A STUDY WAS MADE OF ATTENDANCE IN ADULT EVENING CLASSES IN A BRITISH COLUMBIA URBAN SCHOOL. CLASS RECORDS FROM THE YEAR 1963-64 WERE STUDIED, THE 266 COURSES (WITH 5240 REGISTRANTS) VARYING IN LENGTH AND SUBJECT CONTENT. SUBJECT CATEGORIES WERE -- ACADEMIC (33 SESSIONS LONG), A REPLICATION OF A PREADULT LEARNING SITUATION, WHICH PROVIDED CREDIT TOWARD A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, VOCATIONAL (10 OR 20 SESSIONS), AND GENERAL (MOSTLY 10 SESSIONS). THE MEAN PERCENTAGE LOSS IN ATTENDANCE WAS 30 PERCENT, ACADEMIC COURSES DECLINING FROM 95 TO 47 PERCENT, VOCATIONAL FROM 91 TO 55 PERCENT, AND GENERAL COURSES FROM 92 TO 71 PERCENT. DATA SUGGEST THAT COURSE CONTENT HAS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO MOTIVATION. COURSES FROM WHICH IMMEDIATE BENEFIT IS GAINED ARE BEST ATTENDED. AS A COURSE LENGTHENS BEYOND 10 SESSIONS, LOSS IN ATTENDANCE ACCELERATES, THE RATE OF LOSS VARYING WITH THE TYPE OF COURSE. ALTHOUGH THE DATA PROVIDE NO MEASURE OF THE INFLUENCE ON ATTENDANCE OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS, THE VERY POOR PATTERN OF ATTENDANCE IN ACADEMIC COURSES INDICATES THE NEED FOR MAJOR CHANGES. EQUIVALENCY COURSES FOR ADULTS NEED TO BE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM, INSTEAD OF DUPLICATING DAY PREADULT PROGRAMS. TABLES SHOW ATTENDANCE BY COURSES AND SUBJECT AREAS. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "CANADIAN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH DIGEST," SEPTEMBER 1966. (LY)