Employing basic and interpretive data derived from five sample high schools in remote areas of Ontario, Canada, an examination was made of the psychological and sociological factors affecting the educational progress of secondary students. Using field study methods, objective data from school records and offices were collected (N=497), along with interview (18 from each of the 5 schools) and questionnaire (N=387) data on bussed and boarded students. Control groups, teachers, administrators, and parents were also surveyed. A model was developed presenting all the major factors contributing to the educational progress of students from remote areas--home and community backgrounds, elementary school backgrounds, individual characteristics of students, attributes of the high schools attended, bussing and boarding situations, and experiences in schools and classrooms. Results indicated: students from remote areas do not have the same educational experiences as their peers located near a high school; correlations between length of time spent on a bus and enrollment in basic level courses, absenteeism, academic failure, dropping out, and non-participation in extracurricular activities; bus students were often labeled by peers and teachers in a derogatory fashion; and two of the three groups of boarding students from different cultural and language backgrounds had similar problems. (Author/JC)