A research project in south east Queensland is testing a model of school improvement that focuses on literacy innovation in the middle years of schooling. The Literacy Lessons for Logan Learners (LL4LL) Project is addressing the needs of some of Queensland's most challenged schools, by improving teachers' capacity to help students from diverse cultural, linguistic and/or socio-economic backgrounds. Participating students have made impressive gains on reading comprehension tests, and there have been simultaneous gains in terms of building teacher capacity and establishing professional learning communities. The project is also developing a process for school improvement that may be of value to other Australian schools serving disadvantaged communities.