A determination of the reading grade placement levels (GPLs) and final course grades of community college students in relationship to the GPLs of their assigned social science textbooks was the focus of a study at Citrus Community College (Florida). Dale-Chall readability placement levels were calculated for eight textbooks used in 19 classes of political science, sociology, and psychology, and Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Form C) scores were obtained for the 375 students in these classes. Also, 30 faculty were surveyed to determine their perceptions of textual GPLs. Results showed the average student had a GPL of 12.44, while texts averaged 11.3, with only one text above the average student level. Individual multiple regression coefficients indicated that the student GPL was a significant predictor of final course grade, and that the gap between student and textual levels was not a predictor for those who fell below the textual GPL. However, a positive gap between the student and textual GPLs was a significant predictor of the course grade. Faculty perceptions of textbook GPL were mixed, but accurate within the range of the texts (9-10 to 13-15) used in the study. (RT)