In order to deal with the problem of increasing failures and dropouts and the negative impact of large numbers of students lacking basic reading and language skills on instructional activities and materials, the Sociology Department at El Camino College made eligibility for English 1A a prerequisite for its Sociology 5 course in fall 1975. This document combines a study of the effects of the prerequisite by the Office of Research and an analysis by the Behavioral Science Division. The data indicate: (1) a decrease in dropout rates, with a 31% rate for 1974, a 4.3% rate for 1975, and a 10.6% rate for 1976; (2) a significant improvement in A, B, and C grades, showing 50.6% in 1974, 76.7% in 1975 and 74.6% in 1976, with D, F, W, and WF grades declining slightly; (3) a significant decline in enrollment, with 1974 enrollees numbering 1,396, 1975 enrollees numbering 672, and 1976 enrollees numbering 598. The impact of lower enrollment upon the Sociology department is discussed in terms of reduced teaching opportunities for junior members of the department and the attitudes of other departments toward tightened academic standards. (LH)