The recent commission reports on American public schools and the resulting Federal and State policies for educational reform have involved attempts to promote higher standards in three areas: the academic content of courses, the use of time for school work, and student achievement. However, raising academic standards without providing students with substantial added help to attain them will make at-risk students more susceptible to frustration, failure, absenteeism, truancy, school-related behavior problems, and dropping out. Providing added help will cost money, but the national cost of keeping students in school can scarcely approach the cost to the nation of dropping out. The main conditions needed for at-risk students to succeed in school are smaller school sizes (300-400 students) with low student-adult ratios, an individualized curriculum and instructional approach; and a school climate characterized by clear rules and their consistent enforcement, a changed system of academic rewards, and student and faculty support for achievement and intellectualism. Unfortunately, rhetoric about the effects of school reform has not been matched by reality in fact, at the State level it has been considerably easier to raise test scores or to raise graduation rates than to accomplish both. We should move beyond the prevailing rhetoric of policymakers and get on with the task of providing resources and making changes to improve the quality of education for all students. 78 references.