The accountability movement in American education has received great clamors of attention in the past few years. This movement, in turn, suggests the need for particular data to inform responsible decision-making; the need for assessment instruments which can address the question of what is learned; and the need for strengthening the existing ecosystem between schools, universities, the public, and the government agencies concerned with education. Specifically, problems within the context of reading instruction and assessment are discussed. Assessing students in relation to a criterion of mastery; pointing out existing weaknesses in specifying objectives, selecting and designing evaluation instruments, interpreting evaluation data and improving instructional methodology are advocated strongly. (Author/DEP)