As part of a larger evaluation of the Individually Guided Education (IGE) system in Wisconsin elementary schools, a comparative study was conducted of the effectiveness of reading instruction and the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development (WDRSD) program in IGE and non-IGE settings. Data on students in grades five and two in 11 different schools were collected from achievement monitoring tests, classroom observations, teachers' logs, and observers' interviews with teachers and principals. Analysis of the data, which failed to reveal significant, consistent patterns across the 22 classrooms, indicated that WDRSD use and reported IGE adoption were not good indicators of instructional patterns in reading skills. Although second grade classrooms emphasized word attack skills, for example, fifth grade classrooms showed little consistent emphasis on any objectives. Classrooms at both grade levels revealed no linear relationship between time allocated to skill development and student needs. The lack of significant findings suggested that schools adopting the IGE system or the WDRSD materials may not always have reflected the underlying concepts guiding the developers of the programs or materials. (MM)