ENGLISH CURRICULUM MATERIALS (GATEWAY ENGLISH) DEVELOPED FOR USE WITH SEVENTH-GRADE DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS WERE INFORMALLY EVALUATED. THE EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS INCLUDED (1) TEACHING MANUALS, (2) DAILY LESSON PLANS, AND (3) PROJECT ENGLISH MATERIALS SELECTED TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEAKING, LISTENING, AND VIEWING HABITS. MATERIALS WERE DESIGNED FOR USE WITH STUDENTS WHO AVERAGED 1 TO 1 1/2 YEARS BELOW NATIONAL OR REGIONAL ENGLISH AND READING NORMS. THE MATERIALS WERE USED BY TEACHERS IN 12 NEW YORK CITY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS WHICH SERVICED THE DISADVANTAGED. REACTIONS TO THE MATERIALS WERE SOLICITED FROM PARENTS, TEACHERS, PUPILS, AND LANGUAGE ARTS CONSULTANTS. PUPIL REACTIONS WERE ALSO OBSERVED. PARENT REACTIONS WERE TOO FRAGMENTARY TO PERMIT FIRM CONCLUSIONS. GENERALLY FAVORABLE REACTIONS WERE EXPRESSED BY THE TEACHERS OF THE DISADVANTAGED PUPILS AND THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSES. HUMAN RELATIONS THEMES INTRODUCED BY THE MATERIALS WERE OBSERVED TO BE USEFUL FOR IMPROVING CLASSROOM INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR. FINDINGS WERE USED TO DETERMINE REQUIREMENTS FOR REVISION AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OF EIGHTH- AND NINTH-GRADE MATERIALS. (WN)