This assessment of placement test scores in reading, math, and sentence skills from incoming students at College of the Desert (California) shows that students are overwhelmingly underprepared for study at the college. Only 15% of students were prepared in sentence skills, 27% in reading skills, 7% in math skills; only 3% were prepared in all 3 modules. The majority of students placed into mid-level English classes, and most students were prepared for mid- and high-level reading classes, yet 38% of students placed into the lowest-level math classes. Males and females scored similarly in sentence and reading skills, but fewer males placed into the lowest-level math classes (31% versus 44%). White students placed into higher-level English and reading classes than African-American, Asian, and Hispanic students, and Asian students placed into higher-level math courses. African-American and Hispanic students scored very low on the math assessment, with 63% of African Americans and 48% of Hispanics placing into classes below level one. The majority of students from all high schools placed into mid-level English classes, and all but two schools prepared students for higher-level reading classes. However, all but one school failed in preparing most students for anything but the lowest-level math classes. (Contains 13 graphs.) (CB)