The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between behavioral and emotional characteristics and middle school student achievement across different grades based on a growth modeling approach. Using a total of 1,874 students, target predictor variables (i.e., attention, aggressiveness, behavioral control, social withdrawal, depression, self-esteem) and dependent variables (i.e., Korean language arts, mathematics) were extracted from a national and longitudinal data set, and four predictor models were formulated to examine the influence of behavioral/emotional characteristics on student growth trajectories. Results showed that (a) students' initial performance at seventh grade did not predict their over-time growth; and (b) self-esteem and behavioral control variables impacted on the seventh graders' achievement as well as their growth from the seventh to ninth grade. Based on the findings, practical implications and future research are discussed.