In a 2006 report, MDRC comparatively analyzed its evaluations of three comprehensive interventions -- Career Academies, First Things First, and Talent Development -- to identify strategies that address five critical challenges to reform: (1) creating a personalized and orderly learning environment; (2) assisting students who enter high school with poor academic skills; (3) improving instructional content and pedagogy; (4) preparing students for the world beyond high school; and (5) stimulating change in overstressed high schools. In this Issue Focus, the report analyzes recent research through the lens of the five challenges. In particular, the discussion focuses on the success of New York City's small high schools of choice (SSCs), which serve mostly low-income students of color. SSCs were developed and approved through a competitive proposal process administered by the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). Through this process, educators, school reform advocates, and other stakeholders and organizations were able to develop innovative ideas for new schools intended to improve high school education in the city. [For the 2006 report, "Meeting Five Critical Challenges of High School Reform. Lessons from Research on Three Reform Models," see ED491634.]