Procedures to obtain field information on this topic were threefold: (a) questionnaire to college ABE Administrators and Instructors; (b) personal interview sample of 34 withdrawals; and (c) telephone survey of dropouts of a mid-sized school district program.

REASONS FOR DROPOUT

Seven college Administrators and nine college Instructors answered the section on Attrition in the questionnaire. The Administrators generated a longer list of perceived reasons for adults leaving literacy programs than the instructors. In both groups, however, the main reasons were perceived to be related to economic need, for example, "got a full-time job." Financial need of itself, however, was also mentioned several times. A combined list of the reasons is given in Table 14.

In the "Personal and family problems" category one respondent mentioned the domestic turmoil and shifting power relationships which may ensue within a family if one partner becomes more educated and independent than another. Another respondent said that a single parent who left her young children at home to come to class felt guilty and left.

In the "Program-related" category, the first three responses related to inappropriate programs and approaches which gave "offence" or generated "dislike" of instructor.