TO FIND OUT IF CULTURALLY DEPRIVED CHILDREN SHOW CHANGE IN ACADEMIC READINESS AS A RESULT OF SPECIAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS, 3 GROUPS OF CHILDREN (14 TO 17 IN EACH) IN 3 DULUTH SCHOOL AREAS WERE PRE- AND POSTTESTED WITH THE STANFORD-BINET AND SRA PRIMARY MENTAL ABILITIES TESTS. A CONTROL GROUP OF 30 CHILDREN FROM THE SAME 3 SCHOOL AREAS WERE GIVEN THE TESTS BUT DID NOT ATTEND PRESCHOOL. THE REGULAR HEAD START CURRICULUM WAS USED IN 1 PRESCHOOL GROUP WHILE A SECOND GROUP WAS GIVEN SPECIAL CREATIVE MONTESSORI PLAY EQUIPMENT IN ADDITION TO THE HEAD START CURRICULUM. A THIRD GROUP OF CHILDREN HAD THE SAME EQUIPMENT AND EXPERIENCES PLUS A PARENT COORDINATOR WHO VISITED EACH CHILD'S PARENTS 3 TIMES DURING THE SUMMER PROGRAM IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. ALL CHILDREN WERE RETESTED AT THE END OF THE KINDERGARTEN YEAR TO SEE HOW THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS COMPARED WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH KINDERGARTEN PUPILS IN PREVIOUS YEARS. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE DATA SHOWED THAT THE ACADEMIC POTENTIAL OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN CAN BE INCREASED BY PRESCHOOL TRAINING INASMUCH AS THE CONTROL GROUP CHILDREN DID NOT SHOW IQ INCREASES WHILE THE IQ'S OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS INCREASED. THIS INCREASE WAS RETAINED DURING THE KINDERGARTEN YEAR. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 1 PROGRAM OVER ANOTHER ALTHOUGH TOO LITTLE TIME MAY HAVE ELAPSED FOR POSITIVE MONTESSORI AND PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT EFFECTS TO APPEAR. (MS)