There is quite a bit of research on alternative school practices based on those working in the system of those campuses but not enough research has been done from the point of view of the student to determine whether these theoretical practices have merit in producing successful outcomes for students. The literature reports outcomes that alternative school specialists have long associated with successful practices and these were discovered to be very similar to the constructs of self-determination theory (SDT). SDT suggests when three human needs are cultivated, people tend to show increased self-motivation: competence, autonomy, and connectedness to others. The purpose of this mixed-methods research was to determine whether students gained competence, autonomy, and connectedness at an alternative high school campus by learning the perspectives of the students. Interviews, surveys, and document reviews were used to reach category themes that could then be matched to the construct of SDT. The findings showed that the campus was supportive in many avenues with regard to supporting students in the SDT model and that participants were resilient and became self-motivated. SDT should be used to support professionals in the alternative education arena to further their support the students who attend those schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]