Largely qualitative data were examined in the second year of a 5-year longitudinal study of the effectiveness of career and technical education (CTE)-based reforms in helping disadvantaged youth in grades 7, 9, and 11 succeed in school. Students were enrolled at three school sites with these differing program foci: (1) career pathways; (2) vocational-technical high school with shops; and (3) career academies. Preliminary findings and conclusions were as follows: (1) curriculum integration appeared easier to achieve when teaching was interdisciplinary in nature; (2) whole-school reform was closely associated with faculty professional development; (3) computer technology was commonly used in all the schools studied; (4) middle school reform focused on strong academic foundations and connection to feeder high schools; (5) strong leadership appeared crucial to effecting change; and (6) high schools organized by career pathways enable gender and racial equity more readily than schools divided into shops or academies. Issues of focus outlined for the next phase of the study were as follows: (1) quantitative analysis of student outcome data; (2) sustainability of ongoing reforms; (3) effect of transitions in leadership on reform continuity; (4) students' transitions to new schools; and (5) effectiveness of whole-school reforms in narrowing the gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students. (AJ)