Australian young people take five major transition pathways when they reach the end of compulsory schooling: compulsory to postcompulsory school, school-to-university/higher-education, school-to-vocational education and training, apprenticeship/traineeship, and school-to-work. In 1997, 97.2 percent were retained to Year 10; in Year 11, 84.4 percent; and in Year 12, 71.8 percent. Students from private schools and managerial and professional family backgrounds had higher retention rates for Year 12. More than one-third of Year 12 completers in 1996 went to university by the following year. Almost a quarter of those who completed Year 11 and 12 in 1996 and more than a third of Year 10 completers went on to technical and further education in 1997. Apprentices/trainees were more likely to come from skilled and clerical family backgrounds and less likely to come from rural areas. More than a quarter of Year 12 completers in 1996 did not go on to further education (FE); about 10 percent were unemployed; the others worked. Almost three-quarters of Year 11 completers did not go on to FE; of these, over one-quarter were unemployed. Over two-thirds of Year 10 completers did not go on to FE; of these, almost a fifth were unemployed. Year 12 completers were less likely to be unemployed, but their labor market or training success was heavily influenced by socioeconomic and achievement factors. Literacy and numeracy achievement was strongly linked to Year 12 completion. Risk factors associated with early school leaving are socioeconomic family background, parental educational levels, and English-speaking background. (Contains 47 references.) (YLB)