The 1990 Summer Academic Skills Achievement Program in Columbus (Ohio) provided 160 hours of instruction in reading comprehension and language mechanics skills needed for entry-level employment to 123 Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) clients. The program used a "whole language" approach to grammar and composition instruction and also included instruction in preemployment skills. Five evaluation criteria were developed based on student pre- and post-program performance on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CBTS) and on class attendance. The program failed to meet four of the five objectives. Results indicate that: (1) clients who attended 75 percent of the program failed to demonstrate a gain of at least one grade equivalent from pretest to posttest; (2) clients who attended 75 percent of the program did not improve objective-level mastery by 30 percent from pretest to posttest; (3) 80 percent of the clients who attended 75 percent of the program failed to score 70 percent or higher on the posttest; and (4) 90 percent of the clients who entered the program did not attend at least 75 percent of the program. Clients who attended 75 percent of the program did appear to show greater improvement from pretest to posttest, satisfying the fifth objective, but lack of posttest data prevented statistical analysis. Recommendations for improvement include improving the retention of black male clients and recruiting more non-minority clients. Thirty-one tables of statistical data are appended. (FMW)