ALTHOUGH THE DROPOUT PROBLEM IS ONE OF GREAT CONCERN AT BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS, IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE SAME EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. DROPOUT RATES VARY CONSIDERABLY FROM ONE COMMUNITY TO ANOTHER, AND EVEN DIFFER BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE SAME SCHOOL SYSTEM. LIMITATIONS IN PREVIOUS STUDIES OF THE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN IN TERMINOLOGY, RESEARCH INITIATION, DATA DETERMINATION, DATA COLLECTION, AND DATA INTERPRETATION. THE NEA DROPOUT STUDY WAS PERCEIVED AS A SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE TOOL AND AS A RELIABLE ANNUAL INDEX AGAINST WHICH RENEWAL OR EXTENDED GUIDANCE EFFORTS MIGHT BE REVIEWED. IT WAS ALSO SEEN AS A TOOL FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PERTINENT DATA ON PUPIL NEEDS TO WHICH SCHOOL GUIDANCE SERVICES COULD ADDRESS THEMSELVES, AND FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EFFECTIVE EARLY IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES. INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS MAY LEAD TO CHANGES IN SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. THE STUDY SHOULD PROVIDE POSSIBILITIES FOR STANDARDIZING DROPOUT STUDIES IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS BY AIDING IN POLICY DEVELOPMENT, PROGRAM PLANNING, AND GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING. THE GUIDANCE FORM FOR DROPOUTS AND POTENTIAL DROPOUTS SHOULD REQUEST EASILY ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION, REQUIRE EXACT ANSWERS, INCLUDE A BUILT-IN SYSTEM OF DOUBLE-CHECKING RESPONSES, AND BE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO REPRODUCE. ALL INFORMATION GATHERED SHOULD LEND ITSELF TO COMPARABILITY. METHODS OF COMBINING DROPOUT DATA FOR ANALYSIS AND CALCULATING RATES OF PUPIL MOBILITY ARE PRESENTED. NUMBEROUS TABLES AND CHARTS ARE INCLUDED.