E.A. Johnson High School is located in Mt. Morris, Michigan, near Flint, where the city has felt deeply the impact of the area's economic decline. 72% of the student population qualify for free and reduced lunch. The staff was willing to make the changes necessary for success, but needed more than a book study. Many of the structures for professional learning were in place, such as opportunities for collegial dialogue, capacity building, and a focus on data, all conducted through department-based professional learning communities. The staff needed to analyze, summarize, prioritize, and personalize the Common Core State Standards. They also needed to model, discuss, analyze, and implement research-based classroom instructional practices aligned to the Common Core. These changes required scheduled monitoring and support. Finally, staff needed to assess student achievement, focused on proficiency in the Common Core, in a manner that provided feedback for further instructional decision-making and improvement. The staff was very committed but did not know what to do differently to get a different result. The authors of this article, as consultants, saw the need to clarify the school's vision for success, the Common Core State Standards, and what the changes look like in very explicit terms. This article describes the plan they created for professional learning, and strategies that were implemented for improved student achievement.