This study evaluates the process and procedures of the New York City Board of Education in the definition, identification, tracking, and monitoring of student dropouts in selected New York City high schools. The full report is organized in three parts. Part One provides a summary of data obtained (through observations and interviews) from visits to 11 comprehensive high schools in the five boroughs. Part Two examines comparative studies of schools with high and low dropout rates in three boroughs. Part Three compares dropout definitions and the procedures for monitoring dropout rates in New York City and five other large metropolitan school districts. An addendum summarizes the findings of a comprehensive survey of all of the public high schools in the New York City system. Recommendations are grouped into the following categories: (1) attendance procedures; (2) admissions and discharges; (3) absences, truancy and suspensions; (4) automated or manual student accounting system; (5) identification of at-risk students; (6) comparisons across six city school districts; (7) general. Recommendations include: (1) implementing a uniform computerized attendance system; (2) improving communication between high schools and the Office of Student Information Services to minimize errors in students enrollment, absence, and dropout data; (3) providing extra support to schools with high dropout rates; and (4) standardizing the method of identifying dropouts. (ETS)