EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH GENERALIZES TOO FREELY ABOUT THE EFFECT OF LOWER-CLASS CULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS SCHOOL ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD. IF INSTEAD EDUCATORS CONSIDERED THE RANGES AND VARIATIONS OF EACH OF THESE INFLUENCES, AND THE VARIABLES ACCOUNTING FOR THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD'S ACADEMIC SUCCESS AS WELL AS HIS FAILURE, THEY MIGHT REALIZE THAT IT IS ONLY WHEN THE VALUES OF THE DISADVANTAGED STUDENT ARE ALIGNED WITH MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES THAT ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOL OCCURS. TOO OFTEN, UNDER THE GUISE OF RESPECTING THE "PHENOMENOLOGY" OF LOWER-CLASS CULTURE, EDUCATORS MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO INTERVENE ACTIVELY TO PREPARE THE DISADVANTAGED FOR THOROUGH ABSORPTION INTO THE PREVAILING MIDDLE-CLASS SOCIETY. WHETHER IT IS ETHICALLY RIGHT OR WRONG, ONLY WHEN THESE YOUTHS ACCEPT THE MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES IMPLICIT IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WILL THEY SUCCESSFULLY REMAIN IN SCHOOL. THUS COUNSELORS MUST TALK TO STUDENTS TRUTHFULLY AND REALISTICALLY ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND THE IMPOVERISHED CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY LIVE. OTHERWISE THE STUDENT MAY DEVELOP CONFLICTS AND DEFENSES WHICH WILL MAKE HIM REJECT THE SCHOOL, WHICH IS CAUSING THIS CONFLICT, AND WILL IMBED HIMSELF ONCE AGAIN IN THE DETRIMENTAL SECURITY OF HIS LOWER-CLASS WORLD. (LB)