Lexiles "Using technology to promote the use of Lexiles in a school reading plan. "

www.lexile.com

MetaMetrics MetaMetrics, a privately held educational measurement company, develops scientifically based measures of student achievement that link assessment with instruction, foster better educational practices, and improve learning by matching students to materials that meet and challenge their abilities.

This presentation… Affirms all materials and resources used in conjunction with the Lexile name are copyrighted by and the sole property of MetaMetrics. Recognizes the value of using Lexiles for instructional purposes. Attempts to demonstrate ideas and resources used in conjunction with Lexiles.

MetaMetrics’ products and services focus on improving teaching and learning in grades K-12, enabling educators to use students’ scores from classroom and state assessments to: Achieve instructional and curricular objectives Match students to targeted materials that meet and challenge their individual abilities Differentiate instruction and manage comprehension, across content areas and grades Track growth and set achievable goals Map day-to-day progress to desired results on high-stakes tests Communicate with school administrators and parents about students’ progress and goals Meet federal, state and district requirements for student performance and growth …from www.lexile.com

MetaMetrics’ user base includes: State Departments of Education State-wide and/or local schools and districts Parents and students Instructional consultants Educational researchers Publishers Test development companies Academic measurement groups

Why Should We Care About Reading? Life’s Demands for Literacy Continuing Education Workplace Citizenship

Lifelong Reading CD-DVD Player Instructions (1080L) Microsoft Window User Manual (1150L) GM Protection Plan (1150) Installing Your Child Safety Seat (1170L) Federal Tax Form W-4 (1260L) Application for a student loan (1270L) Medical Insurance Benefits Pkg. (1280L) SAT (1330L) GED (1060L)

What are Lexiles? A Lexile is a standard unit for measuring the comprehensibility of text Semantics (meaning) Syntax (sentence structure) A Lexile measure or range can also be assigned to a student

Overall Goal of Lexiles is to… … create Text Accessibility, a marriage between student ability and text level so that students can access content information.

Lexiles Do Not Address Student interest Age-appropriateness Text support Quality of text Prior Knowledge

Determining a Student’s Lexile Range Independent Reading Range of difficulty should be . . . 50 Lexiles above to 100 Lexiles below Instructional Reading Range of difficulty should be . . . 50 to 150 Lexiles above

The Lexile Framework The Lexile Map The Lexile Analyzer Linking Technology Lexiled Reading Assessments

The Lexile Analyzer Scan text into electronic format Edit text Examine words Examine sentences Calculate Lexile measure Review text and Lexile measure

The Lexile Map

Linking Technology - Lexile The Lexile Book Database The Lexile Analyzer The Lexile Calculator The Lexile Multiple Measures Calculator

The Lexile Book Database Click educators

Click Lexile Book Database

Textbook Details

Book Search

Lexile Book Database

2. Sort by Lexile and Select Results per page Book Search by Title 2. Sort by Lexile and Select Results per page 1. Enter Title 3. Click Search

Click on a title to view details Search Results Click on a title to view details

Book Details

2. Sort by Lexile and Select Results per page Search by Author 1. Enter Author 3. Click Search

Search Results: 32 Books 590L – 960L

Search by Lexile Range and Keyword Enter Lexile Range: 450-1200 Enter Keyword: life cycles

Letters in the Lexile measure? Search Results Letters in the Lexile measure? Click here

Explanation of Lexile Codes

Advanced Book Search Click here

Book Type Options Drop down menu

Developmental Rating Options Drop down menu

Find A Book with Lexiles

Find A Book with Lexiles 650

Find A Book with Lexiles

Find A Book with Lexiles

Find A Book with Lexiles

Go to www.lexile.com Click educators

Creating Documents for the Online Analyzer Create a text document Save the document as “text only” (*.txt) You are now ready to use the online analyzer to determine the Lexile measure of the text

Saving Documents to Analyze You must save your document as Text Only Make sure participants save their document to an appropriate location and that they remember where they saved the document.

You must register first Lexile Analyzer Click Lexile Analyzer Sign In You must register first

Registration is Easy Remind participants that they will receive a confirmation of registration via email.

Click Browse… to find your file Lexile Analyzer Click Browse… to find your file

Double click on the document Insert the Document Locate your document Double click on the document Some participants may need assistance locating where they saved their document.

The document is inserted Analyze the Text The document is inserted Click Analyze

The Results Remind participants to record the Lexile measure of their text as this online version of the Analyzer does not store the information. One suggestion is to record the Lexile measure in the footer of the version of the document they will be using (printing), not the document version saved as “text only” (*.txt).

Lexile Calculator Can forecast comprehension Identifies the relationship between the reader and the text Predicts how well the reader will comprehend the material in the text Can perform the following calculations: The rate at which a student is expected to comprehend of the text The reading ability a reader is expected to need in order to comprehend the text at a specific level The Lexile Calculator is a tool to calculate expected comprehension at various Lexile measures. We know that students are less successful when reading text that is more difficult (higher Lexile measure) than their reading ability (Lexile measure). The Calculator enables the teacher to predict, or forecast, the expected comprehension rate for a student when the student reads material that is above or below his/her reading ability.

Lexile Calculator The x axis represents the difference (in Lexiles) between the reader measure (Lexile) and the text measure (Lexile). You should read the label for the x axis as “reader minus text” to yield a Lexile differential. The y axis represents the forecasted comprehension rate recorded as a percentage. If you know a student’s Lexile measure and the Lexile measure for a text, you can use the Calculator to predict the comprehension rate for the student on that text.

Lexile Calculator  The X marks the spot where there is no difference between the Lexile measure of the reader and the Lexile measure of the text. It intersects with the forecasted comprehension rate of 75%. So a reader with a Lexile measure of 600L who is asked to read a text measured at 600L is expected to have a 75-percent comprehension rate. But what would the comprehension rate be if this same reader were given a text measured at 350L or one at 850L? It is the difference in Lexiles between reader and text that governs comprehension. Do not confuse comprehension rate with accuracy rate. At a 75% comprehension rate the reader is reading with enough accuracy and fluency to make sense of the text (comprehend what is being read) and acquire new vocabulary. This is the target comprehension rate and the basis from which all Lexile calculations are made.

Lexile Calculator Formula for the X axis: Examples: minus Reader measure – Text measure = Lexiles Examples: Reader (1230L) – Text (890L) = 340 L Reader (890L) – Text (1230L) = -340 L minus The Lexile Calculator shows the relationship between a reader and a text, identifying how well the reader will comprehend the material in the text. Whenever the Lexile measure of the text is higher than the Lexile measure of the reader, the Lexile differential is recorded as a negative number. (easy) (difficult)

Calculation for X Axis 1230 890 340 890 1230 -340 Reader Text Lexile difference It may be easier for participants to view the equations in vertical format. Note: The Lexile difference can be a positive or negative number

Forecasted Comprehension Rates Reader measure – text calibration = O Lexiles 75% comprehension rate Reader measure – text calibration = -250 Lexiles 50% comprehension rate Reader measure – text calibration = +250 Lexiles 90% comprehension rate You can see the fluctuation in comprehension rate when the text is at a higher or lower Lexile than that of the reader.

Lexile Calculator Click here This section is a tutorial for the Lexile Calculator available at www.lexile.com. The presenter may wish to demonstrate other examples if they have connectivity to the Internet.

Access the Lexile Calculator Click here

Calculating Expected Comprehension Rate 1. Select grade level 2. Select top button 3. Enter Lexile range and Submit

Forecasted Comprehension Calculator Results A class with a range of reading abilities between 620 Lexiles and 1190 Lexiles is expected to comprehend the Grade 7 "Book Bag" with a comprehension rate between 39% and 94%. Blue bar indicates comprehension range

Scroll down to view Book Bag Titles Titles in Book Bag Scroll down to view Book Bag Titles

Calculating Required Lexile Measure for Selected Comprehension Rate 1. Select grade level 2. Select bottom button 3. Enter comprehension range and Submit

Lexile Measure Required to Meet Comprehension Rate Calculator Results In order for a student class to comprehend the Grade 7 "Book Bag" with a comprehension rate between 85% and 90%, the students would be expected to have an ability between 1015 and 1100 Lexiles. This may be a good time to pause and ask participants to forecast the comprehension rate for each of the Lexile groupings they created for their own classrooms earlier in the workshop. If you have connectivity to the Internet, you may wish to demonstrate the calculator using information suggested by participants. Another possible point of discussion would be to revisit the Lexile ranges for independent reading and instructional reading. Blue bar indicates required Lexile measure

Linking Technology - Assessments NWEA (MAP) Scholastic Reading Inventory PACT (grades 3-8)

Overview One important aspect of student success is the ability to read grade-level material. NWEA Reading assessments provide an accurate indication of a student's reading ability. Educators use this score, in conjunction with DesCartes, to identify appropriate reading instruction. Because districts can test up to four times a year, teachers can measure and monitor reading growth accurately throughout the year.

Features Provide both a Lexile score and reading RIT scores. Allow teachers and parents to identify books and curriculum materials that are appropriately challenging for students. Leverage the Lexile Framework to match texts to a student's reading ability. Texts are evaluated for difficulty based on two parameters: word complexity and frequency, and sentence length. Maintain individualized student data year after year; educators can easily track the growth of a student's reading level over time.

Practical Application Identify a student's individual reading level. Match a learner's reading level with fiction, non-fiction, and instructional materials spanning thousands of books and millions of articles. Track a student's reading comprehension over time and set goals accordingly. Forecast whether a reader will be able to easily comprehend the material. Set and track goals for independent reading. Plan for disparities between student reading comprehension levels and the readability of assigned materials. Easily create customized reading lists for individual students.

Scholastic Reading Inventory

How SRI Works Scholastic Reading Inventory functions as a quick "reading physical" at all stages of a student's academic career, from Grade 1 to Grade 12. Use SRI at all levels to pretest at the beginning of the school year, and test again at intervals throughout the year to measure reading growth and determine needs.

1. Select Book

2. Take Quiz

Get Reading List

Get Teacher Reports

Browse by Level

PACT User’s Guides, Score Reports, and Brochures Copies of the 2007 PACT Score Report User’s Guide should have arrived in districts by August 23, along with the Individual Student Reports (ISRs), student labels, and paper copies of reports ordered by the district. Also included in this shipment were copies of the updated PACT brochure: “PACT Facts for Students, Parents, and Educators” for distribution to the parents of students tested with PACT. New for 2007 is “The Lexile Framework for Reading – Map of Literature Titles.” Sufficient copies were provided for schools to send one map home with each ISR. The User’s Guide, “PACT Facts” brochure, and Lexile map can also be accessed from the PACT Web page: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/offices/assessment/pact/. Lexile measures have been added to the 2007 ISRs and district data files. The Lexile measure, consisting of a range of scores for each student, is reported in the ELA section of each ISR. Lexiles and their use are described in the User’s Guide, on the back of the ISRs, and on the reverse side of the Lexile maps.

Linking Technology - Resources Destiny DISCUS EBSCO ProQuest Questia Newsbank

School Site

Catalog – Search by Lexile

Select the Search Strategy

Hit(s)

Power Search

Discus – Your Information Place

Databases Supporting Lexile SIRS Knowledge Source SIRS Discoverer Grolier Online Thompson Gale sources

Which Thomson Gale products support Lexiles? Academic ASAP Academic OneFile Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q) Computer Database Educator’s Reference Complete Expanded Academic ASAP General Reference Center General Reference Center Gold Health Reference Center Academic Informe InfoTrac Custom Journals InfoTrac Custom Newspapers InfoTrac OneFile LegalTrac Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Professional Collection PowerSearch  Student Resource Center Bronze Student Resource Center College Edition Expanded Student Resource Center Gold Student Resource Center Silver Student Resource Center Silver Health Module

Where Do Lexiles Appear? When enabled in the supported databases, Lexiles are displayed as part of the citation on the tabbed results list for documents from magazines, academic journals and news sources, where available. They also appear at the top of the Lexiled document itself.

Academic OneFile

Search – Carbon footprint (850-1050L)

Three Ways to Apply Lexiles to Lexiled Databases Use the Lexile Reading Level Drop Down Box Enter Lexile Reading Score Use Field Codes (lx 800-1100)

Enter topic and select a Lexile range Use the Lexile Reading Level Drop Down Box Enter topic and select a Lexile range

Search Results Lexile measure Number of Articles

Use hyphen before or after the Lexile 2. Use the Lexile Reading Score Box Use hyphen before or after the Lexile Note: Hyphen before the Lexile limits the search to material at or below that Lexile Hyphen after the Lexile limits the search to material at or above that Lexile

Search Results Number of Articles Lexile measure

Choose a New Database Choose Database

Health Source Database Select Health Source

Enter topic and Lexile range 3. Use Field Codes – Range Enter topic and Lexile range lx 800-1100 Formula for Lexile Range: “and lx Lexile-Lexile”

Search Results Number of Articles Lexile measure

Enter topic and Lexile maximum Formula for Lexile Maximum: Field Codes – Maximum Enter topic and Lexile maximum lx -1100 Formula for Lexile Maximum: “and lx -Lexile”

Search Results Number of Articles Lexile measure

Enter topic and Lexile minimum Formula for Lexile Minimum: Field Codes – Minimum Enter topic and Lexile minimum lx 1100- Formula for Lexile Minimum: “and lx Lexile-”

Search Results Number of Articles Lexile measure

Linking Technology - Creativity At this past year’s Lexile Conference in Orlando, FL, I was fortunate to get to many presentations, as well as have the ability to speak with colleagues from around the county. These are some of the ideas I came away with from the conference. I hope to be able to put some of these ideas in place this year. We are already working on some. I suggest that joining the SCASL listserv and participating in the online dialog would be an excellent method to share what work’s and what doesn’t! I apologize for not be able to identify who shared these ideas with me…I don’t assume to take any credit for them.

Linking Technology - Creativity Summer reading / enrichment programs Creating Lexile learning packets Adding lexiled documents to school databases Supplemental Lexile Portfolios for Textbooks

Summer reading / enrichment programs Review materials Items from a variety of assessments Information not thoroughly learned Advanced readings Fundamentals of new learning Required readings or review of concepts Transitional (i.e. leaving 5th - entering 6th grade) Collaborative efforts between teachers to increase learning Basics of new curriculum or standards

Creating Lexile learning packets Plans / directions for activities Timelines / rationale for learning Reading resources / activities Simple assessments to gage learning Activity to demonstrate learning that has occurred

Adding lexiled materials to school databases Teachers / Library Media Specialists identify appropriate resources Prepare persistent hyperlinks / collaborate with public libraries, etc. Provide instructions for searching and retrieving resources Maintain consistent records

Supplemental Lexile Portfolios for Textbooks Develop collaborative instructional teams (i.e. grade level, subject area, or inter-disciplinary approach.) Determine scope or resources (Lexile levels, media formats) Collect, review, and create electronic bibliography (DVD, CD, Website…)

South Carolina – Social Studies – Grade 6 Explain the development of English government and legal practices, including the principles of the Magna Carta, its effect on the feudal system, and its contribution to the development of representative government in England. (P, H) 850L – 1150L

The Making of the Magna Carta Junior Scholastic March 22, 1999 5 pages Presents a play depicting the making of Great Britain’s Magna Carta under King John of England in the 1200’s 500L

Survey of the Magna Carta Book – Events of the Middle Ages © 2002 3 pages Discusses the Magna Carta, the charter signed by British King John in 1215 which outlined the feudal privileges… 770L

The Meaning of the Magna Carta since 1215 History Today September, 2003 7 pages Considers how and why the Magna Carta, the great charter of liberty granted by King John in 1215 that placed the English king under the law… 1350L

Magna Carta: Exemplification of 1215 Article taken from Events of the Middle Ages 2002 10 pages Reproduces the translation of the Exemplification of 1215, the Magna Carta, also called the Great Charter, from the original Latin. Abuses of power … 1550L

Thanks! David Bell Coordinator, Horry County Schools Conway, SC (843) 488-6802