Simultaneous pressures in policy, press, and rhetoric are pushing principals to address the intellectual engagement of their less academically inclined students. Accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) require schools to demonstrate adequate yearly progress for students of disaggregated subgroups. The theme of overcoming the achievement gap pervades not only NCLB, but also state-level reform legislation. Such popular publications as "Newsweek" have touted the benefits of pushing more and more students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. One important step in enabling all students to achieve at high levels is to get them engaged in the learning process: focusing on academic work, making connections among topics, pushing the limits of their understanding, and expressing their points of view. Recognizing that the skills required for AP success are grounded in years of engaging academic content, the College Board developed two pilot programs in English and mathematics, designed to prepare students for challenging content beginning as early as grade 6 and extending through the high school years. These programs, Textual Power and Mathematics with Meaning, have been piloted by more than 600 teachers across the country for the past two academic years (2001-02 and 2002-03). The results of these pilot efforts are promising, and the College Board is continuing to refine and expand these programs to best meet the needs of a diverse student population.