The reading program developed at Niagara University in New York has undergone a number of changes in response to long term evaluation. In the early 1970s, the only program evaluation tools used were pretests and posttests. These were misleading, as they measured only short term gains, not retention after completion of the course. Based on ideas from J. Roueche and J. Snow's book, "Overcoming Learning Problems," program administrators instituted a change in evaluative criteria to a three-semester follow-up on basic skills students. Through this procedure, one semester of reading and up to two years of reading level growth were found to be insufficient, so a three-semester reading and study skills course was developed that showed a follow-up retention rate of 88%. A larger program that included writing, math, and tutoring was created based on this success. It was found that by using grade point average as a new placement device, up to 300 special admissions and regular students could be handled by program counselors with ease. This also assisted faculty and administration in interpreting student placement and achievement data. Other improvements included more reliable test instruments, computer assisted instruction, and texts for freshmen that were selected on the basis of readability. As a full measure of evaluation, retention rate to graduation was found to be 54%, including transfers, against a national base of 50% of entering freshmen who are expected to graduate. (CRH)