PROJECT BEACON'S TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE FOR THE PREPARATION OF PRESERVICE AND INSERVICE PERSONNEL TO WORK IN SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. THOSE INVOLVED WERE TEACHERS OF REGULAR AND SPECIAL CLASSES, ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPERVISORS, GUIDANCE SPECIALISTS, THERAPEUTIC EDUCATORS, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS. THE CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF LEARNERS IN SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES WERE PRESENTED. INCLUDED WERE STYLES AND MODES OF PERCEPTUAL HABITUATION, UTILIZATION OF ABSTRACT SYMBOLS, AND DEGREE AND DIRECTION OF MOTIVATION. ALSO DISCUSSED WAS THE PROBLEM OF CONVENTIONAL TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS AS TO THEIR ADEQUACY TO PREPARE EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL TO WORK WITH DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN. IMPLICATIONS OF CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF LEARNERS IN SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES INVOLVED THE AREAS OF HOME, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY ANALYSIS, CHILD APPRAISAL, AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL PROCESSES. INCLUDED WERE TWO ILLUSTRATIVE OUTLINES ON THE HISTORY OF EDUCATIONAL THOUGHT AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN ADDITION TO OUTLINES OF TRAINING PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, SPECIAL EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, AND GUIDANCE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY ACCOMPANIES THE TEXT.