The general objective of this study was to determine the nature and extent of reference group pressures on an individual's decision to drop out of school. A major hypothesis was that the impact of reference groups on this decision will be a function of the extent to which an individual identifies with that group. Consequently a major effort was made to determine the nature and extent of identification with the reference groups of family, peers, and school. Data were collected from 2,030 ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders in two Chicago high schools by use of an administered questionnaire. Results indicated that family influence could partially explain not dropping out, particularly if high family integration, strong identification with parents, or pro-education values held by parents are considered. Peer influence was also found to be important. If a student's friends place a relatively low value on education, he will be more likely to drop out. Teacher's values toward education was not found to be a meaningful variable. However, whether or not students identified with the teacher indicated some influence on students' behavior. (Author/KJ)