"Horace's Compromise" by T. Sizer is one of several studies that emerged from a 1981-82 investigation sponsored jointly by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Independent Schools. "Horace's School" revisited the issues with practical advice for educators. Sizer advocated whole-hearted reorganization of the ways in which educators think about secondary schooling. His major criticism was that schools do not stimulate student ability to think, reason, and develop intellectually. A simplified curriculum is essential for this effort, even though the reorganization it requires is in itself quite complex. "Horace" is a fictionalized English teacher doing his best under a staggering workload. Sizer used Horace's experiences to advocate student exhibitions of mastery, with the content and form of exhibitions to be decided by a committee of faculty and community members. Concrete examples of change are presented in a context that considers the daily lives of students. (Contains 10 references.) (SLD)