Good news about reading achievement of career-bound students at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites includes the following: (1) 60% of the 260 sites that tested students in 1993/94 and again in 1996 saw improvement in reading scores; (2) the performance of all students majority and minority improved significantly; (3) HSTW sites widened the gap between their career-bound students and vocational students nationally; and (4) students completing business, marketing and health concentrations had average reading scores that met or exceeded the HSTW reading goal of 279. However, well over half the students at HSTW sites were reading below the performance goal level and a disproportionately large number of career-bound males continue to enroll in basic and general English classes that do not lead to reading improvements. In order for English departments and teachers to take the lead in advancing the reading, writing and communication skills of career-bound youth the following recommendations are made: enroll career-bound students in higher- level English courses to improve reading achievement; give students more intellectually challenging assignments that require them to work harder in and out of class; create assignments that require students to collect, evaluate, organize and present information; get students to apply reading, writing and speaking skills to advance learning in other courses; and act on the message in the HSTW data. (Includes 2 figures.) (MO)