The study involving 43 kindergarten students was designed to describe some of the behavioral and academic characteristics of transition students (students with potential learning difficulties), examine whether or not the program philosophies and goals influence the effectiveness of the program for individual students with different characteristics, evaluate the behavioral and academic progress of students in transition classrooms, and determine how parents of these students view and understand the program. Data were collected using the Pupil Rating Scale (PRS), which measures behavioral characteristics in auditory comprehension, spoken language, orientation, motor coordination, and personal-social behavior; the Clymer-Barrett Prereading Battery (C-B), which assesses visual discrimination, auditory discrimination, and visual motor skills; and a parent questionnaire. Among findings were that referring kindergarten teachers rated students lower than either of the transition teachers on all three scales, parents' reactions to the program were generally positive, and significant progress was made as indicated by PRS ratings and C-B scores. Four illustrative case studies offer achievement data, teacher ratings and perceptions of the child, and the investigator's observations of classroom behavior. (SB)