The effect of Title I reading instruction was examined in a group of students as they progressed from grade two through grade six. The number of students who fell below the twenty-third percentile on a reading achievement test (the criterion for Title I participation) was tabulated for each year to determine the program's effectiveness both in selecting students and in improving student reading ability. The results showed that Title I intervention reduced the number of students scoring below the twenty-third percentile at the time the students were tested in third grade, but these gains were not maintained after the third grade. The achievement records of individual students revealed that both those students who were remediated successfully by Title I participation in the early grades and then discharged (to continue with regular reading instruction) and those students who were achieving well in the early grades without the help of Title I began to fall behind after third grade. The Title I program "cured" less than half of the students, and many students--particularly those with low ability--needed continued assistance in order not to fall drastically behind their peers. These results conflict with results from single-year evaluations mandated for all Title I programs, suggesting that data from a single year may offer incomplete or even distorted information on whether students are learning to read. (RL)