The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)-State Vocational Education Consortium's commitment to higher standards for and greater achievement of vocational students has brought substantial gains in student performance. SREB's High Schools That Work (HSTW), a school improvement initiative, documents achievement gains by vocational students. Data from exams based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress show HSTW sites assessed in 1996 and 1998 met the goal to raise mathematics and science achievement of vocational students to the national averages of all high school students. Reading achievement remains a problem. HSTW has identified these school and classroom practices that matter in raising student achievement: students complete a challenging curriculum; districts and states increase graduation requirements; seniors take a mathematics and a science course; vocational teachers stress academic knowledge and skills; teachers set high expectations and make assignments that engage students; students receive guidance and advisement; students meet curriculum and achievement goals; and vocational students are held to demanding standards for technical achievement. SREB's challenge is to continue working with states, districts, and schools to take the lessons learned and help inform state and local policy and leadership initiatives that can improve students' academic and technical achievement. (YLB)