Decades of research clearly show what works in schools, yet a huge gap persists between those instructional best practices and what is widely taught-and not taught-in classrooms today. In this the author expands on his bestselling book and offers a broader, deeper analysis of the entire K-12 education system and how it can improve. He describes a systemic buffer of policies, pedagogy, and initiatives that prevents everyone-teachers, students, and parents-from understanding our collective failure to align instruction with evidence of what works. We need to bridge the gap between proven practice and common practice. By focusing on the fundamental elements of curriculum, literacy, and effective instruction, the author offers hope for the future. He describes schools that have successfully used evidence and strategic practice to remove the buffer, and he shows how schools can improve-quickly. This book is a call for both educators and the public to demand transparency and fidelity to the most effective actions that transform our schools and help us see results now.