In 20 elementary schools participating in the Los Angeles School Preferred Reading Program, gains in reading achievement were examined in order to identify school and classroom policies that were most successful in raising reading scores of inner-city children. All schools sampled displayed large or consistent gains for sixth-grade reading achievement, had predominantly minority-group student bodies, and were located in low-income neighborhoods. Data on school and classroom practices were gathered by interview and questionnaire from principals, reading specialists, and classroom teachers in the target schools. Background and demographic information and reading test scores for grades three through six were recorded for members of the sixth-grade classes of 1974 and 1975 from their junior high school records. Background factors and reading test scores in earlier grades were found to account for the largest part of the variation in sixth-grade achievement, but variables reflecting particular school experiences also had significant influence. These factors are described and illustrated in the report. Overall, the results are interpreted as supporting the continuation of the School Preferred Reading Program. (Author/AA)