A comparative study of early school leaving in India, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States found that in spite of huge cultural and economic differences between these countries, there were common underlying causes of the school dropout problem. Economic need, sociocultural divisions, curricula that were unrelated to future work and life, norm-referenced systems of education, and ineffective schools created student disaffection that resulted in out-of-school youth in all four countries. However, several aspects of the problem provide potential opportunities for sharing ideas and solutions between the countries in this study. First, in each country, the roots of disaffection from school appeared to be embedded in poverty and students' need for economic security. Schools can foster individual empowerment by developing critical awareness and self-reliance. The second area for cross-fertilization is school community collaboration. Early identification of at-risk students is a third area. Minority populations were under-served in all four countries. Intervention requires a reversal of negative teacher perceptions of minority children and promotion of the value of education in their communities. Curriculum revision is a fourth possibility. More practical, life-related, and vocational/technical curricula with an emphasis on literacy are important. A fifth area is the cultivation of effective teaching practices such as cultural awareness, communication skills, and active teaching methods. The final area for international cooperation is in the development of teaching resources. (Contains 58 references.) (TD)