The educational program of Helix High School is dedicated to the philosophy that the American high school is designed to serve the children of all groups within the community. However, available statistics indicated that this educational goal was not being carried out. Nationwide studies have shown that approximately 50 per cent of the students who entered American secondary schools never completed the educational program. The present study attempted to determine in what areas the Helix program was failing to meet the needs of the youth who dropped out of school.