Reviews five areas--institutional climate, diversity in programing, student support services, policy development, and community alliances--which form the core of institutional commitment to access. Argues that the illusion of equal access can only be replaced by true realization of access through institutional change in these areas. (JBM)

Since 1975 the Contoocook Valley District, a small rural cooperative school district in southwestern New Hampshire, has developed a performance-based student competency program which has resulted in a dramatic increase in scores on the Stanford Achievement Test. The district is comprised of 9 towns, covers an area of almost 300 square miles, and…