As schools try to meet state and federal requirements of No Child Left Behind, student academic achievement becomes a crucial part of that standard. However, schools are faced with challenges that may hinder overall student success. Some secondary schools are struggling with student tardiness and absenteeism. Tardies and absenteeism have an impact on the learning environment and the climate of the entire school. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact tardies and absenteeism have on academic achievement of ninth-grade students in three high schools in Georgia that failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress for six consecutive years. There were 704 urban high school students involved in this study. These students were enrolled at three different urban high schools in Southeast Georgia. This study examined seventeen hypotheses. Hypotheses were examined using Pearson Correlations, t-tests of independence of means and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Of the seventeen research hypotheses examined, half were significant at the p<0.05 level of significant. The results of the study revealed there was significant negative correlation between the number of tardies in English and Algebra test scores. However, according to data presented on the ANOVA, race and gender did not show any statistical evidence on the number of tardies as they related to academic achievement. The data indicated the following information. Hypothesis 1: There is a significant relationship between tardiness and absenteeism. Students who tended to be tardy also tended to be absent. Hypothesis 2: There is a significant relationship between tardiness and English test scores. The data indicated that the number of tardiness tended to be lower when the test score was higher. Hypothesis 3: There is a significant relationship between absenteeism and mathematics test scores. Again, the number of tardies tended to be lower when the test scores were higher. Hypothesis 4: There is a significant relationship between absenteeism and English test scores. The correlation indicated that the number of absences tended to be higher when the test score was lower. Hypothesis 5: There is a significant relationship between absenteeism and mathematics test scores. The correlation involving algebra was significant; this indicated that the number of absences tended to be higher when test scores were lower. Hypothesis 6 and 7: There is no difference in the number of tardies according to race and gender, and there is no difference in the number of absences according to race and gender. Since there was a low percentage of diversity represented in the sample, population statistical data were not apparent for this hypothesis. Hypothesis 8 and 9: There is no difference in the number of tardiness according to socio-economic status (subsidized vs. paid meals), and there is no difference in the number of absences according to socio-economic status (subsidized vs. paid meals). Both groups had the same averaged number of tardiness, with the mean being slightly higher for the paid meals group. It was the reverse for absenteeism with the mean being slightly higher for the subsidized meals groups. Hypothesis 10: Race and gender have no impact on the relationship between the number of tardies and English test scores. Hypothesis 11: Race and gender have no impact on the relationship between the number of tardies and mathematics test scores. Hypothesis 12: Race and gender have no impact on the relationship between the number of absences and English test scores. Hypothesis 13: Race and gender have no impact on the relationship between the number of absences and mathematics test scores. Hypothesis 14: Race and gender have no impact on the relationship between the number of absences and mathematics test scores. Black females and black males displayed negative correlations, which seemed to indicate that tardiness hurt student achievement in English and Mathematic. Hypothesis 15: Socio-economic status has no impact on the relationship between the number of tardies and mathematics test scores. Hypothesis 16: Socio-economic status has no impact on the relationship between the number of absences and English test scores. Hypothesis 17: Socio-economic status had no impact on the relationship between the number of absences and mathematics test scores. Data also indicated that tardiness for subsidized meals hurt these groups academic performance for English and mathematics. Winner (2008) believed that student attendance was a means of improving student performance and was critical in raising student achievement. When students arrive late to school, they miss out on some or all instruction. Research has indicated that tardiness and absenteeism may have provided a negative relationship on academic achievement. It is recommended that future studies should include more diverse techniques and approaches to combat this growing trend among students. INDEX WORDS: Tardiness, Absenteeism, Student Achievement [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.]