Action research, applied systematically to the issue of poor academic performance, provides a high likelihood of improving student outcomes. The action research processes described in this book are honed by many years of successful application, and provide teachers, educational leaders, families and community members with a set of tools for engaging with significant problems in classrooms and schools.  This book is designed to provide the reader with an understanding of the nature of action research and the procedures and applications of action research.  In addition, it provides practical resources that add to the fundamentals of knowledge available to action researchers.  The text is detailed, providing specific guidance for many of the skills that may be required for the different contexts and problems to which action research can be applied.  Conceptual frameworks provide a "compass" or "roadmap" that will enable practitioners to keep track of action research processes applied to their work.