The New York City Board of Education's 1984-85 Attendance Improvement/Dropout Prevention Program was less than a complete success. This report compares the least and most successful schools, analyzing the factors that determine success: (1) size, (2) cost, and (3) services. Successful programs were consistently smaller, serving a smaller portion of their eligible student group; more service-intensive; and more generously funded on a per capita basis. They were more concentrated and manageable. Direct services to students, including personal contact and care, are extremely important. Interventions must be easily managed; not only do smaller programs foster closer relationships but they are also easier to start, modify, and operate. The obvious difficulty with these insights is that the city's problems are not small; substantial numbers of children need help and resources are scarce. Educators must quickly learn to integrate more resources and to serve increasing numbers of youngsters while preserving their commitment to each individual child. (LHW)