Given the changing landscape of educational accountability at the local, state, and national levels, and the changes in the uses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), including the evolving uses of NAEP as a policy tool to interpret state assessment and accountability systems, an explicit statement of the current and potential interpretations and uses of NAEP results is needed. Although there have been numerous validity studies to support many of the interpretations and uses of NAEP results, the delineation of a comprehensive validity framework to guide the systematic accumulation of validity evidence supporting the proposed interpretations and uses of NAEP results should be a priority. Such delineations of purposes and uses will draw attention to the related issues of fairness and equity. This is of particular importance given the increased use of NAEP to monitor performance of aggregated subgroups. As interpretations and uses are clarified and made explicit, fairness and equity issues can be addressed, intended consequences can be evaluated, and unintended, potentially negative consequences can be minimized. In this article, the authors discuss the historical view of NAEP and its evolution, as well as the uses and interpretations of NAEP results. This article concludes with recommendations for a validity framework and for additional research on achievement levels.