Since the late 1990s, the academic performance of many students in London has risen dramatically \u2013 so much so, it now exceeds national averages. The improvement is due largely to big gains in the 13 districts of Inner London \u2013 places with the greatest concentrations of low-income and minority students. Sanford professor Helen \u201cSunny\u201d Ladd spent a month in two of those boroughs, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, in order to identify what policies are driving the change.<\/p>\n