They had an integrated vision of schooling and work, and incremental view of building careers. Students and teachers also both observed that students who previously had shied away from college entirely were now planning at least some college course work. Motivation is a broadly defined concept, but anyone familiar with high school students in the late 1990s knows how critical it is. Students in STW programs and the adults who work with them report remarkable improvements in motivation, both among students who do well in traditional classrooms and students who do not. Even students who have left school, or are on the verge of it, become motivated to return and to succeed in school.
Students apply themselves in new ways to their studies, both on the job and in workplaces.
A setting with empowered students has achieved a profound educational reform, because in many respects it is the mirror opposite of the traditional high school classroom. To achieve empowerment requires an educational setting that grants significant power to students, and prepares them to use it responsibly. Ultimately, empowerment means achieving the maturity to make adult decisions and take responsibility for the results. This is obviously an important step, not only in developing lifelong learners, but in producing responsible citizens. It is important for all young people, but for those with learning disabilities or personal problems that have hindered their social development, it is the step that makes successful independent living possible.