This paper presents a conceptual overview of issues relating to the education of the disadvantaged. Problems of identification and definition of the disadvantaged are discussed in terms of compensatory education. Concepts regarding "disadvantage" that underlie many of the compensatory instructional intervention programs are described, as are several theories on the nature and character of the disadvantaged population. Various educational approaches to the disadvantaged are reviewed, and the different implications of directing change strategies toward the school, the student and his/her family, the distribution of resources, the composition of the school population, and control over school decisionmaking are examined. Evaluations of existing compensatory education programs are also briefly reviewed. Finally, a number of issues that continue to be of concern to educators in the areas of educational equality, cultural differences, and social factors affecting disadvantaged students are discussed. (APM)