PRIMARY FINDINGS OF OVER 30 STUDIES DATING FROM 1960 TO 1967, INCLUDING RESEARCH REPORTS, PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS, AND THEORETICAL FORMULATIONS, ARE SYNTHESIZED IN AN EVALUATION OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE ON THE DETERMINANTS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEMS. FOCUS OF THE SURVEY IS ON DETERMINING INPUTS AND OUTPUTS OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY THE CAPACITY OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS FOR RAISING ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS AND CHANGING DEVIANT BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF LOW-INCOME AND CULTURALLY DEPRIVED STUDENTS. PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE AS A KEY DETERMINANT HAS BEEN GENERALLY REFUTED. OTHER VARIABLES STUDIED INCLUDE TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS, PEER ATTITUDES AND CHARACTERISTICS, SCHOOL PROGRAM, FAMILY BACKGROUND, MINORITY GROUP MEMBERSHIP, SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL OF CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT, SPECIFIC SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, AND ETHNIC STRATA. THE SIX VARIABLES MOST CLEARLY RELATED TO ACHIEVEMENT GAINS IN TWO OR MORE OF THE STUDIES SURVEYED INCLUDE MALE TEACHER STARTING SALARIES, AVERAGE NUMBER OF YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE, NUMBER OF BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AVERAGE CLASS SIZE, PUPIL/TEACHER RATIO, AND PERCENT OF GRADUATES GOING TO COLLEGE. FURTHER CROSS SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHAT FACTORS AFFECT ACHIEVEMENT INCREASE AND STUDENT RETENTION. (JK)