This study investigated the comparative effects of 2 distinct school environments (state university campus schools and local public schools) on the verbalization and socialization skills of disadvantaged kindergarten children with and without a Head Start background. If significant effects occurred, it was hoped that environmental factors that encourage maintenance of significant residual effects from the Head Start experience could be identified. The 75 subjects were distributed in five treatment groups: (1) campus school, high SES; (2) campus school, low SES, Head Start background; (3) public school, high SES; (4) public school, low SES, Head Start background; and (5) public school, low SES, without Head Start background. Verbal and social skills were assessed by pre- and posttests on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, the Metropolitan Reading Readiness Test, and the Vineland Social Maturity Scale. Analysis of variance treatment of the data revealed no residual Head Start effects. The only significant effect possibly attributable to school environment was that the children in the campus school exhibited greater social growth than those in the public school. (MH)