This study was designed to determine some of the educational characteristics associated with the construction of the independent student. Toward this end, 35 grade eleven teachers in an innovative school system were requested to supply the names of five independent, self-directed students and five not-independent, not-self-directed students. A total of 118 names were submitted: 60 independent students and 58 not-independent students. The two groups were found to be significantly different on nine educationally related variables. The independent students, when compared to the not-independent students, had significantly higher mean I.Q., higher mean GPA, lower mean class rank, lower mean modules of unscheduled time, higher mean class load, higher proportion of college bound students, lower proportion of students known as disciplinary problems, lower mean number of absences, and higher proportion of females than males. These results seem to indicate either that the role of the high-achiever, or that the variables analyzed are different from, but highly interrelated with, the criteria for membership into the independent student group. The research reported herein was funded under Title III, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Author/EK)