There are many combinations of high schools that could meet the needs of a community. To be effective, however, districts should develop policies for supporting these diverse schools that include:

• Quality assurance. School system and municipal leaders must hold every high school in a portfolio accountable for meeting one goal: preparing all students for college, careers, and citizenship. When schools do not meet this goal, leaders must take appropriate action—which starts with providing the training and information schools need to improve, and may ultimately end with an academic intervention.
  
  
• Options with equity. Left completely unregulated, a system of choice is likely to reflect, rather than reduce, economic inequities: the best schools will gravitate to the neighborhoods with the most influence. Instead, leaders must carefully plan their schools’ locations and curricula, target low income students appropriately, and communicate with all stakeholders.
  
  
• Communication. Creating options for all students is based on the premise that all students and parents have absolute access to information. For this approach to work effectively, school system and municipal leaders must work hard to reach out to those families who are least likely to understand their options.
  
  
• School formation. Systems must be able to develop new schools when the need or interest arises. New schools do not necessarily require new buildings; there are many examples of schools sharing space with a community center or other organization or taking over an entire vacant building.
  
  
• Learning networks. No school should work in isolation. Through networks of schools, educators can share best practices and help each other improve their schools.

2004 - Creating a Portfolio of Great High Schools, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.