This field study is concerned with the development and implementation of a formative evaluation of an innovative aspect of program development in the Language/Reading Centre at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. In 1983 a parent training dimension was added as part of a developing concern to assist school pupils who are experiencing difficulties in language and reading. The Language/Reading Centre programs are designed to provide this assistance within an 'integrated systems' approach. The group of people who participated in one of these parent training programs within the Language/Reading Centre in semester 2, 1983, were the focus for this evaluation. The program is called the Parent Training Evening Group Seminar Program in the evaluation. This study was set up in response to a request from the Director of the Language/Reading Centre for an external evaluation of this parent training component. The eva1uation developed within the framework of naturalistic inquiry and the design has been based on the work of Robert Stake. The evaluator undertook a responsive evaluation plan with an adaption of the briefing panel component, to gather and organise the perceptions and judgments of the people concerned with the program. The information collected in this process was focused on a number of Issues for consideration. This case study format was intended to gain some measure of program effectiveness as formative information for the client to use in the ongoing development of the program.