This study investigated the interrelationships among status, situational and process variables describing the child's home environment and the relationship of these variables to the child's concurrent cognitive-perceptual performance. Parent interview and child test data collected for 1212 predominantly low-income urban and rural study children (8 1/2 to 9 years of age) were examined. Analyses of the data focused on performance in basic school skills of reading and math, although less school-related problem-solving ability was examined, too. For the 863 families who also had been interviewed six years earlier, the ensuing longitudinal data enabled assessment of the stability of sociocultural determinants and the extent of impact of early home influences on later school success. Also indicated were developmental trends and interrelationships that become increasingly apparent with measurement in subsequent years. The extent to which findings differed according to geographical region and the child's sex, race, and enrollment in Head Start or other preschool programs is described and implications of the findings for social/educational intervention are discussed. (Author/MS)