THE HEADSTART PROGRAM, NOW 3 YEARS OLD, IS AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK INTO THE SELF-PERPETUATING "CULTURES OF POVERTY." THE EVALUATION WHICH HAS ACCOMPANIED THIS SOCIAL EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARDS IDENTIFYING EFFECTIVE AND PROFITABLE KINDS OF INTERVENTION. THE OBJECTIVES OF HEADSTART ARE NOT SOLELY ACADEMIC BUT SEEK BROAD IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CHILD'S SOCIAL SKILLS AND HEALTH. HEADSTART OPERATES 6 TO 8 WEEK SUMMER PROGRAMS AND LONGER PROGRAMS WITHIN THE SCHOOL YEAR. DESCRIPTIVE DATA COME FROM A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF 2200 CHILDREN. FUTURE EVALUATION WILL BE BASED ON A SMALLER SAMPLE OBSERVED BY TRAINED EXPERIMENTERS. ALTHOUGH THE POPULATION SERVED BY HEADSTART HAS BEEN FAIRLY STABLE, THE SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED HAVE REMAINED HARD TO REACH. RECRUITING PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL HAS BEEN EASIER THAN ANTICIPATED, BUT FINDING SUB-PROFESSIONAL WORKERS HAS IN SOME AREAS BEEN DIFFICULT. ABOUT 500,000 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ENROLLED IN EACH SUMMER HEADSTART PROGRAM. THE NUMBER IN THE FULL-YEAR PROGRAMS HAS REACHED A BUDGET-LIMITED 200,000. ABOUT HALF OF THE CHILDREN ARE NEGRO, AND THE SEXES ARE EQUALLY REPRESENTED. THE CHILDREN SHOW THE EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC POVERTY. AS THE STAFF HAS BECOME EXPERIENCED, THE PROGRAMS HAVE BECOME BETTER DIRECTED. ALTHOUGH THE SUCCESS OF HEADSTART CANNOT BE CALLED TOTAL, IT HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING TO ITS INITIAL PROPONENTS. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED IN A SYMPOSIUM AT THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, FEBRUARY 10, 1968. (DR)