Federal assistance for special educational programs makes necessary the regular study of evaluations of thousands of innovations in compensatory education, bilingual education, and reading programs. The results are reported to the President and to Congress. However, investigating organizations find only a few programs with adequate evidence and thousands with faulty evaluation designs. Some of the most common faults are discussed, with examples. There are other factors which lower hopes. If greater numbers with real evidence could be found, knowledge would increase even without an increase in the number of exemplary programs. (Author)