One of the most important strategies for stopping school decline is recognizing its signs early on and promptly applying appropriate interventions. In this article, the author identifies 11 indicators of school decline that are associated with inadequate and inappropriate responses to the challenges of budget cuts, state and federal mandates, loss of key personnel, and an influx of at-risk students. These are: (1) Undifferentiated assistance; (2) Inadequate monitoring of progress; (3) Unadjusted daily schedule; (4) Alignment problems; (5) Ineffective staff development; (6) Lost focus; (7) Lack of leadership; (8) Hasty hiring; (9) Increased class size; (10) Overreliance on untrained helpers; and (11) More rules and harsher punishments. (Contains 6 notes.)