In designing the learning process for the comprehensive high school, close attention must be paid to curriculum development, instruction, and assessment. Curriculum theorists have identified definitions of curriculum, forces affecting curriculum adoption, and conceptions of curriculum that provide a framework for a definition of curriculum appropriate for developing new designs for the comprehensive high school. Recommendations for curriculum development are as follows: the curriculum should center around demonstration of learner competence; it should meet diverse student needs; it should represent a common core of concepts, principles, skills, and ways of knowing; and it should show students the connection between school and life. Instructional processes must address individual students' needs and provide an environment conducive to learning for all students. Cooperative learning, brain-based learning, contextual learning, and experiential learning are congruent with this philosophy. Traditionally, student assessments frequently take the form of paper and pencil tests. Sizer's exhibition of mastery philosophy, Archbald and Newmann's philosophy about authentic performances, Wiggin's (1991) establishment of real standards, Spady and Marshall's (1991) thoughts about transformational outcome-based education, Mitchell's (1990) discussion about performance assessment, and the comments of Stasz et al. (1990) about personalizing assessment suggest the existence of well-thought out, progressive alternatives. (Contains 45 references.) (YLB)