Cooperative learning has received a substantial amount of empirical support to indicate it is a viable classroom reward structure. It has been recommended that school psychologists might add this strategy to their repertoire of interventions to be used in consulting with teachers, particularly integrating handicapped students. A structured cooperative learning strategy for reading, Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) was implemented in nine 3rd grade classes in rural Ohio with 198 students. The control group consisted of nine 3rd grade classes with 194 students. Reading subtests of the California Achievement Test were utilized in order to compare results with previous evaluations of CIRC. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance with univariate follow-up analyses revealed the CIRC group significantly outgained the control group on Reading Comprehension. In addition, when the groups were divided into three reading levels (low, middle, high) differences were found in the lower level favoring CIRC. Teacher acceptability ratings were obtained indicating positive experiences with CIRC. Overall it appears that CIRC may be a promising strategy for school psychologists to utilize with adequate support from administration in consultation with teachers and schools, particularly in efforts to assist lower achieving students and to integrate more handicapped children into the regular classroom. (Author/ABL)