"Reaching an Understanding: Innovations in How We View Reading Assessment" builds upon the editors previous book "Measuring Up: Advances in How We Assess Reading Ability" (ED533202) by representing some early attempts to apply theory to help guide the development of new assessments and measurement models. "Reaching an Understanding" is divided into two sections: "assessment, learning, and instruction: connecting text, task, and reader/ learner" and "how to build for the future". These sections identify ways to assess students reading comprehension through multiple text sources, purpose readings, and assessment while a student is reading in order to determine deficits. In light of federal legislation towards common core standards and assessments, as well as significant national investments in reading and literacy education, it is a critical and opportune time to bring together the research and measurement community to address fundamental issues of measuring reading comprehension, in theory and in practice.