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In the 1980s in the United States there was a deep fear that American youth were not prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world. This led to the development and implementation of school-to-work transition policies and programs. As this paper emphasises, reform sought to provide students with a more complete educational experience, combining academic and technical training. In addition to completing an academic curriculum, students would gain the ability to apply their academic knowledge in the workplace, utilising advanced technology and gaining valuable work experience. Guided by the principles of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the movement has become the cornerstone of an ambitious national initiative for systemic education reform. Federal legislation not only encouraged local communities and states to change the way they educate all students but gave them the latitude to design their own systems to reflect regional needs. The school-to-work systems were to include three components: school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. In addition, the systems were to integrate academic and vocational education, link secondary and post-secondary education, provide workplace learning opportunities and fully involve the private sector. This paper examines recent policy direction and development concerning school-to-work programs and discusses some of the problems they have faced. This paper provides solid examples of how local and state educators have begun creating environments that encourage the participation of all students in school-to-work experiences. It presents the strategies that quality programs have used to promote school-to-work ideals, discussed in terms of one of three broad-based principles that school-to-work supports: authentic teaching and learning, guided educational experiences outside the classroom, and career and interest exploration.