The major objective of this study was to determine the effect on academic performance of the 12th year English background of students in college freshman composition. Student survey forms were given to 415 students enrolled in their first college English course in order to assess their past writing experiences, and questionnaires were sent to their 12th grade English teachers to determine the amount of academic preparation and workload of each teacher. Conclusions from the survey and questionnaire indicated the (1) students taught by more highly qualified teachers had a higher grade-point average in college English than those taught by less qualified teachers, (2) students taught by teachers with favorable workloads had a higher grade-point than those taught by teachers with less favorable workloads, and (3) students who had had regular practice in writing in high school did better than students with little writing experience, although practice in revising themes did not seem to improve grade-point averages. (Author/JM)