In March 2008, teachers and leaders of the mathematics programs grades 6-12 in the Clark County School District (Las Vegas, Nev.) found themselves under the urgent spotlight of failed expectations. District leaders and teachers had been bold enough to create high stakes, districtwide common assessment semester exams in five subject areas of mathematics to be used by every middle and high school in the district. These assessments included middle school pre-algebra and honors algebra as well as high school algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra II. In January 2008, 56 middle schools, 48 high schools, and 24,000 students participated in the districtwide semester common assessment. When only 9% of the students tested were able to pass the high school algebra I first-semester common assessment, the results grabbed headlines and the attention of all stakeholders — administrators, board of