Reading programs and instructional facilities of 25 middle, junior high and senior high schools in various socio-economic settings of Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were visited to identify those which hold promise. Observations revealed: (1) that more than half maintain a reading center or lab--some elaborate, others very modest, (2) that modular scheduling and team teaching represent variations in the organizational plan of a number of schools, (3) that commercial contracts, behavior modification strategies, and differentiated staffing are incorporated to some extent in these programs, (4) that all programs valued and attempted to provide a variety of types and levels of instructional materials, and (5) that reading personnel attempt to involve subject matter teachers in strengthening students' reading skills. (The paper concludes with a list of numerous characteristics of and objectives for an ideal reading program at the secondary level.) (RD)