Students in the targeted school exhibited a decline in reading scores between second and fourth grade. Due to poor reading levels for 2 consecutive years the state put the school on a probationary list with in its district. Evidence for the existence of the problem included documented low reading test scores, below proficiency assessment records, and poor performance on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). The district assigned the school to a reading grant for a 3-year period. During this 3-year period teachers received staff development training to improve reading strategies taught in the classroom and create consistency across grade levels. The grant also introduced better assessment data gathering tools and methods. Reading, writing, using rubrics was also part of staff development. Probable causes for below proficiency reading scores and assessment were teaching strategies and the stories being read were more complex at the third and fourth grade level. Data were collected and assessed by "unfamiliar methods." There was not a strong vein of grade level to grade level reading strategies for proficient success. Students received 70 minutes of visual art instruction from an art specialist for 18 weeks of a 36 week year. After identifying the three reading areas to improve upon, oral fluency, written accuracy, and reading comprehension, the interventions chosen to be incorporated during visual art class were: higher order thinking skills, vocabulary word wall, draw and tell strategy, read-a-loud strategy, think-a-loud strategy, and illustrating books, stories, and posters. In the regular education classroom it was decided to add an art content station to the 2-hour reading block. Post-intervention data indicated an improvement in oral fluency, written accuracy, and reading comprehension within the experimental group compared to the pre-test assessments and the control groups post data results. The behavior and social skills of the students also improved based on anecdotal records and observational checklists. (Contains 31 references and 10 tables of data.) (Author/RS)