New research is being offered that runs counter to the mainstream research that has emphasized student characteristics and family variables as the chief predictors of school failure. The new research shifts the focus to the school as the bearer of significant responsibility for pupil success or failure. Some researchers conclude there is evidence that students fail in part because schools are not effectively responding to the conditions and problems that accompany debilitating personal and socioeconomic characteristics. Schools that are effective in educating at- risk youths not only match intervention strategies in response to differences in student needs, but also recognize some basic psychological needs. The term social bonding embraces a psychological-social state in which a student is attached, committed, involved, and believes in the norms, activities, values, and people of a particular institution. School membership is facilitated when students meet these four elements of the social bonding process. Attachment occurs when a student has social and emotional ties to teachers and peers. Impediments to constructive school membership are improper adjustment to the school environment, difficulty in academic learning, poor match between the school program and student needs, and isolation fostered by unpleasant academic and social experiences at school. Schools should continually examine their policies and programs to assess whether or not they foster positive academic and social experiences, particularly for those at high risk of dropping out due to personal and socioeconomic factors. 19 references