This descriptive study of a successful reform effort highlights the exemplary leadership and curricular reform of a secondary school in the state of Florida, USA. This paper adds to the new literature that reveals how high-risk innovation can occur within low-performing environments, with success. A New Millennium High School constitutes the site of practice in which an on-target restructuring of the instructional programme integrates academics with career education, and the school with the community. Also described are related dramatic changes in curriculum development, teacher leadership, and student learning. For this self-report of the Principal, co-authored with a university researcher, data (on-site observations, open-ended interviews, and school statistics) were collected and interpreted. Findings indicate that academic career integration has implications for change on a broader scale. High schools can modernize and adolescents can thrive where a dual purpose of schooling exists.