No Child Left Behind is one of several factors motivating more and more high schools to work with their students to stay on track to graduating within four years. Unfortunately, research shows that neither by themselves works especially well: retention and social promotion are expensive failures. They are ineffective in improving student learning and achievement. Grade retention is ineffective. It is often imposed for nonacademic reasons, fails to improve academic achievement, and exacerbates the dropout problem. The alternative to these failed strategies is to personalize the learning environment. Personalization occurs when a school is committed to high achievement from at-risk learners; when opportunities are presented for early prevention of school failure; when at-risk students and teachers know, trust, and respect each other; when at-risk students find curricula meaningful and relevant; when instructional practices increase at-risk students' personal investment in learning; when extra time and extra help are provided to support learning; and when there is strong parental involvement in students' academic progress. Meaningful instruction taught by competent teachers in caring school environments helps at-risk students become competent learners, thus preventing the need for retention and social promotion. (Contains 5 online resources.)