Book excerpt: Meet challenging standards by promoting students' authentic intellectual work There is no such thing as a simple formula for school improvement, but the Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) framework presented in this book will help school- and district-based teams improve the quality of instruction, assessment, and curriculum for more rigorous and more equitable student learning. This book provides: Richly detailed case studies of successful AIW implementation at the statewide, districtwide, and individual school levels Illustrations of collaborative teaming to advance higher-order thinking, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school Exemplars of how AIW transforms professional development and evaluations and increases coherence and alignment of initiatives