Some 1,300 alternative high schools have been established in the United States for dealing with the special education needs of such youth. Typically, such schools are small, with low student-teacher ratios. The administrative structure usually emphasizes guidelines for handling troubled students and disruptive behavior, and utilizes psychological consultation as a teacher aid. The Alternative School (AS) of this study was a high school with an enrollment capacity of 130, and a student-teacher ratio of 8:1. Subjects were 32 new enrollees who had attended the school for at least half of one semester but not more than two semesters. Nineteen were male, 13 female, and ages ranged from 14 to 18. Course credit accumulation was the criterion for measuring students' success. Results indicated that psychosocial variables (Family Pathology, Duration of Disturbance, and Age of Admission) were associated with success, whereas cognitive and academic variables were not. Results indicate that 1) intellectual ability and standardized academic achievement scores do not predict success, 2) sex of the student plays little role in success, 3) a previously diagnosed learning disability factor appears to have little relation to success, 4) students with long-standing problems showed little measurable improvement. These implications can assist mental health and school professionals to make better assessment, placement, and curriculum modifications decisions. 2 tables, 12 references. (Author abstract modified)