Research compared Mexico's television-based Telesecundaria (TS) with its more traditional secondary school counterpart, the Ensenanza Directa (ED). The data collected indicated that the TS schools tended to be located in poorer rural communities and to have larger classes and less adequate facilities; its students were generally older and from poorer less-educated families, and its teachers were not as well trained as those in the ED system. Despite these disadvantages, however, the TS system's output, as measured by student achievement in math, Spanish, and chemistry, was greater than that of the ED. Since the cost of the TS was at least 25% lower than the cost of the ED, it was concluded that the TS more effectively met Mexico's secondary education needs. This was deemed particularly significant in light of the fact that due to budget limitations, the ED system was able to serve only 65% of the primary graduates wishing to continue their education. It was therefore recommended that Mexico's educational policymakers seriously consider implementing the TS on a national scale. (PB)