This study explored the validation of a criterion or reference score for determining the adequacy of any individual's cloze score. The hypothesis tested in this research was that a cloze preformance of 40 percent on materials ranging in difficulty from grades 4 to 8 will predict a 75 percent criterion level of reading comprehension based on a multiple-choice test. Subjects were selected from intact classrooms to aid in determining the feasibility of the cloze test as a means for selecting materials in the content areas which are appropriate to the reading comprehension skills of the students. One hundred fifty-eight sixth grade students were administered three cloze tests constructed from material at each of three readability levels, forth grade and below, fifth-sixth grade, and seventh-eighth grade. On the basis of their cloze test scores, students were assigned to a hypothesized reading level. The results of the study indicated that students assigned to a reading treatment (consisting of a reading passage, pretest, and posttest) below their hypothesized reading level performed significantly better on a multiple-choice test at this level than those students assigned to a reading treatment at or above their hypothesized reading level. (Author/MKM)