Basic skills programs are now almost a given in the curricula of postsecondary institutions; however, the key area of concern of basic skills researchers is, Are they working? The answer is two fold: yes, those involved in and committed to the programs are working very hard, and no, the programs themselves are not working very well. There is a dearth of empirically based evaluation research on the programs. The following are important in the discussion of basic skills programs: a historical perspective of governmental and institutional policies that have been challenged by the need for basic skills programs; the nature of the student who enters a program; a generalized description and definition of basic skills programs; and the conclusion drawn by some researchers that the existing compensatory programs have done very little toward eradicating the academic problems of disadvantaged college students. (MSE)