This paper considers how some features of our recent schooling improvement research in New Zealand could be thought of using a Reading Recovery lens. Three powerful Reading Recovery concepts (among many in the Reading Recovery theoretical base) are used to reflect on our research and development work to increase achievement in reading comprehension in Years 4-8. The concepts of Acceleration, Roaming Around the Known, and "treatment integrity" (and the related concept of Sustainability) inform the ways we can look at schooling improvement, but also through the exercise, suggestions are made for how these concepts can be elaborated and refined further in Reading Recovery. (Contains 4 figures.)