Aurora (Colorado) Public Schools responded to the Colorado State Model Content Standards for Reading and Writing and the accountability measures attached to the state assessments by implementing the Aurora Achievement Initiative in 2001. Originating from literature on best practices and large-scale school reform, the goal of the districtwide initiative is to increase student achievement through effective delivery of teaching and learning for all students. Implicit in the initiative's intent is the understanding that effective instruction in literacy eliminates the need for the majority of literacy interventions for students. In this article, the authors describe Aurora's three-year restructuring plan, which significantly affected language arts instruction. The focus for the first year was setting the groundwork for professional development through planning a demonstration classroom, independent libraries, and writing instruction. During the second year, teachers in the language arts department began to shift from literature to literacy instruction in earnest, especially at the 9th- and 10th-grade levels. Aurora Central has completed its third year of literacy reform, and teachers are discovering that their classrooms are now student focused and literacy based. Schoolwide instruction, coaching, and a demonstration classroom are key factors that have contributed to this groundswell of sound literacy instruction. (Contains 5 resources.)