Project IRIS (Improving Reading Instruction School-Wide) is one school district's effort to improve reading instruction. The project's first three years have produced median reading gains of one year or more per student per year. Although the most important aspect of Project IRIS is school-wide commitment to improving reading instruction, other critical elements of the program are the following: using a basal reading series instead of a variety of unrelated textbooks; developing a comprehensive skills sequence chart, making it available to all teachers, and including it in students' cumulative records; issuing textbooks only after reading diagnosis is complete; using reading materials that reflect students' maturing interests; administering an initial reading inventory to all students; emphasizing mastery teaching; ignoring student grade designations as much as possible, while emphasizing the student's reading level; involving teachers in textbook selection and the sharing of instructional materials; conscientiously evaluating program effectiveness; maintaining communication with parents about student progress; and preceding program implementation with inservice activities for all professional personnel. It has been concluded that a well-balanced reading program should be comprised of attention to basic skills, oral reading, recreational reading, and content area reading. (RL)