?Rarely does a book on education reform capture both the big and the small picture with such brilliant clarity. MacBeath and his colleagues furnish a ?no holds barred? account of the ins and outs of understanding and assessing the impact of schools struggling for success. A fascinating read? - Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, OISE/University of TorontoSchools serving young people on the margins of society face a major challenge in trying to create an environment where students can succeed.The book examines key issues in the field of school improvement. More specifically, it draws on evidence from the SFECC (Schools Facing Exceptionally Challenging Circumstances) project to explore:o the policy context of schools on the edgeo the nature of extreme challengeso the way schools have responded to extreme challengeo what seems to be effective in helping such schools to meet the challengeo obstacles to success and the facilities and resources that can make a differenceo strategies to meet the needs of the local community and facilitate lasting change.Each of the authors has wide experience of school effectiveness and improvement, and of working with schools in disadvantaged communities in Britain, the USA and many other parts of the world.School leaders, local authorities, practitioners and all those involved in any aspect of school leadership and school improvement will find this book highly pertinent.