High attrition from programs for at-risk youth suggest that planners are not assessing interventions from the consumers' perspective. Some disadvantaged youth join and complete programs (persisters), while others from the same communities either fail to join or drop out (leavers). Participants in two in-school remedial programs and two out-of-school youth service corps programs were encouraged to talk about their experiences in 16 focus group sessions. Groups included both persisters and leavers. The report discusses difficulties in assessing focus group data. The major finding that cuts across all groups and programs is that leavers and persisters express similar reactions to all phases of program participation. Findings concerning the in-school participants in remedial programs include the following: (1) participants are motivated to enroll and persist by parental encouragement, and by positive relationships with staff and peers; (2) participants are most vulnerable to dropping out early in the program; (3) leavers drop out after a series of frustrations and failures; (4) many leavers drop out because of factors extrinsic to the program; and (5) individuals differ in their ability to tolerate program stress. Findings concerning the out-of-school participants in youth corps programs include the following: (1) participants are motivated to enroll independently of peer or adult influence, and to persist by the nonmonetary incentives of promotions and awards within the organization; and (2) relationships with staff are related to the decision to persist or drop out. (FMW)