to graduate from high school. Michael Brosnan uses the stories of the director, students, and teachers to explain how and why this school succeeds where so many have failed. It's founder and director, Rob DeBlois, quadriplegic since a diving accident when he was twenty-one, has had to face many challenges of his own, and the determination, enthusiasm, and ambition he brings to the Urban Collaborative are keys to its success. Rather than just detailing the woes of America's inner-city schools, this book offers new insights into the complexity of education reform and provides practical suggestions for ways our schools can be transformed.