This paper illustrates how Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Illinois District 233 addressed the decline in its student achievement results and improved college readiness among its students. This sharp decline caused school officials to stop and reevaluate what they were doing. A review of the facts led to a clear conclusion: "Rigorous coursework is the key to college readiness". At Homewood-Flossmoor High School, many of the efforts were devoted to informing students, parents, teachers and counselors about the importance of taking rigorous coursework. A key element in the plan was the adoption of ACT's EPAS[TM] Educational Planning and Assessment System. EPAS includes EXPLORE[R] for 8th and 9th graders, PLAN[R] for 10th graders, and the ACT for 11th and 12th graders. These three programs provide an assessment system that measures student readiness along a continuum of College Readiness Benchmarks. In conjunction with assessing academic progress, EPAS helps students plan for their future by providing information on careers that match their interests and skills.