This evaluation of the 1989-90 BRIDGE Project, a dropout prevention program in Hartford (Connecticut), found that grade 9 students felt a heightened sense of control over their lives after one year in the program. BRIDGE is a multifaceted program that focuses on reducing the disengagement of at-risk students facing the critical transition from middle school to high school. Special incentives include opportunities for early promotion from grade 7 to grade 9 and a subsidized employment internship while finishing high school. Evaluation information was drawn from the following sources: (1) student information; (2) a Locus of Control Test (LOC); (3) an Attitude toward School survey; (4) interviews with supervisors of working interns; and (5) participant follow-up studies. The following summary conclusions are presented: (1) 65 percent of the participants were promoted to the next grade, despite a 50-100 percent probability of dropping out due to previous retentions; (2) one-third of the participants who had been retained were promoted to the next grade, despite a 100 percent probability of dropping out; and (3) participants expressed an increased "connectedness" with school. Recommendations include monitoring excessive absenteeism, developing more academic support options, and expanding the mentoring component. Statistical data are presented in 31 tables. A list of 21 references and a glossary are included. (FMW)