In order to determine whether there was a significant correlation between a student's academic standing in a course and the time when the student withdrew from the course, grades received by students in 14 high withdrawal-rate courses taught by five community college instructors were reviewed. For the purposes of the study, withdrawal was defined as quitting a course prior to term end for which students received grades of W rather than A, B, C, D, or F. Withdrawers were contrasted to dropouts (persons who departed the institution), in that they remained in good standing, academically, and appeared as continuing students (the W grade carried no academic penalty). Findings for the high withdrawal-rate courses indicated that half of all grades assigned were W grades; of these, 55% were given to students who had been doing F or D level work prior to withdrawal. In comparison, only 6% of students completing the courses received F or D grades. The statistical correlation between grade standing and time of withdrawal proved to be significant. It was concluded that for the institution and departments involved in the study, the W grade was being used in lieu of D or F grades. (Author/TR)