The first segment of a long-term educational assessment plan, for which this summary report was compiled, called for a study that would survey the status of the English language arts in the province of British Columbia and serve as a pilot for future assessment programs. This summary presents the highlights of the original three-part report that documented the results of questionnaires completed by over 7,000 teachers and trustees and the results of reading and writing tests taken by nearly 40,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Sections of the summary discuss general background information on the language project, instructional goals and objectives, instructional practices, test results, the accomplishments of the project, and the recommendations of the report as they affect various segments of the educational community. The appendixes provide a guide to the main report, list the people involved and the timetable followed in the project, and present the ranges of acceptable performance as defined by the panel for the fourth grade reading assessment. (MAI)