The Preparation for American Secondary Schools (PASS) program, added to the federal Overseas Refugee Training Program in 1985, was evaluated for its effectiveness in preparing Southeast Asian refugees for American education. The study compared the school performance of students with PASS training to that of students who did not receive PASS training. Evaluation was by (1) teacher comparison of refugee students' preparation and (2) teacher ratings of student performance in five skill areas: English proficiency, English literacy, computation, school/study skills, and cultural orientation. PASS students were generally found to outperform non-PASS students in all preparation and skill areas tested, and the training was found to be especially effective for students with little or no previous education. The PASS program has had considerable success in meeting its fundamental goal of helping students acquire the self-confidence needed for academic and social success in American secondary schools, and should be viewed as an essential part of the overall refugee training program. (MSE)