TO ISOLATE FACTORS RELATED TO EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING, DATA WAS OBTAINED ON ALL TWELFTH, EIGHTH, AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS IN THE SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ANALYZED WERE--(1) PERSONAL VARIABLES WITHIN THE SCHOOL SITUATION IN THE TWELFTH GRADE, (2) FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DROPOUTS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE, AND (3) CHARACTERISTICS OF FOURTH GRADE PUPILS IN TERMS OF DROPOUT ASSOCIATED FACTORS. VARIABLES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING--INTELLIGENCE, SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT, SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT, SCHOOL RELATED EXPERIENCE, AND PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. VERBAL FACILITY AND LANGUAGE SKILLS, STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL, AND PARTICIPATION IN COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIES EMERGED AS STRONG DETERMINANTS OF CONTINUANCE AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. STUDENTS WITH PARENTS IN HIGHER LEVEL OCCUPATIONS ALSO TENDED TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL LONGER. THE DATA INDICATES A NEED FOR MORE VOCATIONAL PLANNING ON THE TWELFTH GRADE LEVEL. VARIABLES CHARACTERIZING THE DROPOUT ARE COURSE FAILURES OR REPEATED GRADES, ATTENDANCE AT MORE SCHOOLS, AND POOR ATTENDANCE RECORDS. DATA COLLECTION WAS FACILITATED BY UNIFORM CUMULATIVE RECORDS. FOLLOWUP STUDIES OF THE TWELFTH, EIGHTH, AND FOURTH GRADE POPULATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED. (JB)