Lexile.com News

MetaMetrics’ Gary Williamson and Mary Ann Simpson Win Prestigious Awards for Educational Research

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:01:11 -0400

Research Paper Exploring New Ways to Measure Student Growth in Reading and Mathematics Receives North Carolina & National Education Awards

DURHAM, N.C. - MetaMetrics® Inc. Senior Research Scientist, Gary L. Williamson, Ph.D. and Senior Psychometrician, Mary Ann Simpson, Ph.D., have received accolades for their paper, “Statewide Developmental Growth Curves in Reading and Mathematics: A Practical Strategy to Lengthen Empirical Trajectories.” Williamson and Simpson were awarded the 2012 North Carolina Association for Research in Education (NCARE) Distinguished Paper Award and later received the Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations (SRERA) Distinguished Paper Award while presenting their paper at the 2013 American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) annual meeting in San Francisco. Williamson and Simpson’s paper was one of 16 papers to receive this national honor.

Williamson and Simpson’s award-winning paper explored a strategy to describe growth in reading and mathematics throughout a student’s elementary, middle and high school years. Their research utilized longitudinal data from end-of-grade tests for grades 3-8 and high school content-area tests, demonstrating that the analysis of growth can be facilitated by the use of both developmental and non-developmental measures that have been linked to a common developmental scale. The common developmental scale used for reading was The Lexile® Framework for Reading, and the common developmental scale used for mathematics was The Quantile® Framework for Mathematics. According to the authors, “The results from this study demonstrate a new, practical strategy for states who may wish to explore a long-term approach to growth by combining measures from developmental and non-developmental tests in their accountability program(s).” This research was done pursuant to a contract with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

“We were thrilled to support this landmark research,” said Angela Hinson Quick, Ed.D., Deputy Chief Academic Officer. “MetaMetrics is a valued research collaborator. Their work in psychometrics and mathematical modeling of academic growth has supported and informed important initiatives in our Department.”

NCARE was the first organization to recognize the impact the paper has for the educational community. NCARE's mission is to improve the quality of education in North Carolina through research and evaluation. The organization explores current educational topics and issues such as educational policy, instructional practices, educational assessment, teacher and administrator preparation and educational equity and access. NCARE's Distinguished Paper Award recognizes a paper previously presented at an NCARE conference that furthers its goals and represents the highest quality of academic research. With the acceptance of the 2012 NCARE award, this marks the second time MetaMetrics researchers have been recipients of the award. In 2006, Gary L. Williamson and Robert F. Baker (along with Charles L. Thompson of East Carolina University) won the NCARE Distinguished Paper Award for their paper, “North Carolina's Growth in Reading and Mathematics.”

“North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s commitment to research and their work in student growth and differentiating instruction serves as a model to state education agencies everywhere," said Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., president and co-founder of MetaMetrics. "Our own Drs Williamson and Simpson represent the important work of psychometricians, finding ways in which testing and student assessment can further educational goals in both reading and mathematics.”

About MetaMetrics
MetaMetrics is focused on improving education for learners of all ages and ability levels. The organization develops scientific measures of academic achievement and complementary technologies that link assessment results with real-world instruction. MetaMetrics' products and services for reading (The Lexile® Framework for Reading, El Sistema Lexile® para Leer), mathematics (The Quantile® Framework for Mathematics), and writing (The Lexile® Framework for Writing) provide unique insights about academic ability and the potential for growth, enabling individuals to achieve their goals at every stage of development. Connect with the organization at: http://blog.lexile.com.

MetaMetrics and ERB (Educational Records Bureau) Expand their Partnership to Provide More Students with Lexile and Quantile Measures as Part of ERB's Comprehensive Testing Program

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:50:49 -0400

DURHAM, NC --(Marketwired-April 24, 2013) MetaMetrics®, developer of the widely adopted Lexile® Framework for Reading and Quantile® Framework for Mathematics, and ERB (Educational Records Bureau), premier provider of state-of-the-art assessment and learning solutions, announced today that they have expanded their partnership to deliver Lexile and Quantile measures for nearly 290,000 students participating in ERB’s Comprehensive Testing Program. ERB has been partners with MetaMetrics for over 4 years and provides the first test used in both private and public schools around the world that is linked to both the Lexile Framework and Quantile Framework.

ERB’s Comprehensive Testing Program, 4th Edition (CTP 4) and CTP Online (CTP), is a rigorously designed series of assessments in reading, writing and mathematics. The assessment provides data and trends that help teachers, parents and administrators gain insights to maximize student achievement, provide differentiated instruction and adapt curriculum.

“The inclusion of Lexile and Quantile measures has significantly enhanced our testing program,” said David Clune, Chief Executive Officer of ERB. “The metrics facilitate differentiated instruction and promote growth in students’ reading and math abilities. More ERB member schools and families will now have the power to engage in targeted instruction and have a wealth of new resources available to them.”

The Lexile Framework is an innovative tool for accurately matching readers with text. Unlike other measurement systems, the Lexile Framework evaluates reading ability and growth based on actual assessment results, rather than generalized age or grade levels. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for measuring reader ability and text complexity, ranging from below 200L for emergent readers and emergent-reader materials to above 1600L for advanced readers and materials. Tens of millions of Lexile® measures are reported annually from reading assessments and programs. Lexile measures help teachers, librarians and parents find books, articles and other resources within a reader's recommended Lexile range. Reading materials within a student’s optimal Lexile range will challenge the individual's reading ability, while still maintaining interest and learning.

Quantile® measures improve mathematics teaching and learning by targeting instruction and monitoring student growth toward proficiency standards and the mathematical demands of college and careers. The Quantile Framework for Mathematics (Quantiles.com) is a unique measurement system that uses a common scale and metric to assess a student’s mathematical achievement level and the difficulty of specific skills and concepts. The Quantile Framework describes a student’s ability to solve mathematical problems and the demand of the skills and concepts typically taught in kindergarten mathematics through Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-calculus. Quantile measures take the guesswork out of instruction by describing which mathematical skills and concepts the student has learned and is ready to learn.

"We are thrilled to partner with such an established and respected organization like ERB,” said Malbert Smith, III, Ph.D, President and co-founder of MetaMetrics. “ERB provides a valuable and trusted testing program for thousands of schools. We applaud ERB for recognizing the important value our metrics add to their program. We are excited that our metrics will reach more students and make an impact in both private and public school markets through this partnership.”

Students receiving Lexile and Quanitle measures from their ERB assessments can use these measures to utilize numerous free resources including the popular “Find a Book” and “Math@Home®.” Math@Home provides access to a growing number of family-friendly mathematical resources that support the textbook lesson a child is studying in school. “Find a Book” enables users to build custom reading lists based on Lexile range and personal interests and to check the availability of books at their local library. With more than 135,000 fiction and nonfiction titles and hundreds of publishers, "Find a Book" enables educators and families to utilize the Lexile Framework and match readers with appropriate text.

About ERB
ERB is a not-for-profit membership association providing admissions, achievement and support services for PreK-Grade 12 independent, public, faith-based, and boarding schools worldwide. ERB has been lighting the pathway to student learning in the 21st century by teaming up with ERB member school teachers to develop admission and achievement services that are delivered in a user-friendly online format, providing robust feedback and immediate score reporting for actionable, differentiated instruction. For over 85 years, and nearly 3,000 member schools and districts, ERB has provided quality services to schools around the world. For more information, please visit www.erblearn.org.

MetaMetrics Launches New Quantiles.com and Summer Math Challenge

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:07:33 -0400

MetaMetrics Releases Redesigned Quantiles.com and Free Summer Math Initiative

DURHAM, N.C. - April 17, 2013 - MetaMetrics^®, developer of The Quantile^® Framework for Mathematics, released a new and improved version of its website Quantiles.com. The website features modern aesthetics with a crisp design, simplified navigation and text, and improved tools and functionality. Compatibility with mobile and tablet platforms helps users further utilize the website and its tools, while updated content with accompanying illustrations helps users further understand the underlying concept of the Quantile Framework. The Quantile Framework provides a way to describe a student's mathematical achievement and the difficulty of specific mathematical skills and concepts in order to better match a student with appropriate learning materials.

“The Quantile website has always been a great resource for educators, parents and students," said Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., president and co-founder of MetaMetrics. “We wanted to perfect the website and assembled an experienced team to take on this task. We created not only a well-designed website, but improved the functionality and search options of some of our tools that will better serve users wanting to discover targeted resources.”

The website’s updated navigation is organized into two basic categories: “About the Quantile Framework” and “Use the Quantile Framework.” The “About” section contains text pages and illustrations that help users understand the Quantile Framework. The “Use” section has links to all of the tools that help parents and educators use the Quantile Framework to differentiate instruction. The “Math Skills Database” and “Find Your Textbook” search tools have been updated with more efficient and user-friendly search functions. The homepage also highlights helpful events, news and popular topics.

In addition to the release of the new website, MetaMetrics announced the launch of the “Summer Math Challenge,” a six-week, email-based initiative designed to combat summer math loss. This initiative, based on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, will target students who have just completed grades two through five. Parents will receive daily emails with resources and activities designed to help their children retain the math skills learned during the previous school year. On average, all students, regardless of socio-economic status, lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation over the summer months each year.[1] Enrollment in the program is free and begins May 1, 2013 on Quantiles.com/summer-math. The first email for the Summer Math Challenge will be sent June 24, 2013.

The Quantile Framework differs from other measurement systems in that it evaluates student mathematical achievement and the difficulty of mathematical skills and concepts and places them on the same developmental scale. Quantile® student measures describe a student’s readiness for instruction and indicate which skills and concepts the student is ready to learn and those that may require more background instruction. Educators and parents can use this information to connect the student with resources that are designed to meet his or her unique learning needs and to determine if the student is on be ready for the demands of college and careers. For additional information, and to access the free Quantile Teacher Assistant (http://qta.quantiles.com) and Math@Home (http://mah.quantiles.com) web utilities, visit www.Quantiles.com.

[1]Cooper, H., Nye, B., Charlton, K., Lindsay, J., & Greathouse, S. (1996). The effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative and meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 66 (3), 227-268.

Amazon.co.jp Provides Lexile Measures for English Books

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:01:34 -0400

Japanese Online Store “Amazon.co.jp” Offers Popular Reading Metric to Help Customers Improve Their Reading

Durham, N.C. – April 3, 2013 - MetaMetrics®, developer of The Lexile® Framework for Reading, today announced the addition of Lexile® measures to “Amazon.co.jp”. Amazon.co.jp is adding Lexile measures to English language titles, including many current bestsellers, at http://www.amazon.co.jp/e-reading. Amazon.co.jp visitors can filter book search results by Lexile levels to inform their reading choices based on text complexity.

“Learning English as a foreign language does not have to be frustrating,” said Dr. Malbert Smith III, co-founder and president of MetaMetrics. “By adding Lexile measures to their books, Amazon.co.jp is enabling its customers to find high-interest titles that match their individual reading levels. These are two main ingredients for creating positive reading experiences that enhance learning and growth. This exciting new partnership significantly advances our mission to help readers of all ages and abilities achieve their learning goals while developing a lifelong love of reading.”

“With the growing importance of English as a language of global opportunity, we applaud Amazon.co.jp for their strong commitment to English language learning,” added Todd Sandvik, senior vice president of global services. “Lexile measures are having a positive impact in education around the world, and the launch at Amazon.co.jp will greatly extend the benefits throughout Japan.”

The Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific tool that places readers and texts on a common measurement scale. Lexile measures range from below 200L for beginner level readers and texts to 1600L and above for advanced level readers and texts. Lexile measures enable students, educators and parents to find materials that match a reader's optimal level for learning, which is typically 100L below to 50L above his or her Lexile measure. Reading within this range promotes appropriate challenge with less frustration, which can help learners build confidence in their developing skill and enjoy reading more. Using Lexile measures also helps individuals track their progress toward university and career readiness in reading, which research generally finds to be 1200L and above in settings worldwide.

A book receives a Lexile measure when MetaMetrics analyzes the full text using proprietary software that evaluates the semantic and syntactic characteristics. To date, MetaMetrics has measured millions of articles and books from hundreds of publishers and authors. For a limited time, MetaMetrics is offering Japanese publishers of English books and learning materials special rates for measuring their titles in order to feature them on Amazon.co.jp. “We will make it easy for publishers in Japan to share this valuable information with the learning community,” stated Sandvik.

A reader receives a Lexile measure by taking a test that has been linked with the Lexile scale. In the U.S., Lexile measures are provided annually to over 30 million K-12 students in all states through dozens of high stakes assessments, formative assessments, and reading programs. In Japan, popular tests that have been linked with the Lexile scale include ETS's TOEFL iBT® test, TOEFL® Junior™ test and TOEIC® Listening & Reading test. Lexile measures are also reported from the Scholastic Reading Inventory, and links to more assessments used throughout Japan are anticipated over the coming year.

MetaMetrics is also partnered locally in Japan with the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) and Global Communications & Testing (GC&T, a Kumon Group company), to deliver Lexile-based resources and support for their respective test taking communities.

Recognized as the most widely used measure of English reading, Lexile measures today connect tens of millions of students to more than 100 million articles and books through extensive partnerships in government, publishing, technology and research. For more information, visit www.Lexile.com.

About Amazon.co.jp (www.amazon.co.jp)
Amazon.co.jp opened on the World Wide Web in November 2000 with the goal to be everything individuals need to achieve their goals at every stage and to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Now, Amazon.co.jp offers over 50 million unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Japanese Books; International Books; CDs, DVDs; Software; Games; Electronics & Cameras; Home & Kitchen, Toys & Hobby; Sports & Outdoors; Health & Beauty; Cosmetics; Watches; Baby & Maternity; Apparel & Fashion Goods; Grocery; Jewelry; Stationery; Office Supplies; DIY, Tools, Auto & Bike Parts; Musical Instruments; and Pet Supplies.

The Amazon.co.jp mobile marketplace platform can be accessed through i-mode, EZweb, Yahoo!keitai and WILLCOM. With Amazon.co.jp cutting edge technology – including the recommendations feature and convenient checkout with "1-Click® Shopping" - you can purchase merchandise via secure credit card payment, COD, convenience store payment, ATM, internet banking, and the Edy payment system. Amazon.co.jp offers customers a wide variety of delivery options, including free shipping, same-day express shipping, express shipping, fixed-time shipping, and regularly-scheduled shipping amongst other services.

Kindle Paperwhite features a display with 62% more pixels and 25% better contrast compared to conventional models, and unique built-in frontlight technology enabling comfortable reading in all lighting conditions. It is the most advanced e-book reader delivering 8 weeks of battery life in a thin, compact design.

Kindle Fire HD features unique vivid high-definition (HD) display, Dolby audio with dual driver stereo speakers, high-end notebook-class Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas, and MIMO technology, achieving 40% faster download speed compared to other tablets. It delivers enough storage for HD content and achieves comfortable performance with powerful processor and graphics engine.

Amazon.co.jp is an international affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, WA, USA. Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn.

*Amazon, Amazon.co.jp and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

MetaMetrics Partners with Lincoln Library Press to Provide Lexile Measures for Sports Champions Series

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:13:41 -0400

Popular Reading Metric Added to Athlete Biographies

DURHAM, NC, April 2, 2013 -- MetaMetrics®, developer of The Lexile® Framework for Reading, has partnered with Lincoln Library Press to provide Lexile® measures for the Lincoln Library of Sports Champions, which includes over 700 champion profiles and represents over 50 sports.

When Lincoln Library of Sports Champions was first published in 1973, the goal was to produce a series of biographies that would be accessible to students of all reading levels. One of the editors was particularly motivated, having been a struggling reader as a young student and later, a football star. In 2013, the ninth edition of the popular series included historic and popular current champions, such as Tim Tebow, Gabby Douglas, Drew Brees, and Missy Franklin. The athlete profiles support Common Core State Standards by encouraging the reading of informational texts. Lexile measures for the 300 profiles included in the 14 volumes of Lincoln Library of Sports Champions range from 820L to 1210L.

“Through engaging texts such as Sports Champions, Lincoln Library Press captures the minds of readers, making for a fun experience and encouraging students to read more,” said Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., president and co-founder of MetaMetrics. “By providing Lexile Measures for these texts, students can now engage in targeted reading and become more proficient readers.”

Lincoln Library Press provides online access to their content with colorful action photographs and clear statistical tables, making Sports Champions—in print or online—engaging for their readers. Clean and simple screen designs with few distracting features help maintain a reader’s attention. Lincoln Library Press’s mission to empower readers is supported by the addition of Lexile measures.

“Lexile measures are the standard for matching readers with texts,” Tim Gall, editor and principal of Lincoln Library Press. “Students will now be able to select readings tailored to their reading ability within our rich database of biographies. Research has shown that engaging in this type of reading practice will help the reader grow in his or her abilities.”

The Lexile Framework for Reading is a unique tool for accurately matching readers with text. The Lexile Framework evaluates reading ability and text complexity on the same developmental scale. Unlike other measurement systems, the Lexile Framework determines reading ability based on actual assessments, rather than generalized age or grade levels. Recognized as the standard for matching readers with texts, tens of millions of students worldwide receive a Lexile measure that helps them find targeted readings from the more than 100 million articles, books and websites that have been measured. Lexile measures connect learners of all ages with resources at the right level of challenge and monitor their progress toward state and national proficiency standards.

About Lincoln Library Press
The Lincoln Library Press produces print and online resources that students love to use. Lincoln Library titles have found a place in the collections of school, public, and home libraries since 1924, when the first edition of Lincoln Library of Essential Information established the award-winning imprint. Since 2009, Lincoln Library print titles have been available online, through FactCite: Lincoln Library Online. With seven engaging databases, FactCite meets the research needs of students and public library patrons. Lincoln Library Press is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Visit The Lincoln Library Press at www.TheLincolnLibrary.com