Students who leave school early face long-term unemployment and a future possibly dependent on social welfare. This study reports characteristics of students at risk of leaving the education system. On the basis of teacher judgment, a group of students was selected to participate in an alternative Year 10 program at a rural school. Measures of scholastic achievement were administered at the beginning of the academic year, and personality measures at mid-year. Compared with their peers, these students were low academic achievers. They adopted coping styles which were more consultative and externalised than those adopted by the mainstream group. Self-esteem indicators did not discriminate strongly between the groups. Results support research which identifies achievement as a predictor of early school leaving, but lends an optimistic view of the potential of alternative programs to offer students strategies and resources which may optimise their chances of remaining in the school system longer than would otherwise have been predicted.
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