This report provides selected results from the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for Alabama's public-school students at grades 4 and 8. Since 1992, reading has been assessed in four different years at the state level (at grade 4 in 1992 and 1994, and at both grades 4 and 8 in 1998 and 2002). Alabama participated in all of these assessments at grades 4 and 8 and met the criteria for reporting public-school results for both grades. Key findings for grade 4 are: the average scale score for students in Alabama was 207, which did not differ significantly from that of 1992 (207) nor 1998 (211); students' scale scores in Alabama were higher than those in 3 jurisdictions, lower than those in 37 jurisdictions, and the difference was not found to be significant for 7 jurisdictions; and the percentage of students in Alabama who performed at or above the "Proficient" level was 22%, which did not differ significantly than that in 1992 (20%) and in 1998 (24%). Key findings for grade 8 are: the average scale score for students in Alabama was 253, which was not found to differ significantly from that in 1998 (255); students' scale scores in Alabama were higher than those in 4 jurisdictions, lower than those in 36 jurisdictions, and the difference was not found to be significant for 6 jurisdictions; and the percentage of students in Alabama who performed at or above the "Proficient" level was 21%, which was not found to differ significantly from that in 1998 (22%). After an introduction, the report presents overall results, comparisons between states, reading performance by demographic characteristics, and it discusses moving toward a more inclusive NAEP, and where to find more information. (PM)