An individualized English composition laboratory at a community college maintained a student completion rate of only 45% to 55% over a period of several semesters as a result of the following factors: the week long pretest administered to determine student needs was intimidating to students; students became frustrated at being asked to work on limited objectives for long periods of time; the open attendance policy resulted in a great deal of student absence; students had difficulty figuring out the instructions in the programmed materials; the on-the-spot grading promised to students proved impossible to provide; and instructors could not agree on grading standards. Staff members finally reorganized the laboratory by making the pretest shorter and less threatening to students, imposing attendance requirements and work deadlines, dropping attempts at on-the-spot grading, and supplementing the laboratory with lecture and discussion sessions, which were generally team-taught. Instructors also developed consistent grading standards. The organizational changes increased the student completion rate to 88%. (GW)