Subtle Webs reveals how organizations outside schools have created an invisible infrastructure not only to affect local school districts but also to shape US education. This behind-the-scenes look at how organizations have worked with high schools to address the student dropout problem argues that changes in a decentralized system happen less through top-down policy mandates or bottom-up movements, and more through "outside-in" initiatives of networked organizations spread across various local systems. By detailing change across multiple levels and across multiple locations, this book uncovers new ways to think about educational transformation, policy reform, and organizational change.