In the Spring of 1980, the Mississippi Department of Education asked all school superintendents and a sample of principals, teachers, and grade 12 students from 62 counties in Mississippi to complete needs assessment questionnaires and asked a state-wide sample of community members from 63 counties to respond in a telephone interview to questions or statements pertaining to the quality of instructional programs in the basic skills areas. Data indicated that: (1) while students were generally positive in their evaluations of the basic skills preparation they received, girls were more positive about verbal-related skills and boys were more positive about analytical or quantitative skills; (2) school personnel agreed concerning the relative importance of subskills in oral and written communication but differed where math skills and reading skills were involved; (3) school districts should conduct local assessments before implementing programs intended to upgrade basic skills education; and (4) community members wanted more emphasis placed on basic skills and increased utilization of community resources in local school curricula. Following the narrative portion, the report consists of copies of questionnaires and interviews, a paired-comparison of basic skills data, and names of counties included in the study. (CM)