The Georgia Prekindergarten Program was established in 1993 to provide the state's 4-year-olds with high-quality preschool experiences. Beginning in the 1996-1997 school year, a sample of 3,639 children enrolled in 1 of 203 randomly selected Georgia prekindergarten classes was selected for a 5-year longitudinal study. The study examined how differences in children's prekindergarten experiences and their experiences during primary school influenced their success in school, and is not considered an estimate of the overall impact of prekindergarten on the children or their families. This final report on the study details: (1) characteristics of the children and their families and trends in their schooling; (2) factors contributing to grade retention; and (3) factors contributing to third grade students' standardized test scores. Among the major findings noted in the report is that program auspice, preschool curriculum used, and teacher qualifications did not systematically affect grade retention rates or third-grade test scores of children who reach third grade on schedule. There was no clear-cut evidence that any approved curriculum was more effective than another. Approximately 15 percent of children were retained at least once by their fourth year of primary school. Compared to teachers, nearly twice as many parents (over 80 percent) expected their children to graduate from college or graduate school. Parents' satisfaction with their children's schools decreased each year of the study. According to teachers' assessments, children's academic, social, and communication skills peaked in the first grade, and then declined through the second grade. More children were enrolled in large classes during kindergarten than in any other year. The report's three appendices describe the study sample, including results of efforts to locate children for Year 5; methods used to categorize the student outcome measures; and the statistical methods used. (Contains 28 references.) (KB)