THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE ERIC PROGRAM, AFTER TWO YEARS OF OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE, WAS REACHING THE OBJECTIVES SET FORTH FOR IT AT ITS INCEPTION IN 1965. DATA FROM VARIOUS SOURCES INDICATE THAT ERIC HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ATTAINING ITS FOUR MAJOR OBJECTIVES--(1) TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT, BUT PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE R/D REPORTS EASILY AND READILY AVAILABLE TO EDUCATORS, (2) TO INTERPRET AND SUMMARIZE RESULTS IN WAYS THAT EDUCATIONAL PRACTITIONERS AND DECISION-MAKERS CAN USE THEM, (3) TO HELP STRENGTHEN EXISTING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN EDUCATION, AND (4) TO BECOME AN IMPORTANT BASE FOR DEVELOPING A NATIONAL EDUCATION INFORMATION NETWORK. ERIC IS A VIGOROUS PROGRAM, EVEN THOUGH IN ITS INFANCY. SALES DATA FOR RIE AND FOR DOCUMENTS FROM EDRS INDICATE THAT THE RESPONSE FROM THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY IS ONLY AT THE TAKE-OFF POINT. ADDITIONAL DATA ARE NEEDED ON THE COST- EFFECTIVENESS OR TRADE-OFF VALUES OF DIFFERENT CLEARINGHOUSE ACTIVITIES. THIS AVENUE IS BEING PURSUED AND MORE REFINED EVALUATION DATA ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ERIC OPERATIONS THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 1968. APPENDIXES GIVE DATA ON RIE SUBSCRIBERS AND CLEARINGHOUSE PUBLICATIONS. ED 020 450 IS A RELATED DOCUMENT, AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF ERIC AND SOME OF ITS MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE. (AUTHOR/JB)