International school performance studies brought to relief two research areas, which are connected together, and these are early childhood education and pupils at risk. In order to guarantee school success of the pupils and to prevent 15 year olds from receiving bad results, it is one of the postulations to focus on cognitive aspects of preschool education. The paper analyzes the interconnections between early childhood education programs and school success, which is operationalized by school leaving certificates. Relevant predictors will be discussed on the basis of research in the field of school dropout and of studies examining the effectiveness of intervening via early childhood education programs. Predictors will be analyzed, which show efficacy already in preschool age and which are responsible for later school failure and school dropout – these predictors should be preventively avoided.