FOR MANY YEARS THE ENGLISH PROGRAM AT EDISON HIGH SCHOOL WAS INADEQUATE, AND 70 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS FAILED THE STANDARDIZED TEST ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT. THE PROGRAM FAILED TO MEET THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS OF VARYING RACIAL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS. THREE FACTORS WERE--(1) A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL, (2) AN ENVIRONMENT OF CULTURAL POVERTY, AND (3) DIALECTAL PROBLEMS. MANY TEACHERS TRANSFERRED FROM EDISON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE OF LARGE CLASSES, LACK OF MATERIALS, AND INFLEXIBLITY. THE NONGRADED PROGRAM FULFILLED THE FOLLOWING NEEDS OF TEACHERS--(1) ALL STUDENTS IN GRADES 10-12 WERE GROUPED HOMOGENEOUSLY, (2) EACH TEACHER HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DEFINITE PROGRAM OF STUDY WITHIN EACH COURSE, (3) THE TEACHING STRENGTHS OF THE PERSONNEL WERE BETTER UTILIZED BY PLACING THE TEACHER IN THE AREA OF HIS GREATEST STRENGTH, (4) STUDENTS WERE GIVEN A CHOICE IN CERTAIN PHASES SO TEACHERS COULD TEACH AN ELECTIVE, AND (5) IDEALLY ALL TEACHERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FUNCTION IN ALL PHASES. THE PROGRAM WAS STRUCTURED IN PHASES, GEARED TO STUDENT ABILITY. THE REMEDIAL PHASES WERE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES THAT THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE HIGH STRUCTURED AND PUPIL-ORIENTED, SHOULD HAVE SMALL CLASSES, SHOULD HAVE A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, SHOULD INCLUDE MATERIALS RELATED TO THE NEEDS, EXPERIENCES, AND INTERESTS OF THE STUDENT, AND SHOULD HAVE A DISCIPLINED BUT UNPRESSURED AND FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. THE SCHOOL ESTABLISHED A LANGUAGE LABORATORY FOR REMEDIAL STUDENTS. THE ORAL SECTION MADE USE OF TAPE RECORDERS, OTHER AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, DRAMATIZATION, BOOK REPORTS, AND WORK GAMES. IN THE COMPOSITION SECTION INTENSIVE WORK WAS DONE IN SPELLING, VOCABULARY, CONCEPT BUILDING, CLASS DISCUSSION, AND WRITING IN ADDITION TO READING. MATERIALS USED IN ALL PHASES AND IN THE LANGUAGE LABORATORY WERE LISTED.