Students must leave high school with a diploma in order to compete in the global economy. However, many students enter high school lacking the academic skills needed to be successful and are not engaged in the educational process. Ninth grade represents one of the last opportunities that educators have to address these problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a 9th grade transition program, School Success, on at-risk students' academic skills, behaviors, and attendance. Work by Balfanz and Rumberger served as the theoretical framework. A goal-based program evaluation model was used to examine the effectiveness of School Success. Using a convenience sampling method, 118 freshman students were selected for this study. Their standardized test scores in English and math, school attendance, and number of days of suspension were pulled from archived records from 2009 and 2010. For this secondary analysis, paired sample t-tests were employed in the pre/post-test design to determine if a significant difference existed between their 8th grade and 9th grade years. Results indicated that students' behavior and academic skills showed improvement, particularly in Algebra. However, the program did not change the attendance patterns of students enrolled. A white paper was presented to the district that offered the following recommendations: adopt an early warning system to track data, provide for targeted interventions for students, and develop an attendance plan. By implementing some simple changes to the program, this district can help ensure that students earn a high school diploma. Creating a high school where each and every student who graduates has the skills and knowledge to become a productive adult is a powerful contribution to social change. [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.]