This book provides an overview of a 4-year longitudinal study of senior secondary schooling in the government high schools of New South Wales, Australia. The study followed the progress from year 9 to year 12 of 3,000 students from 22 government secondary schools in 2 metropolitan and 2 nonmetropolitan regions. The book is divided into 10 chapters. The first three chapters discuss the background material and research literature that shaped the study and detail the methods used. Chapters 4 and 5 present an analysis of the middle secondary grades, years 9 and 10. These chapters also address issues concerned with the development of student competence, confidence, and commitment. Chapters 6 and 7 consider the transition to postcompulsory schooling and the ways in which the experience of earlier schooling is linked to staying in school beyond year 10. Chapter 8 focuses on aspects of the senior secondary years, including curriculum, attitudes, achievements, and approaches to learning. Chapter 9 examines the destinations of different groups of students after they leave high school. Chapter 10 brings together elements of the previous chapters under the theme of progress through high school. A total of 51 tables, 13 figures, and 109 references are included. (MM)