active_record_spec_helper.rb

require 'active_record'
require 'database_cleaner'

connection_info = YAML.load_file("config/database.yml")["test"]
ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(connection_info)

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.before(:suite) do
    DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :transaction
    DatabaseCleaner.clean_with(:truncation)
  end
  config.before(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.start
  end
  config.after(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean
  end
end

example_spec.rb

require 'fast_spec_helper'

describe "FastSpecs" do
  it "should be fast" do
  end
end

fast_spec_helper.rb

require 'active_record_spec_helper'
require 'pry'

APP_ROOT = File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__),'../'))
$: << File.join(APP_ROOT, "app/models")
$: << File.join(APP_ROOT, "lib")
$: << File.join(APP_ROOT, "spec/fixtures")