Concern at an elementary school that the level of successful first grade readiness for high risk kindergarten children was 62 percent, while the level of success for non-risk kindergartners was 100 percent, prompted a program for improving the readiness skills of high-risk kindergarten students described in this report. Chapter one describes Stout Elementary School in Sellersburg, Indiana, a school composed of kindergarten through sixth grade, and presents a rationale for making a concentrated effort to reduce school failure at all levels, beginning with high risk students in early childhood education. Chapter two outlines four probable reasons for high risk kindergartners' poor success in the Stout Elementary Kindergarten program: (1) lack of instructional time, (2) poor attendance, (3) lack of time for individual instruction and assistance, and (4) being young at school entry in relation to peers. This chapter also presents methods of identifying high risk students, and describes prior activity to assist these students. Chapter three identifies five terminal objectives for a successful program, and Chapter four presents a background for the study. Chapter five describes implementation of "Project Earlybird," including the use of tutors to increase instructional time, telephone checks to monitor attendance, and summer school to lengthen the instructional year. Chapter six presents results indicating that the success rate for high risk kindergarteners increased from 62 percent to 75 percent. Chapter 7 deals with the reasons for the decision to continue"Project Earlybird." Twenty-one tables of data are included and 23 references are attached. (NH)