THIS REPORT SUMMARIZES THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION EVALUATION OF ITS MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS (MES) PROGRAM. MES, ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE THE BASIC READING AND ARITHMETIC SKILLS OF DISADVANTAGED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN, WAS INSTITUTED IN 21 SCHOOLS HAVING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PUPILS WITH LOW READING LEVELS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE HANDICAPS, AND POVERTY BACKGROUNDS. ITS SALIENT FEATURES WERE PRESCHOOL CLASSES, REDUCED CLASS SIZE, ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND ANCILLARY PERSONNEL, AND HETEROGENEOUS GROUPING. SOME OF ITS GOALS WERE TO CONDUCT THE PROGRAM IN INTEGRATED SCHOOLS AND TO ACTIVELY INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY. INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING METHODS AND MATERIALS WERE ALSO PART OF THE PROGRAM. ONE CHAPTER OF THE REPORT OUTLINES THE PROPOSED GOALS OF THE PROGRAM AND EXAMINES THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED. ANOTHER CHAPTER OFFERS SELECTED DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND THE FOLLOWING ONE REPORTS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT IN STIMULATING PUPIL GROWTH IN READING AND ARITHEMETIC. OTHER CHAPTERS DESCRIBE TWO LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND SUMMARIZE THE REACTIONS OF ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS TO THE MES PROGRAM. THE RESULTS OF THE APPRAISAL ARE "GENERALLY FAVORABLE." THE REDUCED CLASS SIZE AND PREKINDERGARTENS WERE SOME OF THE MOST VALUED FEATURES. TEST RESULTS SHOWED FAVORABLE PUPIL GROWTH IN READING, ARITHMETIC, SPEECH, AND ORAL COMMUNICATION. THE MAJOR RESERVATIONS WERE ABOUT THE GROUPINGS, THE LARGE ADDITION OF SCHOOL STAFF, AND THE NEED TO MEET THE DEMANDS TO ESTABLISH MES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. (NH)