The U. S. high school system is in crisis, Wise argues. More than 1 million students drop out every year, significant numbers of college freshmen require remedial courses to handle college work, and employers consistently express disappointment in the skills of graduates. The high dropout rate and students' lack of preparedness carries consequences for students and society; both young adults' earning power and U. S. international competitiveness are severely compromised. Wise compares the breakdown in the high school system to both the crisis of the Sputnik launch in 1957 and the demands for equity for black students that came to a head in the same period. However, the nation cannot respond to the current high school crisis as it responded to Sputnik, by directing a few top students into training in certain essential fields. Rather, the federal government must provide leadership promoting reform for all high schools. The article suggests three approaches that states, school districts, and schools should take, and directions for how federal policy should support reform.