The purpose of this study was to investigate the problem of early school entry as it affects the criteria of achievement, self-concept, and social maturity. The research design was a comparative associational design. The statistical procedure used was the two-way analysis of variance. The level of statistical significance was noted at .05.

The subjects in this study were sixty-two kindergarten children in six schools in the.school system. The six schools were chosen as representative of the racial make-up of the school population. There was stratified random sampling to include children with early and not early birthdates. Race, sex and birthdates were the independent variables. Several instruments were used to measure achievement, social maturity, and self-concept. The Wide Range Achievement Test R-1, Level 1, The Standards of Learning Objectives, and the Metropolitan Reading Test, Level II, were used to measure achievement. The Burks' Behavior Rating Scales, Preschool and Kindergarten edition, were used to measure social maturity, and the Self-Concept and Motivation Inventory Pre-School/Kindergarten Form (SCAMIN) assessed self-concept.

The following conclusions were formulated based upon critical analysis of the data.

There was a statistically significant difference (p<.05) in achievement and age, race and sex in a few of the variables studied such as the following:

1. the WRAT math across age and race. The not early groups scored higher than the early groups and the white groups scored higher than the black group.

2. the Metropolitan Readiness test and race. The white children scored higher than the black children and the not early children scored higher than the early children.

3. the SOL reading objectives, age and sex. The not early group scored higher than the early group. The white children scored higher than the black children. The girls in the early group scored higher than the boys, and the boys in the not early group scored higher than the girls.

4. the SOL math objectives across age and race. The early groups scored lower than the not early group and the white children scored higher than the black children.

There was also a statistically significant difference (p<.05) in poor ego strength and race. The white children had higher ego strength than the black children.