In order for children to have access to quality educational experiences, all members of the school community must participate in school restructuring (parents, advocates, educators, community leaders, and policymakers). Researchers and teacher training institutions also play a vital role. This book provides easy access to information of particular interest to different groups and individuals who support advocacy-driven school reform. It is organized around 10 vital student entitlements discussed within 8 chapters that focus on the following topics: parent participation, student admission and placement, student instruction, enhancing individual potential, student support services, school climate, teacher empowerment, and school finance. A fictional vignette is presented at the beginning of each chapter, representing an imaginary elementary school on its way to becoming the Good Common School (a school with the primary goal of providing educational excellence for all of its students). Following these vignettes are step-by-step instructions or standards for achieving advocacy-driven reform. The second section of each chapter supports the need for fundamental change by documenting the problems found within most public elementary schools. Following the vignettes and problem statements, advocacy strategies in each chapter show how advocates work to reform schools in their own communities. These are followed by descriptions of promising school-based practices successfully implemented in real elementary schools. Each chapter ends with a summary of education research relating to the chapter's topics. (561 references) (LAP)