Over a period of three to four years the number of programmes and initiatives to assist Pacific students at Phoenix College increased from three to 13. During this period, no programmes were discontinued or evaluated for their effectiveness, more were simply added on to those already existing. Pacific students had traditionally received assistance from three established school programmes that catered for students with English language or other learning difficulties. These included a non-academic Home Room programme, in which students were taught the core curriculum by one teacher, and two withdrawal and in-class English support programmes. These programmes are identified in Table 1 as ‘Established Programmes’. A multi-pronged initiative to improve Pacific student achievement, developed three years prior to the research, included parents, staff and students in seven new initiatives, such as a homework centre, parent support groups and staff training in teaching students for whom English is a second language (see Table 1). Student achievement in public examinations was showing a gradual improvement but still well below that of other ethnic groups. The new taskforce for Pacific student achievement, the focus of this research, was set up to examine ways to further improve Pacific student achievement. These new initiatives focused on improving home–school relationships, identification procedures for student placement, and classroom teaching and learning. In effect, this added three new initiatives to those programmes and initiatives already in operation