The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first required project participation and achievement data from the states for the 1979-80 school year. Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) repealed the requirements for use of federally mandated evaluation models. This paper notes the variation in state Title I gains over 2 years. Achievement information included state and project level aggregates for reading, mathematics, and language arts in grades 2 through 12 for the states, and grades 2,6, and 10 for the project level. The data set of achievement for 1979-80 and 1980-81 data from 24 states, received by the fall of 1982, were examined. Differences between the estimates of gain for the 2 years were minimal, with the largest being for grade 12 annual reading. Results are expected to vary from year to year, but there seems to be a tendency to interpret both state and local results as absolutes. (CM)