Despite the difficulty inherent in counting dropouts, it can be estimated that about 45 percent of the ninth graders in New York City public high schools drop out before completing their high school education. These dropouts, characteristically, have experienced academic failure and will probably continue to experience failure after they leave school. Several studies help to explain why students drop out. Reasons include academic failure, boredom, alienation or lack of motivation, personal or home problems, and language difficulties. The school system itself also contributes to the problem by not responding adequately to the vulnerable student. Some programs do exist for preventing students from leaving school and assisting dropouts to return. There is a need for more of these programs in the lower grades, however, and for more extensive services in the high schools. The Chancellor's attendance and promotional policies, the High School Division outreach policy, a Board-wide task force on Regents Competency Tests, and a new high school admissions policy are changes which should be able to reduce the dropout rate. In addition, a number of new programs that would help to identify future dropouts and bring past dropouts back into the educational system could be immediately implemented. (Author/GC)