The Educational Testing Service evaluated the Sesame Street educational television series to determine the extent to which it accomplished its stated objectives during its first year. Research results showed that Sesame Street benefited children from low-income inner-city areas and isolated rural areas as well as children from middle-class suburbs. Children who watched most frequently learned the most and this held true across age, sex, geographical location, socioeconomic status, mental age, and viewing location. It was also found that the skills given the most time and attention on the program were the skills learned best. Three-year old children gained the most from watching the program, and disadvantaged children who watched a great deal surpassed middle-class children who watched only a little. Sesame Street was less successful in promoting some of its goals due to an initial underestimate or overestimate of children's prior knowledge. (CH)