This “how-to” document follows up on California’s guide to high school reform, Second to None, and is a resource for districts and schools as they promote and implement standards-based education. In addition to helping define and refine standards, assessment, and accountability, chapters within this document cover creating and promoting supports for student success and using data for improvement purposes. Aiming High can be supplemented with the Department’s Reflection Tool and Aiming High ToolKit.

An acclaimed roadmap for school change, this publication presents 31 recommendations for school leaders taking on the challenge of reforming their high schools. Each recommendation falls within one of three core areas: (1) Collaborative leadership and professional learning communities; (2) Personalizing your school environment; and (3) Curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The linked document below is the Executive Summary; the full report is available for purchase at principals.org.

This recent position paper from the website of the Association for Career and Technical Education suggests that high school redesign include CTE. The paper suggests that CTE’s purpose is to align with academic rigor, engage students in career-related learning, and prepare students for the workforce. The paper reviews the challenges and efforts in reforming high schools and how CTE can be included in those efforts.

One of a series of publications resulting from JFF’s Double the Numbers Initiative, which is “designed to deepen support for state and federal policies that can dramatically increase the number of low-income young people who enter and complete postsecondary education,” this report centers on the value of high school career-focused education. After Kazis’ synthesis and critique of recent research on the association between student outcomes and career-focused education, other contributing authors provide their views on the promise of technical education, the steps needed to fulfill that promise, and the states’ and federal government’s roles in the change process.