A comparison is made of the academic progress of rural disadvantaged children who attended two types of Head Start programs and also participated in a reinforcing Follow Through program for two years with that of non-Head Start students of similar backgrounds who were also enrolled in the Follow Through program. The data suggest that structured, long term Head Start experiences, coupled with a Follow Through program which continuously builds on these experiences, can make a significant difference in the achievement of disadvantaged rural children in their later school work. (EH)