This investigation sought to discover why adults dropped out of the adult basic education program and the General Education Development program in the New Orleans public schools, and to suggest ways of reducing the number of dropouts. A specially constructed interview schedule was used to obtain data from a 10% random sample of 1965-67 dropouts listed in the two programs. Responses of the 50 interviewees, all Negroes, indicated that the main reasons for withdrawal were such personal ones as personal illness, conflict in employment schedule, and child care problems. Institutional factors played a negligible part. A need was seen for small groupings, diversified programs, and flexible schedules, and for an awareness of realistic short-range and long-range goals to serve as incentives for adult students. (author/ly)