Teaching and learning in urban public school districts have been marginalized by an institutional culture marred by random acts of improvement and a propensity for maintaining the status quo. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, Public Law 107--110) will affect almost every elementary and secondary public school student in the United States. Researchers of organizational design and public policy have frequently found that failed efforts to increase effectiveness can be traced back to ineffective planning processes for program implementation. This exploratory research study examines the NCLB policy implementation in high-poverty schools, as it relates to planning and program fidelity in the delivery of Title I services for disadvantaged children in an urban district. This study examines the need for cogent, detailed planning and closely monitored execution of NCLB planning and program implementation strategies.