It's undeniable that too many schools with high percentages of low-income students and students of color are low-achieving. But a few schools with these student populations stand out as successes, with academic achievement rivaling and exceeding that of their counterparts in middle-class communities. What do these schools have in common? Research by the Education Trust reveals that it's often that they have strong leaders. So what are those leaders like? Chenoweth and Theokas found that they share four characteristics: Their beliefs about student potential drive their work. They believe all students can achieve to high standards, and even though it's uncomfortable to do so, they push teachers not to accept mediocrity. They focus on improving instruction without neglecting managerial duties. They make decisions regarding schoolwide and routines and schedules with an eye to maximizing opportunities for student and teacher learning. They focus on building the capacity of all the adults in the building. They determine what learning needs teachers have and plan professional development accordingly, sometimes having teachers share their own expertise. They monitor and evaluate what leads to success and what can be learned from failure. They're empiricists who want to see evidence of success. If an initiative doesn't work, they don't place blame but use it as an opportunity to rethink and try something new.