Some research has theorized that the student role is a central part of adolescence, and that failure in this role threatens adolescents' self-esteem. Derogative self-esteem may provoke delinquency as a defensive response. To test this theory a longitudinal study was designed to compare the effectiveness of three alternative school programs that attempted to provide students with experiences of success in an atmosphere of social support. Although these schools were not found to be reliably more effective than conventional schools, the theory that implicated poor scholastic experiences as a provocation to delinquency received substantial support. As students' assessments of their schools and themselves became more positive, their scholastic performance and behavior improved. However, respondents' behavior improved without the mediation of elevated self-esteem. The findings suggest that positive scholastic experiences make a difference in the behavior of only those students whose delinquency seems effective in defending against negative affect. (JAC)