The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) was developed in order to examine the extent to which Title I (now Chapter 1) is remediating the disadvantages in basic skills of educationally deprived children. TIERS Model A contrasts the achievement of Chapter 1 students to publishers' norms for hypothetically comparable groups of students. However, the gains reported by districts using fall-to-spring testing cycles far exceed those of districts on the annual cycle (fall-to-fall or spring-to-spring). Three sources of problems in using Model A may account for this difference: (1) the norm tables of published tests may not be relevant to Chapter 1 students; (2) the publishers' norms may be used inappropriately; (3) local testing practices may bias the outcomes. Findings supporting each hypothesis are discussed indepth, leading to the conclusion that districts should adopt an annual testing paradigm, since fall-to-spring NCE (Normal Curve Equivalent) gains are unlikely to be accurate reflections of the true impact of Chapter 1. (TE)