The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) creates a unique opportunity for states, districts, and high schools to work in concert on behalf of high school students. Generally, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are not intended to create new programs; rather, the majority of the funds are intended to fill gaps in existing programs and to provide general education funds to states. One of the guiding principles of ARRA is that the funds are to be distributed quickly. As a result, states will be looking for guidance on how they should spend down these funds in a quick yet responsible manner that is effective in supporting high school improvement initiatives that are evidence-based and effective. In accordance with ARRA's other goal of creating long-term financial stability, high school initiatives should be framed in economic terms that will resonate at the local, state, and federal levels. This document is intended to give a brief overview of the major provisions of ARRA that may be used for funding high school improvement initiatives. It highlights suggestions made by the Department of Education on ways in which the funds may be spent and provides best practices and resources related to these suggestions. (Contains 4 tables.)