State and district school leaders across the U.S. have long sought ways to create success for children attending schools where too many have failed for far too long. A new approach to solving this old problem is called "starting fresh." By beginning anew with the freedom to do things vastly different, a real opportunity is created to improve student achievement. Starting fresh is not the right tool in every circumstance, but it may be the right tool for an educator. This issue brief compiles highlights from a five-volume series called "Starting Fresh in Low-Performing Schools" published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). "Starting Fresh" explains why education leaders are empowering schools to start fresh, and gives an overview of the major components of a successful start fresh strategy.