IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION FOR LOW-ABILITY STUDENTS, 35 ENTERING FRESHMEN WITH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ABILITY TEST SCORES IN THE LOWEST 16 PERCENT WERE INVITED TO BE IN A PILOT PROGRAM OF BASIC CLASSES IN ENGLISH, SPEECH, PSYCHOLOGY, AND AN ELECTIVE. OF THE 35, 28 COMPLETED THE SEMESTER, TWO TRANSFERRED TO REGULAR CLASSES, AND FIVE DROPPED OUT. THE CALIFORNIA TEST OF MENTAL MATURITY SHOWED IQ'S OF 76 TO 108 AMONG THE STUDENTS, WITH A MEAN OF 92. THEIR MEAN HIGH SCHOOL GPA WAS 1.99. IN THE 11TH GRADE, THEIR READING DEFICIENCIES HAD BEEN AS MUCH AS 4 YEARS, WITH AN AVERAGE RETARDATION OF 2 YEARS. ON THE PROGRESSIVE MATURITIES TEST, ONE-THIRD OF THE 35 SCORED ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE FOR GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS. AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER (SPRING 1965), QUESTIONNAIRES INDICATED GENERAL STUDENT SATISFACTION. STUDENTS STATED THAT THEY FELT THEY HAD IMPROVED IN READING, IN WRITING, AND ESPECIALLY IN SPEAKING. RETESTS WITH THE CALIFORNIA READING TEST AND THE DIAGNOSTIC READING TEST SHOWED MODEST IMPROVEMENT. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THE STUDY WAS NOT EXPERIMENTAL IN NATURE BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SAMPLE, LACK OF ADEQUATE CONTROLS, AND FAILURE TO CONTROL THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT. (WO)