In 1989, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development approved a 3-year international project to identify programs that have been effective in helping children at risk of educational failure. A conference held to launch the project identified program strategies for serving at-risk youth, determined ways for member countries to improve their strategies, and defined the focus of case studies of effective programs. This report summarizes the papers presented at the conference. Session 1 of the conference examined programs for preschool children. Papers presented in this session discussed a multiprofessional approach to working with preschool children and their parents in Britain and the United States; parents' benefits from involvement in child care in France; and parents' involvement in their children's schools. Session 2 considered promising practices for educating disadvantaged elementary school children. Papers described a program for improving the education of at-risk students and a program to restructure elementary schools to ensure the success of all students. Interventions that target special populations were examined in session 3. Papers described bilingual programs for ethnic minority children in the Netherlands and other countries; dropout prevention programs in Japan; and academies that provide at-risk students with academic training and vocational skills. Session 4 investigated new strategies for addressing the education of at-risk students. Papers discussed strategies for serving at-risk children and youth; the transition from school to work in Germany; and integration of services. (BC)