THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IMPROVE THE PREDICTION OF A STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE IN A SPECIFIC HIGH SCHOOL. THREE HYPOTHESES WERE STRUCTURED (1) THE GREATER THE CONGRUENCE BETWEEN A STUDENT VOCATIONAL PREFERENCE INVENTORY (VPI) PROFILE AND THE OVERALL GRADE LEVEL PROFILE, THE BETTER IS THE STUDENT'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND BEHAVIOR AS MEASURED BY UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS, (2) THE GREATER THE CONGRUENCE BETWEEN A STUDENT VPI PROFILE OF THE CURRICULUM IN WHICH HE IS ENROLLED, THE BETTER IS THE STUDENT'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND BEHAVIOR AS MEASURED BY UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS, AND (3) THE PERFORMANCE OF A STUDENT IN A CLASSROOM IS RELATED TO THE STUDENT'S VPI PROFILE AND TO TEACHER RATINGS OF STUDENT CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR. THE DESIGN INVOLVED THE COLLECTION OF POPULATION-WIDE DATA FOR SIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THREE LOCATED IN MARYLAND AND THREE LOCATED IN GEORGIA. ANALYSES WERE CARRIED OUT AT THREE LEVELS CHOSEN TO COINCIDE WITH THE GRADES 10, 11, AND 12. IN GENERAL, CORRELATIONAL AND DISCRIMINATORY STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES WERE UTILIZED FOR ALL DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS WERE SUMMARIZED BY HYPOTHESES. THE FIRST HYPOTHESIS WAS SUPPORTED BY THE EVIDENCE. THE SECOND HYPOTHESIS EVIDENCE WAS SUGGESTIVE, BUT NOT CONCLUSIVE. EVIDENCE CONFIRMED THE THIRD HYPOTHESIS AND SUGGESTED SOME OF THE DYNAMICS UNDERLYING REWARD IN THE CLASSROOM. (HB)