This paper describes a new Head Start demonstration project which will focus on the acquisition of basic educational skills at the preschool level (e.g. positive attitudes toward learning, attention control, language skills) and at the elementary school level (e.g. basic academic skills, attention, memory). The first phase of the project, scheduled for completion in FY'78, involves the identification of 15 Head Start programs with existing exemplary basic skills programs reflecting a coordinated emphasis on curriculum, parent involvement, teacher attitudes and staff training, and continuity between preschool and elementary school learning and between school and home experiences. Phase I emphasizes the refinement and documentation of these existing Head Start models. Phase II, beginning in Fall 1979, will involve the development and testing of a variety of basic skills programs in selected field sites. These programs will emphasize a coordinated preschool-elementary school curriculum. Phase III, scheduled for FY'79, will focus on two research objectives: (1) to support the development of two new basic skills models spanning the developmental period from preschool through Grade 6, and (2) to design basic research studies with potential educational applications. The proposal includes guidelines for implementing the programs, budget information, and a timetable for the project. (BD)