Tool Translates Test Scores Into Reading Lists

Va. System Is Meant to Boost Kids' Skills, Interest in Books

The Virginia Department of Education has unveiled a tool that teachers and parents can use to select books that interest young readers and help them improve their skills.

The service, developed by MetaMetrics, based in Durham, N.C., assigns each child a number, called a Lexile measure, that corresponds to the child's performance on the state Standards of Learning reading test. Parents and teachers can plug the number into an online database for a list of books at the student's reading level.

"When a child reads on their current reading level, they are more apt to enjoy reading and want to read, instead of being frustrated," said Mark Allan, director of elementary instructional services for the state Department of Education.

MetaMetrics has catalogued about 130,000 titles, including those in the Clifford the Big Red Dog series and the Harry Potter collection. Parents, teachers and students can search by author and topic, including adventure, sports, science, and graphic novels and comics.

Virginia parents can find their children's Lexile measures by typing scores on the Standards of Learning reading exam from 2007-08 into a table on the Department of Education Web site. For the spring administration of the test, given to students in grades 3 through 8, the measures will be printed on information sent to parents.

"Teachers can use Lexile measures to assign and recommend books that will help students develop stronger reading skills," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said in a statement Oct. 23. "Parents can use Lexile measures to select texts that reinforce what teachers are trying to accomplish in the classroom."

MetaMetrics chief executive and co-founder Jack Stenner said the system was created in the 1980s and '90s and stemmed from research funded through grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Schools in 20 states, including Virginia, are using the system, Stenner said. This year, 28 million students will get a Lexile measure.

Stenner said the company translates a student's performance on a standardized test into a Lexile measure, derived by combining the word lexicon and the suffix "ile." The company also analyzes the vocabulary difficulty and sentence complexity of books provided by publishers to determine which books suit readers at each level.

"Parents, for the first time, have actionable information when the score comes home," Stenner said. "If the score . . . just says 'below basic,' a parent does not feel empowered to work with their child, because the information is not translatable into any instructional activity. If they get the Lexile measure, they're directed to a group of books, and they can enter the student's level and interest and get a book."

Stenner said teachers can also use the tool to find books on a particular topic for a classroom of children whose reading skills vary.

For example, a teacher could use the search engine to find books about President Abraham Lincoln that range from simple to challenging.

Virginia school officials said parents whose children took the tests will be sent information about the system, including sample book titles and directions on using the service, before the holiday season.

The state is also providing training for school librarians, reading specialists and other instructors.