A Longitudinal Study of the South Carolina Personal Pathways to Success Initiative (see Hammond, Drew, et al., 2011) follows the implementation of a statewide mandated career-focused school reform policy in one U.S. state. The research focuses on eight diverse high schools in the state, personnel at those schools, and approximately 6,200 students across three cohorts, with varying amounts of exposure to the policy. In the longitudinal study, we investigate whether the number of highly developed career-focused programs of study available to students increases under the policy and whether targeted student and school outcomes are affected. Findings are presented here as related to overall policy implementation, differences in student experiences, changes in the roles of guidance, and changing attitudes toward career and technical education. A A recent Harvard Graduate School of Education report, Pathways to Prosperity (Symonds, Schwartz, & Ferguson, 2011), points to a widening "skills gap" between labor market needs in the United States and the skills possessed by our current generation of high school dropouts and graduates. As part of the solution, the Harvard report recommends broader school reform, with high-quality career and technical education (CTE) as a key element. South Carolina is one U.S. state where the skills gap has become increasingly apparent, due in large part to a changing industrial base along with continuing patterns of low student achievement, high dropout rates, and a modest number of adults holding university, community college, or technical degrees and certifications. In 2005, with strong backing from the state's business community, South Carolina legislators passed a comprehensive statewide school reform package revolving around high-quality career-focused education for all students to address these challenges and the changing demands of the workplace. The Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA), unique nationally in its goals and scope, was designed to increase student achievement and graduation rates and improve college and career readiness through a focus on high academic standards, career awareness, and exploration at all school levels and through the creation of locally relevant career pathways and programs of study.