DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND SCHOOL FILES ARE PRESENTED ON 99 STUDENTS (90 PERCENT) REFERRED BY THE AGENCY TO THE BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE JOHN ADAMS ADULT SCHOOL. OVER 60 PERCENT WERE NEGROES, WITH WHITES, MEXICANS, AND AMERICAN INDIANS ALSO REPRESENTED. THE MAJORITY WERE FROM SOUTHERN STATES, 37 PERCENT WERE DIVORCED OR SEPARATED, WITH THE HIGHEST ATTENDANCE IN THIS GROUP. THE MALES WERE UNDER 19 AND OVER 40 WHILE FEMALES RANGED THROUGHOUT THE AGE GROUPS. TWO THIRDS OF THE GROUP CLAIMED GRADE COMPLETION RANGING FROM EIGHT TO TEN, BUT RESULTS OF ACHIEVEMENT TESTS ON ENTRANCE CLUSTERED AROUND GRADES FIVE AND SIX. MEDIAN INTERVENING TIME OF LAST SCHOOLING AND THIS PROGRAM WAS TEN YEARS. EIGHTY PERCENT WERE NOT WORKING AT PAID JOBS. HALF HAD ENROLLED IN THE COURSE TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, BUT HALF CONTINUED IN ATTENDANCE JUST UNDER FOUR MONTHS, MAINLY DROPPING OUT BECAUSE OF FAILURE. MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS FELT THE PROGRAM VERY WORTHWHILE. IT WAS RECOMMENDED AS A RESULT OF THE STUDY THAT--(1) THE EDUCATIONAL AND WELFARE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE COORDINATED, (2) MORE MALES BETWEEN 20 AND 40 SHOULD BE RECRUITED, (3) MORE RECORDS BE KEPT BY TEACHERS, (4) BETTER TESTING PROCEDURES, INCLUDING PERFORMANCE TESTS, SHOULD BE USED, AND (5) MORE ADULTS FROM ETHNIC MINORITIES SHOULD BE EMPLOYED IN CERTIFIED POSITIONS. (DOCUMENT INCLUDES SIX CASE STUDIES AND APPENDIXES.) (EB)