In this paper, the authors present a complex set of interactions, agents, pressures, and contextual factors that intersect during the earliest years of major effort at education policy reform. While the focus of this analysis is exclusively on state policy changes and school district response in New York, the issues involved are all but universal across the United States. By linking together the interrelated issues from the trend analyses, casework, and extant literature, the authors attempt to make sense of the wide array of findings. While the broad trends appear promising, it is worth noting the ground-level details, as they may provide researchers, policymakers, and practitioners with insight into the potential for improvement and greater equality. (Contains 3 figures, 4 tables and 12 notes.)