Eight years ago, a California school district abolished a traditional two-tiered system--one tier for (mostly white and Asian) college-bound students, the other for those aiming solely for high school graduation--and replaced it with one pointing all students toward college. Responding to parental demands, the board adopted rigorous graduation requirements. The premise was simple: Increase academic standards and expectations for all students, and they would rise up to meet them. Beginning in 1998, district freshmen became the first high school class in the state that had to complete the University of California's minimum requirements for college admission--a series of core academic courses and electives known as the "A-G sequence." A-G, in San Jose Unified, means at least three years of college-prep math, four years of English, three years of science, 3.5 years of social studies, two years of a foreign language, and two years of visual or performing arts. Forty hours of community service are required as well. How the district made this work and the promising results the advanced curriculum produced are described in this article.