Because increasing the rate of student retention has become synonymous with higher college enrollments, there is a resurgence of interest in developmental programs and a need to identify what a developmental reading program can deliver in a total retention effort. Two issues from retention research confront college reading programs: the limitations of retention efforts, and the identification of significant causes of attrition. Studies seeking to verify reading achievement as a valid predictor of student success in college have found a moderate relationship between reading achievement and persistence. Researchers who document retention of reading gains do not account for student attrition, while studies of the effect of reading instruction on grade point average have been unable to account simultaneously for the three critical variables of reading gain, grade point average gains, and student attrition. If college reading professionals are going to deal with problems of attrition and retention, they should (1) provide a basic and understandable guide to program evaluation, (2) look for differential treatment models that address sequence of treatment within a semester and across several semesters, (3) reconceptualize research along the lines of student retention, (4) take a strong leadership role in retention research, and (5) be prepared to accept some fairly modest results, given the limitations of retention efforts in general. (HOD)