Administrators, counselors, university faculty, and dropouts met initially to discuss the dropout problem and to design a questionnaire which was administered to 270 dropouts from secondary schools in 5 Missouri Ozark school districts and was designed primarily to determine the perceived need or desire for additional vocational or academic training and to indicate to the schools factors contributing to school dropout. As the project evolved, however, the purpose became that of discovering the life and labor situation of the dropout. Significant discrepancies noted between counselor and administrator preconceptions of dropouts and resulting data led to discussions of validity and the establishment of more effective programs, and raised the question of the appropriate application of research data. Followup meetings with dropouts began a process which led to the establishment of classes in preparation for the GED, the establishment of vocational outreach counselors, a survey of businesses and job opportunities in the area, and the establishment of Community Occupational and Training Counselors to combine school, community, and family resources to provide more effective career and vocational counseling programs for students of limited aspirations. It was tentatively concluded that field and evaluation research can be utilized to formulate plans, objectives, and programs intended to reduce school dropout rate and improve employability. (SB)