AN EVALUATION OF THE I/T/A READING PROGRAM AT THE LAKEWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALLED FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF I/T/A INSTRUCTION IN READING AND VARIOUS AREAS OF LANGUAGE ARTS. AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF 93 PUPILS WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF I/T/A INSTRUCTION GIVEN. ONE GROUP HAD 1 1/2 YEARS OF I/T/A INSTRUCTION, AND ANOTHER GROUP HAD 1 FULL YEAR. TWO COMPARABLE GROUPS WITH TRADITIONAL READING INSTRUCTION SERVED AS CONTROLS. MULTIPLE OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES WERE GIVEN TO ALL GROUPS AFTER A 2-YEAR PERIOD OF I/T/A INSTRUCTION WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS. A SURVEY OF TEACHERS' OPINIONS WAS ALSO CONDUCTED. RESULTS SHOWED THAT (1) WHILE I/T/A PUPILS SHOWED GREATER IMMEDIATE GAINS IN TWO READING SKILLS AREAS, TRADITIONAL PUPILS PERFORMED AT A HIGHER LEVEL AND MADE GREATER LONG TERM PROGRESS IN THE VARIOUS AREAS OF LANGUAGE ARTS, (2) THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE I/T/A PUPILS SHOWED MORE FAVORABLE POST-I/T/A ATTITUDES TOWARD READING, SCHOOL, AND SELF, AND (3) THAT THE DISADVANTAGES OF I/T/A CITED IN THE TEACHER-OPINION SURVEY OUTWEIGHED THE ADVANTAGES. MOST TEACHERS BELIEVED THAT A COMBINED TRADITIONAL-I/T/A READING PROGRAM WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE. TABULATED RESULTS, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND SAMPLES OF EVALUATIVE MEASURES USED ARE INCLUDED. (NS)