In a nationwide survey of high school dropouts conducted in 2006, 69 percent said that school had not motivated or inspired them to work hard. The majority of educational reforms have focused on curriculum and pedagogy--what material is taught and how it is taught. However, psychological factors--often called motivational or non-cognitive factors--can matter even more than cognitive factors for students' academic performance. These may include students' beliefs about themselves, their feelings about school, or their habits of self-control. The research reviewed in this paper shows that educational interventions and initiatives that target these psychological factors can transform students' experience and achievement in school, improving core academic outcomes such as GPA and test scores months and even years later. This report also explains how long-term learning is influenced by academic tenacity--mindsets and skills that allow students to work harder and "smarter" over time.