School improvement plans (SIPs) are increasingly used to structure the process of setting and monitoring goals. As SIPs are designed to identify and address local problems of practice, there is the possibility that these tools help school leaders initiate and carry out ambitious school improvement. Yet, practical challenges abound in the development and initiation of a SIP. This teaching case describes the process by which one school leader developed the SIP in a turnaround school, how the plan was initially received, and the consequences when she unilaterally initiated change. The potential benefits of school improvement planning, such as goal-setting and progress monitoring, are contrasted with practical constraints associated with plan development.