This study attempted to answer the following questions: Are all the concepts that reading tests are attempting to measure being taught in school? What are the characteristics of effective reading programs in school (e.g., amount of time, methods, materials, assistance, and support)? and What community-based variables are related to reading achievement by students in school (e.g., socio-economic and ethnic composition, population mobility, and language difficulty)? Since most previous Scarborough data indicated that the magnitude of the problem in reading achievement was most evident in Grade 6 test scores, this study collected data related to the reading instruction experiences of a group of students in Grade 3 (1968-69), Grade 4 (1967-70), and Grade 5 (1970-71) in an attempt to account for the reading test scores they obtained in Grade 6 (September, 1971). The primary emphasis of the study was placed on the development of comprehension ability. The results of the study indicated that the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test measures many of the concepts being taught in the schools, and the results of a principal questionnaire, teacher questionnaire, and reading skills questionnaire showed that there are a large number of factors related to student's reading achievement and effective reading programs in school. (TS)