American River College's (California) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) project is a 2-year project initiated in 1992 to improve the retention and performance of minority students and others in math, biology, and chemistry through increased contact and involvement with their peers. PAL involves a cadre of 24 student Learning Assistants (LA's) who have successfully completed targeted math, biology, and chemistry courses and who work with 8 project faculty. The LA's meet with a small group of four to six students for 3 hours each week throughout the semester. Students in the study groups work on class assignments and supplemental materials. The LA's also meet weekly with the course instructors to discuss the progress of the groups and to receive suggestions. The LA's, who are paid for time spent in training, tutoring, and meeting with faculty, undergo 18 hours of training in small group peer-assisted learning. Using focus group interviews, as well as an examination of student grades and retention, the PAL project was evaluated, revealing: (1) 69% of the students receiving tutoring felt the sessions were quite, very, or extremely helpful; (2) grade comparisons revealed that in all but one of the targeted classes, tutored students out-performed non-tutored students; and (3) success rates (percentage of students receiving course grades of A, B, or C) were much higher for tutored students than for non-tutored students. A discussion of focus group results, and the LA tutor training course outline are included. (PAA)