This report summarizes information about students who dropped out of Massachusetts public schools during 1989 and provides comparative dropout data from the 1987 and 1988 surveys. Both the annual dropout rate and the projected 4-year dropout rate are presented. The annual rates describe the percentage of students who drop out in a given year and are reported by the following breakdowns: (1) by grade; (2) for a range of grades (9-12); (3) by gender; (4) by race/ethnicity; (5) by kind of community; and (6) by program area. The projected 4-year rates estimate the percentage of ninth graders who may not graduate in 4 years. The following findings are reported: (1) the 1989 annual dropout rate was 4.9 percent; (2) the 1989 estimated 4-year dropout rate was 18 percent; (3) the annual dropout rate and the estimated four-year dropout rate decreased between 1988 and 1989 due to a decrease in the number of dropouts in urban schools; (4) annual dropout rates by school ranged from as low as 0 percent to over 26 percent; (5) the highest percentage of students dropped out in grades 10 and 11 (5.7 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively), while the lowest percentage (3.6 percent) dropped out in grade 12, and 4.4 percent dropped out in grade 9; (6) 5.3 percent of males and 4.5 percent of females dropped out; (7) 14.1 percent of Hispanic American students, 9.2 percent of Black students, 7.8 percent of Native American students, 4.7 percent of Asian American students, and 4 percent of White students dropped out; (8) dropouts were most prevalent in urban schools; and (9) 5.5 percent of students enrolled in vocational-technical programs and 7.4 percent of special needs students dropped out. Statistical data are presented in 12 tables and 7 graphs. (FMW)