An Indiana 310 Project was conducted to determine the needs of very low level adult basic education students (0-4th grade). Specifically, the study sought to answer the following four questions: (1) What brings low academic level students into ABE programs? (2) What aspects of the ABE programs do low academic level students dislike? (3) Why do low academic level students drop out of ABE programs? and (4) What major benefits do low academic level students derive participating in an ABE program? Data were collected from 184 1979-80 school year, low academic level dropouts of the Northwest Indiana Adult Learning Centers through personal or telephone interviews. From the data gathered, it appears that most students were primarily attracted to the ABE program through radio or newspaper advertising, flyers, or through another person who had heard of the programs through these means. Although most students could not think of aspects of the program they disliked, a few complaints about teachers, books, transportation, and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) were heard. Most of the students who had dropped out did so for reasons beyond the teachers' control. Other reasons included inadequate transportation, lack of child care, impatient teachers, inconvenient hours, CETA pay, and books too easy or too hard. Nearly all the students gained an awareness of what an Adult Learning Center offers and plan to attend again; benefits gained by a few included better jobs, registerinq to vote, better reading skills, and better money manaqement skills. It was recommended that the ABE program continue its present programs and advertising, but work to maximize teacher behavior of giving clear and simple explanations as the best methods of retaining low academic level students. (KC)