The primary objective of a pilot study was to investigate the educational motivation of rural native Appalachian eighth grade females in terms of educational attitudes, educational decisions, and educational self-concept. Results from the study (sample size: 27) indicate strongly that female Appalachian adolescents, about to enter womanhood, do have achievement and educational goals. Eighth grade Appalachian females feel very secure in their elementary school environment, have definite and positive life and career expectations, but also feel ambivalent about the upcoming high school experience due to predicted less personal contact with the high school faculty. After about midpoint in the freshman year of high school, there seems to be a breaking point in which the rural Appalachian female begins to succeed more strongly in school (65%) or begins to struggle more desperately (35%), with this struggle being largely attributed to this actual or perceived lack of personal contact with the high school faculty. Thus, Appalachian females must be made to feel more secure in the larger high school environment in order to succeed and want to complete their high school experience. (Author/MH)