In October 1999, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Milton Hershey School, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation hosted a meeting to begin discussing the idea of creating a forum in which to facilitate professional discourse and to develop an ongoing community of practice among leaders in the policy, practice, and research sectors focused on the nation's public high schools and high-school-age youth. This meeting catalyzed a series of subsequent meetings and the formation of a core group that evolved into a steering committee.

Passionate about the need for a national forum, members of the steering committee worked together to create an organizational structure, develop the partnership, plan national meetings, and develop a proposal for funding. In the fall of 2002, the National High School Alliance (HS Alliance) received funding, formalizing it as the only national organization dedicated to mobilizing the resources, knowledge, and capacity of individuals and organizations to work collectively in shaping policy, practice, and public engagement that foster high achievement, close the achievement gap, and promote civic and personal growth among all youth in our high schools and communities.

Because of its unique reputation as non-partisan conveners and expertise in building the capacity of leaders for education, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) was identified as an ideal host for the HS Alliance. For over three decades, IEL has helped to develop leadership at the national, state and local levels to improve policy and practice in America's public schools and to build bridges between the schools and the other sectors of society. IEL's mission - to build the capacity of individuals in education and related fields to work together across policies, programs and sectors - is in support of one core purpose: to promote better results, therefore better futures for all children and youth.

For more information about the organizations participating in the HS Alliance, see the Partners section.