The purpose of this study was to determine what, or part of what, makes academic success probable or improbable for a student. The core research question was, Which practices, characteristics, and circumstances of students, families, schools, school districts, and communities tend to give Maine students a higher probability of meeting state learning standards? Similar studies have focused on academic achievement as a matter of degree, using scale scores on standardized exams as a measure of relative success. These studies unquestionably provide valuable information. However, given the goal of having every student meet a particular learning standard, it is also important to have information concerning student success as a dichotomous measure. Decision makers--including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and government officials--are concerned with meeting absolute standards such as the Maine Learning Results, and with not leaving any children behind or, from the student perspective, with not being left behind. This study, due to its focus on the probability of meeting a standard of success, will address these concerns directly. The results of this study add to the understanding of student success and, to the extent that the success of a school reduces to the success of its students, to the understanding of school success. They may help direct Maine citizens toward reforms that will help students meet the learning standards and, perhaps just as importantly, direct them away from potential reforms that, while being perhaps vigorously promoted or intuitively appealing, do not give students a better chance to meet the learning standards. The results may help guide students, families, and educators in the daily educational decisions they make. (Contains 6 tables.)