A SURVEY OF SCHOOL DROPOUTS IN 11 EASTERN KENTUCKY COUNTIES WAS DESIGNED TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS--(1) TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE RURAL SCHOOL DROPOUT DISADVANTAGED IN COMPARISON WITH THE RURAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE7 (2) IS GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL AN ADVANTAGE IF THE YOUTH REMAINS IN A RURAL AREA7 (3) IS IT AN ADVANTAGE IF HE MOVES TO AN URBAN CENTER7 THE CONCLUSIONS WERE DETERMINED BY TWO TYPES OF COMPARISONS--(1) SCHOOL DROPOUTS IN THE RURAL AREA WERE COMPARED WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES LIVING IN THAT AREA, AND (2) SCHOOL DROPOUTS WHO MOVED TO URBAN CENTERS IN SOUTHERN OHIO WERE COMPARED WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO MOVED TO THOSE CENTERS. THE SURVEY CONCLUDES THAT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES HAD BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN, HELD HIGHER ASPIRATIONS THAN, AND POSSESSED A MORE OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE THAN RURAL DROPOUTS. THIS ARTICLE APPEARS IN THE "BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF SCHOOL SERVICE," VOL. 36, NO.1, SEPTEMBER 1963. (CL)