This report summarizes an evaluation of the ESL program in the Des Moines, Iowa, public schools. Five hundred seventy-seven students in Grades 2 through 10 were included in the study. Background data such as age, place of birth, ethnic group, primary language, number of months in Des Moines schools, amount of ESL instruction per week, and reading ability in native language were gathered. At the same time, teachers rated the students on progress in learning English, and the Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) was administered as a measure of oral English proficiency. Correlational analyses and multiple regression were used to examine the relationships of background variables and the learning of English. Results showed that length of time in Des Moines schools was the single best predictor of how well students performed on the BSM. An interaction effect was found between amount of English instruction and length of time in the district. The authors conclude that more instruction in English appeared to be beneficial during the first year of schooling but had diminishing effects during the second and third years. Implications for ESL programs involving Southeast Asian students are discussed. EVALUATION OF AN ESL PROGRAM 473