When students struggle in the elementary and middle grades, the likelihood that they will drop out of high school increases dramatically. Although most dropout prevention resources have focused on high schools in a last-ditch effort to keep students in school, earlier interventions in elementary and middle grades provide a better opportunity to target assistance before students completely disengage. Although the middle grades can be difficult for any struggling student, it is especially so for a subset of very high-risk middle grades students--those who are one to three years over age for seventh grade. This article presents students' views about how an intervention program aimed at getting them back on track for on-time graduation helped them develop a more positive sense of their own ability to accomplish, belong, and engage in the classroom. The program was designed to accelerate learning so students completed two years of academic content in one year. This article has two primary purposes. First, it illustrates how acceleration strategies can reengage struggling students and help them see that success is possible. Second, it emphasizes the importance of helping struggling students reestablish their identity as learners and as contributing members of a classroom community. Struggling students often believe that they are incapable of accomplishing important tasks, that they are unworthy of membership in a classroom community, and that they cannot engage in challenging curriculum. The voices of middle grades students provide evidence of the value of acceleration strategies and insight into the process of identity redevelopment. (Contains 1 note.)