This study used high school data from Phi Delta Kappa's 1988-1989 nationwide "Study of Students at Risk" to examine and compare administrator, teacher, and student attitudes, characteristics, and perceptions in 77 high schools sorted according to high and low holding power statistics (HPS). Data from 7,100 10th graders, principals, and teachers revealed that rural and small town schools graduated proportionally more students than suburban or inner city schools; and that HPS correlated negatively with school size. Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that knowing how often students were retained in grade, the principal's estimate of student alcohol abuse, and the teacher's evaluation of his or her own efforts with students at-risk predicted 48% of HPS variance. (TE)