As a companion project to the Edmonton Grade III Achievement: 1956-1977 Comparisons, this study had two purposes: to establish benchmarks of basic skills achievement and to compare the achievement of various subgroups. Third grade students in Alberta were administered the Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests--Vocabulary and Comprehension, and the California Achievement Tests--Reading, Mathematics, and Language. Comparisons were made between Edmonton students and the rest of the province. In the newer editions of the tests, provence-wide results showed mean scores significantly higher than Edmonton results except on two California mathematics tests. Mean scores for the two groups on the 1963 edition of the California Test of Mental Maturity were not significantly different. Results also indicated that non-urban schools performed better than urban schools. Achievement in Edmonton was determined to be on a par with achievement in metropolitan areas. Based on test results from a 1956 study, it was concluded that standards in reading and language had risen substantially over the years. (MH)