A comprehensive evaluation of state and local progress in implementing school-to-work (STW) programs focused on the following: whether states and local partnerships have created coherent STW systems of connected, sustainable practices and programs; how STW systems have changed students' experiences at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels; and whether widescale adoption of the activities and practices promoted in the School to Work Opportunities Act of 1994 (STWOA) has occurred. The evaluation has four components: surveys of all local partnerships; in-depth case studies of 8 states and a sample of 39 local partnerships; survey of grade 12 and postsecondary students in the 8 states; and analysis of high school transcripts for the student sample. According to the data collected to date, modest progress has been made on the STWOA agenda. Broad career development is being emphasized most, and STW experiences are engaging a diverse mix of students who generally consider those activities helpful in clarifying their career goals. (Twenty-eight tables/figures are included. The report contains 22 references. Appended are the following: local partnership survey completion rates in fall 1996 and 1997; student outcomes related to government performance and results indicators; and participation in three STW components by student subgroups.) (MN)