THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO DETERMINE IF RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS IN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE DEAF PERFORM AT A LOWER LEVEL ON MEASURES OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL MATURITY, AND COMMUNICATION ABILITY THAN A SIMILAR GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE DAY STUDENTS AT THE SAME INSTITUTIONS. SAMPLES OF RESIDENTIAL AND DAY STUDENTS AT 15 INSTITUTIONS EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN WERE MEASURED AND TESTED. THE EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES SELECTED FOR MEASUREMENT WERE COMMUNICATION ABILITY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY ARE THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IS GENERALLY DETRIMENTAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEAF CHILDREN AND THAT RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL LIVING IS NOT IDENTICAL TO THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS BEEN TERMED INSTITUTIONALIZATION. THE STUDY DID REVEAL MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN ORAL COMMUNICATION ABILITY IN FAVOR OF DAY STUDENTS. THESE DIFFERENCES APPEAR TO BE MORE UNDERSTANDABLE IN TERMS OF "ORALNESS OF ENVIRONMENT" RATHER THAN IN TERMS OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION. (TC)