The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is a collaborative effort among three important state entities in California: the California State University (CSU), the California Department of Education (CDE), and the California State Board of Education (SBE). The goal of this unprecedented partnership is to increase the college readiness of high school graduates in English and mathematics. The EAP has three components: early testing, the opportunity for additional preparation in the 12th grade, and professional development activities for high school English and mathematics teachers. The tests were voluntarily taken by 150,000 students in 11th grade language arts and by 115,000 students in Algebra II, each test being a slightly augmented version of the California Standards Tests required as part of the state’s public school testing and accountability system. Students assessed as not ready will have access to a series of 12th grade diagnostic and instructional programs and activities in language arts and mathematics, including a newly developed 12th grade expository reading and writing course and a mathematics online tutorial. The CSU is offering professional development for high school teachers, initially focusing on the preparation of 12th grade teachers to help seniors meet the CSU’s college readiness standards, especially in the area of reading. In the ensuing years, professional development will focus on teachers in grades 8-12 to ensure that the readiness standards are embedded and taught fully as part of the public school standards-based curriculum.