This book is addressed to high school principals, teachers, curriculum specialists, counselors, and other educators interested in creating sound change at the building level. The theme of constructivism and constructivist thought pervades the text. Part 1 introduces the reader to constructivism and offers comparisons of a high school based on constructivism with the more familiar high school model. Part 2 considers ways to organize the curriculum so that it connects with students' lives and interests. The section discusses an approach to instruction that supports individual progress and individual differences in learning style, and includes a chapter on the importance of the goal of higher order thinking across the curriculum. Part 3 describes ways to organize high schools so that students are the key players in their own education and examines how time can best be used for student learning. One of the chapters looks at ways to professionalize the role of teachers. The fourth part deals with the learning environment and explains how to establish school discipline where students take responsibility for correcting behavior that infringes on the rights of others. The final section summarizes the book's key elements and shows how constructivist thinking applies to professionals as well as to students. The chapters in parts 2 through 4 conclude with suggested "first steps" for implementing the ideas presented. Five tables and 19 figures are included. (LMI)