Despite increasing recognition that a high school diploma is a minimum requirement for success in the workplace, nearly half of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students fail to graduate, and in some CPS high schools, more students drop out than graduate. Research on dropping out has shown that the decision to persist in or leave school is affected by multiple contextual factors interacting in a cumulative way over the life course of a student. Often overlooked in this discussion is one most directly related to graduation: student course performance. This report looks at student performance in freshman coursework, how it is related to eventual graduation and how personal and school factors contribute to success of failure in freshman-year courses. Data on course performance can be used to identify future dropouts and graduates with precision, and performance indicators are compared to discern how they might be used for nuanced targeting of students at risk of dropping out. Factors contributing to successful course performance demonstrate that what students do while in high school is more important that their background or preparation for high school; Significant findings include: (1) Course passing rates are found to be primarily determined by attendance; and (2) Students attend class more often when they have strong relationships with their teachers, and when they see school and their coursework as relevant and important for their future. This is the message that must be urged upon both students and parents. The document includes four appendixes: (A) Individual School Data; (B) Description of Survey Measures; (C) Correlations Involving Survey Measures; and (D) Summaries of Models. (Individual chapters contain figures, tables, and endnotes.)