A COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS WAS INITIATED IN 27 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. DAILY SESSIONS OF 45 TO 50 MINUTES WERE SCHEDULED FOR 60 PUPILS IN GROUPS OF 12. DURING THE 1964-65 SCHOOL YEAR PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO THE NEEDS OF THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS. BEFORE ASSIGNMENT TO THE COMPENSATORY CLASSES, EACH CHILD WAS TESTED TO DETERMINE HIS READING LEVEL AND POSTTESTS WERE GIVEN AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. A "MULTIPLE MEDIA" APPROACH WAS USED TO DEVELOP LANGUAGE AND READING SKILLS AND TO STIMULATE READING INTEREST. LISTENING SKILLS, WRITING, DRILL AND PRACTICE, AND INDEPENDENT WORK HABITS WERE ALSO STRESSED. TEACHERS WERE GIVEN INSERVICE TRAINING AND AID FROM A RESOURCE TEACHER. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO INVOLVE THE REGULAR STAFF, PARENTS, AND THE COMMUNITY IN THE PROGRAM. TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS RESPONDED ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO THE PROGRAM. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH "PUPILS RECEIVING COMPENSATORY HELP ARE MAKING SEMESTER FOR SEMESTER GAINS," TESTS RESULTS MAY BE UNREALISTIC BECAUSE THEY ARE BASED ON TEACHER JUDGMENTS. THE RESOURCE TEACHER'S OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM ARE APPENDED. (NH)