Reading achievement of students in second to sixth grade in three school districts participating in a performance-contracting program was tested, using the Stanford Achievement Test and the Metropolitan Achievement Test, at the beginning and the end of the school year. The performance contract for each of the districts included a parental-involvement component. Analysis of results indicated that students in the programs achieved at a significantly higher rate than was expected on the basis of national norms. There were also differences in the reading achievement scores of the three districts. For those districts where parental involvement was pro forma and consisted of either filling out a questionnaire or attending large group meetings, the achievement of the pupils was similar but was less than the achievement in the district where parents participated in deciding what was taught and had responsibility for working with the teachers and children. (AA)