Examined were (1) the long-term effectiveness of Head Start; and (2) the success of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) in educating children from low-income families. The first focus of the study compared the performance of Head Start graduates in elementary and secondary schools to that of students who had applied for Head Start but did not attend. The second compared the performance of Head Start graduates with that of other MCPS students. Findings indicated that participation in Head Start had long-term, statistically significant, positive effects for the Head Start students from 1970-71, but most differences were not statistically significant for students participating in 1974-75 and 1978-79. Factors which predicted outcomes in high school for Head Start graduates included mother's education, family income, sex, ethnicity, and achievement in Grades 3 and 5 as measured by performance on standardized tests. Those in the Head Start sample still experienced a large number of problems as they proceeded through elementary and secondary school. Data suggest that the situation for Head Start participants has not substantially improved over time. Family income level appeared to be at least partly responsible for some of the performance differences between racial/ethnic groups in MCPS. Several groups of students, which included males in general, and Black and Hispanic males and Black females in particular, experienced a disproportionate number of problems. Related materials are appended. (RH)