The purpose of this report is to increase understanding of the achievement levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), what they are, and what they are not. NAEP is a survey of American students' knowledge and skills in different subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12. NAEP combines the samples of performances to provide information about the knowledge and skills of students in the nation as a whole, in each participating state, and in different demographic groupings. This overview of the NAEP Reading Framework details what the Reading NAEP assesses, three general types of text and reading situations: Literature: Reading for literary experience; Information: Reading to be informed; and Documents: Reading to perform a task. Proficient achievement is defined as"solid academic performance exhibiting competency over challenging subject matter"; the Basic and Advanced achievement levels are defined relative to this central level. The report is divided into the following sections: Understanding Achievement Levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress; Overview of the Framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress in Reading; Achievement Levels: Descriptions and Cutscores; Achievement Levels: Sample Items; and Performance Data. (NKA)