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Abstract
High school completion is a national concern that fails to reach rates of 50% in some areas. Despite the need for interventions that facilitate completion, most research in this area is descriptive and focuses on interventions occurring late in education. This study examined predictors of noncompletion that are both present early in the students development and amenable to intervention. Data from third grade students who participated in the seven-year ACT Early Project, which examined students behavioral problems, was utilized. Two models, which included indicators of academic, behavioral, and psychological/interpersonal engagement, predicted students at-risk for noncompletion at rates as high as 88.00%. Different models were found to best predict those at-risk for noncompletion within different demographic subgroups. Classification functions for the most effective models are provided so that school districts can identify those at-risk for noncompletion in elementary school. Implications regarding early identification and recommendations for interventions are discussed.