This summary of a report on strategies to improve education in Oakland (California) emphasizes that there is no magic solution to school reform and encourages ongoing community participation. The goal of school reform is a learning environment that enables all students to be competent, confident, conscious, and caring individuals and holds the school accountable for the delivery of equal education. The following conditions are essential: (1) effective school leadership; (2) rigorous, challenging curriculum and instruction; (3) effective staff; (4) parents as partners; (5) safety and security; and (6) outstanding district leadership. The following problems must be overcome: (1) low expectations of students; (2) inadequate funding; and (3) poor teacher preparation that leaves teachers unable to deal with diversity. The following change strategies are outlined: (1) build a system of staff renewal as the centerpiece for positive change; (2) construct a system of accountability for student outcomes; (3) make effective and equitable use of personnel and resources through planning; (4) demand honest assessment, aligned with community expectations, that charts a course of action; (5) use communication to empower all participants in the teaching and learning process; (6) promote the coordination of multiple community resources to respond to the life circumstances of students; and (7) commit to the principle of equity in the allocation and development of resources. A map illustrating elementary school boundaries is included. Statistical data are presented in nine graphs. (FMW)