Enrollment in eighth-grade algebra doubled from the 1990s to 2012 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2013) as research demonstrated that Algebra I operates as a "gateway" to advanced mathematics courses in high school (Adelman, 2006), and that students who succeed in Algebra I in middle school have more success in mathematics throughout high school. However, prior work was heavily prone to selection bias, focusing on high-performing students. Other work examines outcomes of taking eighth-grade algebra for students with different levels of readiness and highlights negative effects for average or lower performing students (e.g., reduced test scores [Loveless, 2008], decreased likelihood of passing geometry by Grade 11 and Algebra II by Grade 12 [Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2013]). However, these studies have important limitations; they focus on district(s) within one state and/or only examine short-term outcomes,and no study examines graduation outcomes among average and lower-performing students. Given rapid expansion of access to eighth-grade algebra, the need to examine short- and longer-term outcomes for "all" students is urgent. To address this gap, the authors conducted an exploration study to examine the following research questions in two distinct districts: (1) What is the "impact" of placement into eighth-grade algebra on short-term outcomes (attendance, math course performance) across the transition to high school, and on longer-term high school milestones (completing math course requirements, graduation)?; and (2) To what extent do "impacts" of placement into eighth-grade algebra vary for students with different levels of prior readiness? Although placement in eighth-grade algebra may initially result in lower math course performance in eighth-grade, the authors observed consistently positive, and no negative impacts for students in high school. Positive impacts on course performance and graduation were sometimes larger for students who did not attain the highest prior math course grades or test scores, and positive impacts on completion of math course requirements before eleventh grade were larger for higher performing students. Relatively few students with the lowest math course grades or test scores in seventh grade took algebra in eighth grade, limiting generalizability for these students. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]