In this seven year longitudinal study predictors of achievement for first graders were measured against actual school achievement of the same students in the seventh and eight grades. Three sets of variables were obtained in the first grade. Achievement history, family environment, and mental health were used as measures. Mental health was assessed by teacher ratings of classroom adaptation and psychiatric symptoms of the students. Achievement history was identified by early school achievement and ability on standardized reading and intelligence tests. Semester grades were used to obtain information on total family income, mother's level of education and educational expectations for their children. Also, students were identified according to their sibling order. Five hundred seventy-one students from a poor black community participated in the study. In both seventh and eighth grades, all students were given the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. A finding of this study was that first grade ability and achievement measures were the best predictors of achievement test scores at seventh and eight grades. In addition, family variables were found to be the second most powerful group of variables with mental health variables hardly predicting later achievement at all. Tables illustrating sex differences, achievement predictors, and a description of the predictor variables are included. (Author/JP)