A portrait, using grounded theory qualitative methodologies, was constructed of a K-12 school serving urban, African American students, one producing high achievement. The primary data were observations complemented by questionnaire responses and document analyses. Consistent with conclusions in the effective schooling literature, this school has strong leadership, accountability, academic focus, and orderliness. Other aspects of schooling seemed also to support achievement, many consistent with aspects of teaching and learning emphasized in the educational psychology literature. The theory emerging from this study is that the high achievement in this school is caused by multiple factors, including decidedly psychological ones.