The study provides an overview of what national surveys and the literature say about school dropouts, defined as persons who are neither enrolled in school nor high school graduates. For the last decade, the dropout rate for youth age 16-24 has remained roughly the same, about 13-14 percent. Hispanics, Blacks, and economically and educationally disadvantaged youth have a much higher dropout rate, as do those who are (1) pregnant, (2) two or more years behind grade level, and (3) from homes where the fathers dropped out. Within the first several years after dropping out, about 50 percent return to school or enroll in General Education Development programs. Labor market opportunities are poor for youth who have not completed high school and are worse for Blacks than for Whites. Due to limitations on available data and research, it is not generally known "what works" to prevent youth from dropping out of school or to encourage their return. This is the first of a two-phase study, the second part of which examines the problem in more detail at the local level and considers the techniques used to address it. (PS)