The existence of compulsory school attendance at the secondary level may help to assure school attendance for some students, but it does little to assure that any will learn. Both the laws requiring attendance and the basic high school programs offered in most states must be remodeled. Arizona's system provides a good example. Although Arizona's attendance laws require only that a child attend school through the eighth grade, most students stay through high school. A number of factors account for the schools' retention of students. One is the state's child labor laws that limit the number of available worthwhile jobs for youths under age 16. Another is the state's program of work-study courses, vocational education, and career education. It is hoped that a student's exposure to these kinds of courses and programs will help him set a personal goal or develop an idea of what he wants for the future. The state also has an extensive special education program for meeting the needs of students who have difficult learning experiences and who are prime candidates to become dropouts. Finally, societal pressure and self-respect help keep students in school until they have acquired enought education to enable them to be self-supporting and productive. (Author/IRT)