This final evaluation measures the effects of an intensive staff development program in building and applying strategies to develop initial cognitive skills (BASICS) in children. Volunteer teachers from school districts in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Milan and their students in grades K-2 participated in the project. The main concept providing structure for the program is that teacher skills are a major factor in the development of initial cognitive skills in children. Project objectives and goals are stated; measurements of both teacher variables and student response are reported. The criteria for success was met by teachers in these areas: (1) the number of teachers recruited and remaining throughout the program; (2) ability to prepare a lesson sequence including at least four cognitive skills; (3) maintenance of a 5:1 ratio of "teacher asking to teacher telling"; (4) maintenance of a 5:1 ratio of open-ended to closed questions; (5) significant increases in cognitive skills of students; and (6) greater fluency in identifying specific skills of the BASICS model; and (7) self-evaluation indicating increased proficiency in seven phases of classroom instruction. The expected frequency of teacher-asked support questions and a 2:1 ratio of student talk to teacher talk did not occur. (SDH)