The Pathways to Identity Project is a longitudinal study of individual differences among black teenage males from low income families who were included in two cohorts of, originally, seventh and ninth grades students in a de facto segregated junior high school in Boston's black community. The study is based on lengthy open-ended interviews, and focuses on the interaction of family background variables, aspects of self concept and racial identity, relations with peers, and attitudes, aspirations, and experiences relevant to school, work, and future life; the data and findings reported are limited to those involving the aspects mentioned, sampled at one point in time and related to only one of the many potential outcome variables--staying in or dropping out of school. The ninth graders had significantly higher IQ scores; they were also found to be higher than seventh graders in playing hooky, hooky being not associated with dropping out. Among the findings were: (1) an association of demographic characteristics of the mother with aspects of masculine identification and cognitive style, while father-related characteristics were tied up with social status; (2) self concept seemed to be significantly related to variables indicative of lack of ability or desire to change; and, (3) first job choices are more likely to be related to aspirations rather than to "real" expectations. (Authors/RJ)