Educators have the increasingly difficult task of preparing students to live, learn, and work in the 21st century. Amidst those challenges, a growing body of research suggests that college and career readiness depends upon students' ability to think critically, learn how to learn, communicate, and collaborate. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era of accountability prioritized basic literacy and numeracy above all other knowledge and skills. California's array of recent educational reforms presents school district leaders with an extraordinary opportunity. In the wake of the state adopting new academic standards, school funding models, and a system of accountability, California educators can repurpose their work beyond chasing improvement on standardized tests of basic literacy and numeracy. The Local Control Funding Formula and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) also present a challenge: how to organize the complex overlay of policies, programs, and practices to realize multiple, often competing, federal, state, and local goals. This policy brief recommends that district leaders point their LCAPs toward college and career readiness to guide educator decisions and facilitate system coherency. With this new North Star, districts will be better able to navigate the murky waters between policy and practice.