"A Dropout Reduction Program" is Volume 5 in a series of 7 guides which were prepared by the Southeastern Education Laboratory to assist rural school districts -- especially in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee -- in planning and writing acceptable Title III proposals under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The approach of the document is the contrastment of an actual planning proposal for a dropout reduction program with a case commentary consisting of (1) Title III guidelines, (2) suggested references, (3) ideal statement, and (4) critique. The program described in the document proposes to reduce the dropout rate by providing a relevant curriculum for students; by involving parents and community in cooperative assessment, planning, and implementation of the program; by providing individualized schedules; and by initiating counseling and guidance programs to meet the needs of potential dropouts and returnees. Each section of the illustrative proposal is reviewed and evaluated. Two bibliographies are appended, the first for the illustrative case and the other, a supplementary, for the case commentaries. (AL)