VARIOUS PERFORMANCE PATTERNS WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE IF EARLY LIMITED FAILURE LEADS TO GENERALIZED FAILURE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. THE SUBJECTS, 258 DISADVANTAGED URBAN CHILDREN FROM FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IOWA, HAD ONE OR MORE SCORES ON THE IOWA TEST OF BASIC SKILLS (ITBS) AT OR BELOW THE 33D PERCENTILE ON NATIONAL NORMS. THEIR PERFORMANCES ON THE ITBS AND THE IOWA TEST OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WERE FOLLOWED FOR 12 YEARS. SUBJECTS WHO DID POORLY INITIALLY ON A NUMBER OF SUBTESTS TENDED TO CONTINUE TO DO POORLY. SUBJECTS WHO DID POORLY INITIALLY IN ONE OR TWO AREAS OF THE ITBS AND WELL IN OTHER AREAS TENDED TO MOVE TOWARD THE MEAN. THE PERFORMANCE WAS RATHER MIXED. SOME DIFFICULTY WAS ENCOUNTERED IN OBTAINING LONGITUDINAL DATA BECAUSE OF POOR ATTENDANCE, TRANSFERS, AND DROPOUT PROBLEMS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDED THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THOSE WHO INITIALLY PERFORM MARGINALLY ON ITBS LANGUAGE SUBTESTS WILL SHOW "DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS." FURTHER RESEARCH WAS NEEDED. (SK)