THE PROBLEM OF THE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT IS PRESENTED. GOVERNMENT AND MASS MEDIA HAVE INVESTIGATED POTENTIAL DROPOUTS AND ENCOURAGED DROPOUTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL. IN RECENT YEARS VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL OF STUDENTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL HAS DECLINED FROM 70 PERCENT IN 1920 TO 25 PERCENT 1960. A LEVELING OFF AT 15 PERCENT SHOULD OCCUR BY 1975. RECURRENT ATTRIBUTES COMMON TO HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS ARE LOW SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT, LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED PARENTS, INFREQUENT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WITH PEERS, ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP AFFILIATION, GENERAL DISINTEREST, AND MARITAL AND FAMILY DISORGANIZATION. REMEDIATION AND RETRAINING ARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE DROPOUT. EXCELLENCE SHOULD BE STRIVED FOR IN THE FIRST THREE GRADES FOR THE EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED. THIS EARLY EDUCATION, RATHER THAN LATER REHABILITATION, WILL PREPARE DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACCOMMODATION TO THE RAPID CHANGES THAT LIE AHEAD IN URBAN SOCIETY. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE "TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD," VOLUME 65, NUMBER 6, MARCH 1964.