THE 43 MALE STUDENTS STARTING THE MECHANICAL AND PRODUCTION TOOL DESIGN CURRICULUM OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY OGONTZ CENTER AT ABINGTON, IN THE SCHOOL YEAR 1953-54, ALL EMPLOYED FULL TIME IN 19 AREA FIRMS, WERE CONSIDERED IN TWO GROUPS--DROPOUTS (STUDENTS WHO DID NOT REMAIN WITHIN THE PROGRAM TO COMPLETE THE FIVE YEARS OF COURSE WORK REQUIRED FOR THE DIPLOMA) AND COMPLETERS. DATA WERE OBTAINED BY INDIVIDUAL, TAPE RECORDED INTERVIEWS WITH 37 STUDENTS. MOST OF THE DROPOUTS LEFT IN THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO OF THE PROGRAM. COMPLETERS SEEMED TO HAVE THEIR GOALS MORE CLEARLY IN MIND, PLAN THEIR TIME BETTER, BE SOMEWHAT MORE MATURE, AND HAVE GREATER DEPENDENCY OBLIGATIONS, WHICH EXPANDED DURING THEIR ENROLLMENT. THEY WERE EMPLOYED IN LARGER COMPANIES WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE GREATER PROGRAM GUIDANCE, MORE COMPANIONSHIP IN THE PROGRAM, RECEIVE LARGER AMOUNTS OF FINANCIAL AID, AND HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFULLY SELECTED AT THE TIME OF ORIGINAL EMPLOYMENT. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT AGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS HAD ATTRACTED 65 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE PEEN STATE PROGRAM. THIS DOCUMENT, LC CARD NO. MIC 60-3262, IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICH. MICROFILM $2.90. XEROX $10.15. 224 PAGES. (AUTHOR/AJ)