THIS DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF URBAN DISADVANTAGED PUPILS IS A SYNTHESIS OF 99 RESEARCH REPORTS. THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT SUCH CHILDREN LIVE IN A WORLD OF ISOLATION, LIMITED EXPERIENCE, AND REJECTION. HOUSING CONDITIONS, A DEMORALIZING NEIGHBORHOOD, AND A DISORGANIZED FAMILY LIFE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISADVANTAGED CHILD'S GENERAL IMPOVERISHMENT. THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS THE CHILD'S HEALTH, ATTITUDES, AND VALUES, AND HE DEVELOPS FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY AND ANTAGONISM. THESE ATTITUDES, AS WELL AS THE DISADVANTAGED PUPIL'S UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE VALUE OF AN EDUCATION, ARE CARRIED INTO THE CLASSROOM AND AFFECT HIS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. WHILE NEGRO GIRLS GENERALLY ACHIEVE BETTER THAN NEGRO BOYS, THE READING ACHIEVEMENT AND I.Q. SCORES OF ALL DISADVANTAGED PUPILS REFLECT SERIOUS CUMULATIVE RETARDATION. THESE SCORES ARE A REFLECTION OF THE CHILD'S EARLY EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN A MEASURE OF HIS POTENTIAL. MOREOVER, DISADVANTAGED PUPILS ARE NEGATIVELY INFLUENCED BY INADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. SLUM SCHOOLS ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND HAVE A HIGH RATE OF TEACHER TURNOVER, AND TEACHERS ARE OFTEN INEXPERIENCED AND UNPREPARED FOR WORK WITH THE DISADVANTAGED. FINALLY, RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT TEACHERS' EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF PUPILS DIFFER FOR WHITE AND NEGRO CHILDREN, AND FOR CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES. PERCEIVED BY THE TEACHERS AS INTELLECTUALLY LIMITED AND MISBEHAVING, THE LOWER-CLASS CHILD WILL SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVE LESS AND BEHAVE LESS SATISFACTORILY. (LB)