ARLINGTON, Va.--Children at risk of academic failure can meet and even exceed current national averages, but their success depends more upon personal commitment of educators than upon a specific program.

This is the inference of an important study of various efforts underway to help disadvantaged children meet academic standards. They can do it, the study says. However, there are no magic bullets.

A three-year study of 10 programs by The Johns Hopkins University Center for the Social Organization of Schools was conducted for the U.S. Department of Education. While it has been known in department and research circles for some time, it has just been published by the Educational Research Service, a foundation supported by various national education officials' groups. Data were gathered by staff at the center and by the sub-contractor, Abt Associates, Inc., from 25 urban, suburban and rural schools receiving Chapter I funds.

Although the programs use different strategies, "the ability of disadvantaged students to achieve academically was clearly demonstrated at some of the...sites," the report says. However, implementation of the efforts for disadvantaged students face enormous challenges and usually insufficient resources. Each of the programs studied have specific strengths, the report says, but the implementation varies greatly among different sites. In other words, the idea worked in some places and didn't in others. A key to success was "a realistic perception of local strengths and reas in need of improvement."

In order to succeed, the programs need a "supportive environment." This means long-term staff development and support, often from the outside "to help a program weather the inevitable political tides within the school system." It also means no tolerance for those who pay only lip service to a promising program (a helpful policy is to "transfer with dignity"). It is important for a program to be accountable, but, but there also must be patience with the process. When ideas are dropped and substituted for too early teachers become cynical about investing their time in a new one.

Stable funding is needed for a program to be successful; Chapter I served as the primary source of support in financially strapped schools and districts.

The study also found that programs limiting their focus to the early grades had more success than those spreading the program out over all the elementary grades or to secondary schools. "None of the secondary schools achieved stable implementation across the full school, and, perhaps as a result, none produced a consistent pattern of achievement gains," the report says.

The 10 programs studied include: Comer Model (School Development Program), Success for All, Paideia Program, Coalition of Essential Schools, whole-school Chapter I programs, extended year schoolwide projects, Reading Recovery, Computer-Assisted Instruction, locally developed extended time projects and tutoring programs.

The publication, "Ten Promising Programs for Educating All Children: Evidence of Impact," is available from ERS (2000 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; 703/ 243-2100).