Beginning in 1989, 12 urban middle schools were able to draw on the resources of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation to work toward systemic reform. The five school districts supported by this initiative pledged to focus on high expectations, high content, and high support for students. Most of the schools, in Baltimore (Maryland), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), San Diego (California), Oakland (California), and Louisville (Kentucky), were very troubled. But one, in San Diego, represented diverse economic conditions because of voluntary desegregation efforts. This book, the third and final chronicle of the networking efforts of the Clark middle school project, shows that schools that floundered at the beginning of the project continued to do so because the desired reforms could not overcome the unwillingness of systems to change or because leadership was not able to move the systems. The report details many successes, but it gives equal attention to the context of urban middle grades reform. Why many students at some of the program's schools have brighter prospects than others is explored. Keys to success in school reform were deep professional knowledge and opportunities to share insights and experiences in ways that empowered school communities. Implications for educational policy are discussed. (Contains 52 references.) (SLD)