THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS FINAL REPORT ON THE HEAD START PROJECT OF 1965 IN MISSISSIPPI IS A DEEP CONCERN WITH THE EFFECT OF THE SOCIAL MILIEU IN WHICH THE PROJECT STRUGGLED RATHER THAN WITH THE USUAL VARIETY OF STATISTICS AND RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS. THIS IS DUE, IN PART, TO THE PAUCITY OF SIGNIFICANT RESULTS AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO THE SHOCKINGLY DISRUPTIVE CHARACTER OF THE SOCIAL ATTITUDES IN THE AREA. FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH THE HEAD START STAFF WAS SUFFICIENTLY BUSY RECRUITING PUPILS AND PREPARING LESSONS AND CLASSROOM FACILITIES, IT BECAME ALSO NECESSARY THAT THEY GUARD THESE FACILITIES FROM VANDALISM AND ARSON. ALSO, THE STAFF WAS MADE AWARE OF THE THREAT TO NEGRO PARENTS THAT THEY WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THEIR CHILDREN WERE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. IN SHORT THE GENERAL WHITE ATTITUDE WAS UNCOOPERATIVE AND HOSTILE, AND THE NEGRO ATTITUDE WAS FEARFUL. NEVERTHELESS, THE READING-READINESS PROGRAM WAS CARRIED THROUGH, AND SOME RESULTS WERE OBTAINED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BOTH THE ALLYN AND BACON AND THE ASHTON-WARNER METHODS OF TEACHING READING WERE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE PHONETIC METHOD. ALSO, THE USE OF RECORDS AND RECORD PLAYERS, DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUPILS' HOMES, WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN STIMULATING A DESIRE TO LEARN. (WD)