TWO RESEARCH PROJECTS CONCERNING CHILDREN FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC OR CULTURALLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WERE REPORTED. THE FIRST PROJECT STUDIED THE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS FROM TWO SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS. IT WAS QUESTIONED WHETHER CULTURALLY DEPRIVED CHILDREN IN A SUBURBAN AREA COMPARED WITH CULTURALLY DEPRIVED CHILDREN FROM A LARGE URBAN AREA. THE PROCEDURE INVOLVED PUPILS FROM FOUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN WHITE PLAINS. STRUCTURED INTERVIEW FORMS DEALING WITH EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS WERE ADMINISTERED TO THE SUBJECTS AND THEIR PARENTS. CERTIFIED COUNSELORS INTERVIEWED ALL THE PARTICIPATING PARENTS AND PUPILS, AND DATA FROM THE SCHOOL RECORD OF EACH PUPIL WERE RECORDED. INFORMATION GATHERED WAS CODED AND PUNCHED ON IBM CARDS, AND ANALYZED. THE FOUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS INCLUDED 13 OLDER AREAS AND A NEW PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. CONCLUSIONS SHOWED THAT CHILDREN FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC HOUSING PROJECTS WERE NOT SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN LARGE URBAN AREAS. THEY WANTED EDUCATION AND THEIR PARENTS WANTED THEM TO HAVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THEIR INTELLIGENCE WAS EQUAL TO THE NATIONAL NORM, THUS A SPECIAL ACADEMIC PROGRAM SHOULD BE PLANNED WHICH WOULD BE GEARED FOR THE "NATIONAL NORM" PUPIL AND NOT THE "LOCAL NORM" PUPIL. THE SECOND PROJECT CONCERNED THE USE OF EXTENSIVE AND INTENSIVE COUNSELING WITH A GROUP OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC OR CULTURALLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. THREE STAFF MEMBERS WORKED WITH EIGHTH-GRADE CHILDREN. THEY MADE AT LEAST ONE VISIT TO THE HOME OF EACH PUPIL AS PART OF THE STUDY AND ALSO STUDIED THE CHILD'S RECORD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT TO WATCH FOR CHANGES IN GRADES AND ATTITUDES. THE PUPILS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE FINAL EVALUATION. THE COUNSELING ACTIVITIES INCLUDED INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, GROUP DISCUSSIONS, HOME VISITS, ORGANIZED STUDY GROUPS, AND EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL, AND CULTURAL TRIPS. EVALUATION SHOWED THAT THESE UNDERACHIEVING STUDENTS IMPROVED DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTRA HELP AND COUNSELING.