Four nonmetropolitan South Texas counties were the target areas in exploring the proposition that dropouts should have lower aspirations and expectations than their in-school age peers. Data were obtained from approximately 600 Mexican American high school sophomores and 75 dropout age peers residing in the counties studied in 1968 and 1969. The comparisons were made on the following dimensions of occupational and educational status projections: (1) level of aspiration, (2) level of expectation, (3) anticipatory goal deflection, (4) intensity of aspiration, and (5) certainty of expectation. Tables of analysis show the results of each dimension above. Included in the document is a bibliography of relevant research literature, along with information on the characteristics and backgrounds of respondents and a table showing socioeconomic conditions of study counties compared with Texas as a whole and with the United States. (EL)