National Lexile Study

National Lexile Study 214 215

214-215 National Lexile Study This study uses a sample including the following: Number of States 47, plus the District of Columbia Number of Districts 1,46 Number of Schools 5,199 Number of Students 879,872 Number of High School Students Number of Middle School Students Number of Elementary School Students 22,74 students in 1,628 schools 379,29 students in 2,636 schools 297,959 students in 2,336 schools About Achieve3 Achieve3 is the leader in online differentiated instruction, serving over two million students worldwide. Based on decades of scientific research, Achieve3 s cloud-based solutions for grades PreK-12 and adult education reach students at their individual reading levels to accelerate their learning, improve high-stakes test performance, and prepare them for college and career success. Achieve3 s solutions also extend teachers reach without increasing workloads or time demands. By combining embedded assessment, differentiated instruction, regular skills practice, and targeted scaffolds in a single program, Achieve3 s solutions empower teachers to move their students up surely and steadily, level by level. The solutions examined in this study KidBiz3 (grades 2-5), TeenBiz3 (grades 6-8), and Empower3 (grades 9-12) are powered by a patented methodology that delivers grade-appropriate lessons to the entire class, and simultaneously tailors them according to each student s Lexile reading level. Achieve3 s solutions have been proven to accelerate reading comprehension, fluency, writing proficiency, and vocabulary development. The Assessment Measure Achieve3 s proprietary assessment, LevelSet, is the world s only universal screener for reading comprehension of nonfiction text in both English and Spanish. Developed by Achieve3 in conjunction with MetaMetrics, the LevelSet assessment identifies each student s precise Lexile reading level and thus is a reliable means of matching students to informational text. The result of more than 2 years of ongoing research, MetaMetrics Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement that has become the most widely adopted reading measure in use today. A key advantage of the Lexile Framework is that it measures both text complexity and reader ability using the same scale. This means that the ability to comprehend and the material being comprehended are evaluated using the same criteria. The LevelSet assessment can be administered up to three times a year a pre-test at the beginning of the school year, an interim test at the middle of the school year, and a post-test at the end of the school year to measure student progress and provide a summative measurement of student. 2 214 15 National Lexile Study

Executive Summary Related to Frequency of Program Use 14L 12L 9L 6L 3L 69 72 (n=43,143) 17 4-79 (n=278,52) 141 8+ (n=171,29) Completed Achieve3 sessions 2X the expected reading with regular program use 1 The number of reading activities that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 2 Students using the program with suggested frequency (i.e., an average of two or more times per week) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 72 points. Key Findings On average, students using the program with suggested frequency (i.e., completing at least two reading activities per week, on average) achieved two times the Lexile expected with typical instruction. At every grade level, program users achieved higher than expected Lexile. With regular program use, struggling readers (students reading two or more years below grade level) and intervention students made nearly two times their expected, on average. English language learners using the program with suggested frequency made two times their expected, on average. Students who scored 75% or higher on the multiplechoice activity made the greatest Lexile on average, more than two times the expected norms. 1 Regular use is defined as a minimum of two reading activities per week, on average, throughout the school year. Achieve3 solutions are designed to be used with this frequency. 2 F(2, 879872) = 26933.6, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 3

Executive Summary (cont.) At all school levels (elementary school, middle school, and high school), the number of reading activities that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 3 Related to Frequency of Program Use Elementary School 18L 12L 6L 92 94 (n=131,955) 13 164 4-79 (n=93,292) 8+ (n=72,712 Completed Achieve3 sessions Nearly 2X the expected reading for elementary school students, with regular program use Elementary school students using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 72 points. Related to Frequency of Program Use Middle School 12L 8L 4L 62 68 11 129 Over 2X the expected reading for middle school students, with regular program use (n=182,526) 4-79 (n=125,716) 8+ (n=7,967) Middle school students using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 67 points. Completed Achieve3 sessions Related to Frequency of Program Use High School 12L 8L 4L 48 55 (n=115,662) 83 4-79 (n=59,512) 115 8+ (n=27,53) Completed Achieve3 sessions Nearly 2.5X the expected reading for high school students, with regular program use High school students using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 67 points. 3 Elementary school: F(2, 297959) = 9917.8, p <.1 Middle school: F(2, 37929) = 994.1, p <.1 High school: F(2, 2274) = 3924.1, p <.1 4 214 15 National Lexile Study

Methodology Lexile Measurement of Reading Growth To determine the effects of Achieve3 s solutions on the literacy development of students, Achieve3 designed a study that measured student Lexile using the LevelSet data. The LevelSet assessment, developed in partnership with MetaMetrics, provides a Lexile measure for each student. Sample This report relies on internal Achieve3 usage and Lexile data. The sample includes 879,872 students in grades 2 through 12 during the 214-15 school year. Students were included in this analysis if they completed LevelSet assessments at the beginning and end of the school year. Post-test Lexile scores at the end of the year were based on the final adjusted score a student received within the program. Students also had to have a minimum level of engagement with the program, thus students had to log in one or more times during this school year as well as complete at least one multiple-choice activity. Additionally, a small number of students exhibited erroneous scores on the end-of-year LevelSet and were excluded. The actual achieved was compared to the expected yearly, based on MetaMetrics proprietary calculation. Using MetaMetrics findings on expected yearly, Achieve3 calculated the expected Lexile for each student. This calculation was based on the length of time from the student s pre-test to post-test as well as the student s initial reading level. Achieve3 first used MetaMetrics expected norms to calculate the expected yearly for a student at that reading level. Achieve3 then divided the expected yearly by the number of days the student used the program to arrive at an expected Lexile score for each student. The average expected scores are specific to each mix of students included in the analysis. These are not norm-referenced expectations for grade levels or groups of students. Student Subgroups Achieve3 researchers identified students as English language learners if they were assigned to an Achieve3 literacy and language acquisition solution at any point during the school year. Students were identified as intervention if they used an Achieve3 intervention solution at any point during the school year. Multiple-Choice Usage Analyses Achieve3 researchers measured the impact of Achieve3 usage based on the number of multiplechoice activities completed by each student. A multiplechoice activity is completed at the end of each reading activity, so this number provides a measure of how extensively a student engaged with our solutions. To measure the impact, students were assigned into three groups based on the number of multiple-choice activities they completed: 1 to 39 activities, 4 to 79 activities, or 8 or more activities. Achieve3 researchers then conducted an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine if these three groups performed differently from one another to a statistically significantly degree in terms of their Lexile scores (we consider a p <.5 as statistically significant). Quality Usage Analysis Achieve3 researchers determined quality usage by dividing students into two groups those who scored 75% or greater on their first tries, and those who scored below 75%. Students who average 75% or greater on multiple-choice activities are identified as working within their instructional zone and therefore applying themselves to their work. We then conducted a t-test to determine if the students in the 75% or greater group performed differently from Metametrics expectations to a statistically significantly degree in terms of their Lexile scores (we consider a p <.5 as statistically significant). College & Career Readiness Analysis For the college- and career-ready analysis, students were identified as being on track for college and career success at each grade level if they surpassed a specific threshold based on research by MetaMetrics. Achieve3 researchers then determined if the percent of students college and career ready from the pre-test to post-test changed to a statistically significantly degree by performing a chi-square test (we consider a p <.5 as statistically significant). 214 15 National Lexile Study 5

Effect of Quality of Program Use on Reading Activity Scores In addition to analyzing the frequency of use, Achieve3 researchers also analyzed the quality of program use. The Multiple-Choice Activity is a critical component of the Five-Step Literacy Routine and a simple indicator of the degree to which students are applying themselves in the program. This formative assessment allows teachers to monitor their students overall understanding of the text read. Students who score 75% or higher on the multiple-choice activity on their first try are identified as working within their instructional zone. In other words, scores within this range typically indicate that students are reading at a level that fosters their literacy development. Achieve3 recommends that students be monitored to ensure performance in this range. Related to Quality of Program Use 15L 1L 5L 69 78 Less than 75% (n=631,6) 144 More than 2X the expected reading for students working within their instructional zone 75% or greater (n=248,272) Average Reading Activity score Students scoring within their instructional zone (75% or greater) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 75 points. 4 4 This difference is statistically significant, t(248271) = 349, p <.1. 6 214 15 National Lexile Study

Reading Connections Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction and Application Achieve3 provides explicit instruction on the seven key comprehension strategies for informational texts. Two features of the program, the Lesson Plans and the Reading Connections, help address this need. Lesson Plans that guide the teacher in providing this direct, explicit instruction are available within the Learning Center, and one Lesson Plan is always attached to the daily article. Within each article, students are encouraged to apply the strategies of summarization, generating questions, and setting the purpose by using the Reading Connections prompts embedded in the article. Related to Reading Connections 15L 1L 5L 69 98 (n=34,647) 114 136 4-79 (n=39,987) Reading Connections entries 8+ (n=18,76) 2X the expected reading for students completing an average of two or more Reading Connections per week The number of Reading Connections that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 5 Students completing 8 or more Reading Connections during the course of the school year exceeded their expected Lexile by 67 points, on average. 5 F(2, 39934) = 1339, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 7

Thought Questions The Reading-Writing Connection The Thought Question is the fifth step in the Five-Step Literacy Routine and purposefully engages students in a formal writing process that allows them to apply knowledge they have acquired and express their thoughts through writing. Students respond to prompts in three key genres, with an emphasis on persuasive/argument writing, using academic vocabulary to ensure that they are prepared to read, write, and speak effectively in all content-area courses. Related to Thought Questions 16L 12L 8L 4L 69 93 (n=676,875) 118 4-79 (n=76,531) 142 8+ (n=18,15) Completed Thought Questions Over 2X the expected reading for students completing an average of two or more Thought Questions per week The number of Thought Questions that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 6 Students completing 8 or more Thought Questions during the course of the school year exceeded their expected Lexile by 73 points, on average. 6 F(2, 771511) = 3281.1, p <.1 8 214 15 National Lexile Study

College and Career Readiness Achieve3 s College and Career Report supports the current emphasis on college and workforce readiness and increased rigor in new state standards by describing students readiness for college and career based on their current Lexile reading level. Research demonstrates that giving teachers and administrators access to relevant student data allows them to be more targeted in their instruction and translates to better student performance on high-stakes tests. 7 After reviewing the College and Career Report, educators can maximize Achieve3 s differentiated instruction by offering students the targeted intervention they need to be successful. % on track Growth in College and Career Readiness 2% 15% 1% 14% 21% 5% increase in College and Career Readiness with 187,764 students reaching the College and Career Readiness benchmarks. 5% 214-15 Pre-test (n=879,872) 214-15 Post-test (n=879,872) A higher percentage of students are on track for college and career readiness after having used an Achieve3 solution during the 214-15 school year. 8 College and career readiness initiatives require increased rigor in reading performance, which translates into higher Lexile-level requirements at every grade level. As states implement these new initiatives and work to better prepare students for college and careers, educators are facing new challenges in helping students reach the on-track reading levels necessary for success. 7 Lewis, D., Madison-Harris, R., Muoneke, A., & Times, C. (Fall/Winter, 21). Using data to guide instruction and improve student learning. (SEDL letter, Vol. XXII, No. 2). Austin, TX: SEDL. 8 c 2 (1)=438976.11, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 9

by Grade Elementary School by Grade 18L 12L 6L 161 115 136 16 117 91 15 77 On average, Achieve3 users at all elementary school grade levels made significant in Lexile reading performance, over and above the expected with typical instruction. 9 Grades > 2 (n=26,149) 3 (n=82,378) 4 (n=9,84) 5 (n=99,348) 2nd-grade students exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 46 points. Middle School by Grade 1L 75L 5L 25L 1 69 87 85 63 55 On average, Achieve3 users at all middle school grade levels made significant in Lexile reading performance, over and above the expected with typical instruction. 1 Grades > 6 (n=124,25) 7 (n=123,6) 8 (n=131,953) 6th-grade students exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 31 points. High School by Grade 75L 5L 25L Grades > 72 71 69 68 5 46 46 47 9 (n=84,28) 1 (n=65,593) Achieve3 students actual 11 (n=34,1) 12 (n=18,821) On average, Achieve3 users at all high school grade levels made significant in Lexile reading performance, over and above the expected with typical instruction. 11 1th-grade students exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 25 points. 9 p <.1 in all cases 1 p <.1 in all cases 11 p <.1 in all cases 1 214 15 National Lexile Study

Results for Struggling Readers Achieve3 identified students who took the initial LevelSet and demonstrated a Lexile score that was more than two grade levels below their actual enrolled grade level. We refer to these students as struggling in this section. Related to Frequency of Program Use for Below Grade-Level Readers 15L 1L 5L 77 75 19 143 4-79 8+ (n=321,774) (n=25,866) (n=128,393) Completed Achieve3 sessions Nearly 2X the expected reading for struggling students, with regular program use For below grade-level readers, overall and at each school level, the number of reading activities that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 12 Overall, struggling readers using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 66 points. Related to Quality of Program Use for Below Grade-Level Readers 15L 1L 5L 77 83 Less than 75% (n=51,575) 156 75% or greater (n=145,458) Average Reading Activity score 2X the expected reading for struggling readers working within their instructional zone Below grade-level readers scoring within their instructional zone (75% or greater) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 79 points. 13 12 Overall: F(2, 65633) = 17739.7, p <.1 Elementary school: F(2, 176894) = 5241.9, p <.1 Middle school: F(2, 297643) = 659.4, p <.1 High school: F(2, 181496) = 341.7, p <.1 13 This difference is statistically significant, t(145457) = 262.8, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 11

Results for Struggling Readers (cont.) Below Grade-Level Readers Elementary School 18L 12L 6L 18 19 145 176 Elementary school struggling readers using KidBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 68 points, on average. (n=77,448) 4-79 (n=54,757) 8+ (n=44,689) Completed Achieve3 sessions Below Grade-Level Readers Middle School 13L 12L 8L 4L 74 72 14 13 Middle school struggling readers using TeenBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 56 points, on average. (n=142,971) 4-79 (n=97,14) 8+ (n=57,568) Completed Achieve3 sessions Below Grade-Level Readers High School 125L 1L 75L 5L 25L 52 56 83 115 High school struggling readers using Empower3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 63 points, on average. (n=11,355) 4-79 (n=54,5) 8+ (n=26,136) Completed Achieve3 sessions 12 214 15 National Lexile Study

Results for English Language Learners (ELLs) Related to Frequency of Program Use for ELLs 15L 1L 5L 76 81 (n=66,1) 111 4-79 (n=48,346 148 8+ (n=33,59) Completed Achieve3 sessions 2X the expected reading for English language learners, with regular program use For English language learners, overall and at each school level, the number of reading activities that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 14 Overall, English language learners using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 72 points. Related to Quality of Program Use for ELLs 15L 1L 5L 76 9 Less than 75% (n=14,883) 144 75% or greater (n=43,63) Average Reading Activity score Nearly 2X the expected reading for ELLs working within their instructional zone English language learners scoring within their instructional zone (75% or greater) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 68 points. 15 14 Overall: F(2, 147946) = 4143.1, p <.1 Elementary school: F(2, 43192) = 114, p <.1 Middle school: F(2, 679) = 1847.9, p <.1 High school: F(2, 36854) = 848.2, p <.1 15 This difference is statistically significant, t(4362) = 131.6, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 13

Results for English Language Learners (ELLs) (cont.) ELLs Elementary School 16L 12L 8L 4L 168 137 99 16 Elementary school ELLs using KidBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 69 points, on average. (n=17,849) 4-79 (n=13,343) 8+ (n=12,) Completed Achieve3 sessions ELLs Middle School 135L 138 9L 45L 69 75 15 Middle school ELLs using TeenBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 69 points, on average. (n=26,668 4-79 (n=23,845) 8+ (n=15,387) Completed Achieve3 sessions ELLs High School 135L 136 9L 45L 61 66 93 High school ELLs using Empower3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 75 points, on average. (n=19,493) 4-79 (n=11,158) 8+ (n=6,23) Completed Achieve3 sessions 14 214 15 National Lexile Study

Results for Intervention Students Related to Frequency of Program Use for Intervention Students 15L 1L 5L 79 8 (n=124,74) 113 4-79 (n=94,476) 147 8+ (n=64,5) Completed Achieve3 sessions Nearly 2X the expected reading for intervention students, with regular program use For intervention students, overall and at each school level, the number of reading activities that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 16 Overall, intervention students using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 68 points. Related to Quality of Program Use for Intervention Students 16L 12L 8L 4L 79 9 Less than 75% (n=28,99) 153 75% or greater (n=74,231 Average Reading Activity score Nearly 2X the expected reading for intervention students working within their instructional zone Intervention students scoring within their instructional zone (75% or greater) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 74 points. 17 16 Overall: F(2, 283221) = 7996.9, p <.1 Elementary school: F(2, 96115) = 356.4, p <.1 Middle school: F(2, 122968) = 313.3, p <.1 High school: F(2, 64138) = 1236.9, p <.1 17 This difference is statistically significant, t(7423) = 182.4, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 15

Results for Intervention Students (cont.) Intervention Students Elementary 2L 15L 1L 5L 12 14 14 172 Elementary school intervention students using KidBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 7 points, on average. (n=39,198) 4-79 (n=3,717) 8+ (n=26,2) Completed Achieve3 sessions Intervention Students Middle School 14L 15L 7L 35L 72 73 16 133 Middle school intervention students using TeenBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 61 points, on average. (n=54,555) 4-79 (n=42,517) 8+ (n=25,896) Completed Achieve3 sessions Intervention Students High School 12L 9L 3L 58 62 89 123 High school intervention students using Empower3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 65 points, on average. (n=3,987) 4-79 (n=21,242) 8+ (n=11,99) Completed Achieve3 sessions 16 214 15 National Lexile Study

Results for Enrichment Students Research on advanced and gifted students shows that the most important strategy to use in their learning experiences is differentiated instruction. 18 Differentiated instruction should be provided to accelerate learning for high-ability students and maximize their achievement. These students, as much as all other groups of students, need access to reading materials, activities, and instruction that does not place ceilings on their learning. Achieve3 s programs provide the challenge, rigor, and relevancy these students need to continue their literacy. Current data from students across the country using Achieve3 solutions supports the effectiveness of the program in meeting their needs. These students more than doubled their expected Lexile. Related to Frequency of Program Use for Enrichment Students 135L 9L 45L 54 7 (n=2,758) 13 4-79 (n=16,617) 14 8+ (n=1,595) Completed Achieve3 sessions Related to Quality of Program Use for Enrichment Students 125L 1L 75L 25L 54 71 Less than 75% (n=26,789) 13 75% or greater (n=21,181) Average Reading Activity score Over 2.5X the expected reading for enrichment students, with regular program use For enrichment students, overall and at each school level, the number of reading sessions that a student completes with Achieve3 is a statistically significant predictor of his or her Lexile performance, on average. 19 Overall, enrichment students using the program with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 86 points. Nearly 2.5X the expected reading for enrichment students working within their instructional zone Enrichment students scoring within their instructional zone (75% or greater) exceeded their expected Lexile by an average of 86 points. 2 18 Tomlinson, C. (1998). How can gifted students needs be met in mixed-ability classrooms? Washington DC: National Association for Gifted Children 19 Overall: F(2, 4797) = 176.6, p <.1 Elementary school: F(2, 11382) = 567.5, p <.1 Middle school: F(2, 25238) = 781.6, p <.1 High school: F(2, 1135) = 263.5, p <.1 2 This difference is statistically significant, t(2118) = 115.1, p <.1 214 15 National Lexile Study 17

Results for Enrichment Students (cont.) Enrichment Students Elementary School 16L 12L 8L 4L 7 82 123 161 Elementary school enrichment students using KidBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 91 points, on average. (n=4,267) 4-79 (n=3,872) 8+ (n=3,243) Completed Achieve3 sessions Enrichment Students Middle School 13L 9L 6L 3L 51 68 11 13 Middle school enrichment students using TeenBiz3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 79 points, on average. (n=1,424) 4-79 (n=9,127) 8+ (n=5,687) Completed Achieve3 sessions Enrichment Students High School 13L 9L 6L 3L 45 64 9 134 High school enrichment students using Empower3 with suggested frequency exceeded their expected Lexile by 89 points, on average. (n=6,67) 4-79 (n=3,618) 8+ (n=61,665) Completed Achieve3 sessions 18 214 15 National Lexile Study

After-School Usage Research on adolescent literacy suggests that the amount of reading students do during out-of-school hours is an accurate predictor of their in-school academic achievement. 21 If after-school programs can motivate young people to read more and explore their interests through reading, research suggests that their academic performance will improve. National After-School Usage 67% 67% of Achieve3 students logged in after school hours. Students logged in 9,72,876 times after school during the school year. Elementary School After-School Usage Middle School After-School Usage High School After-School Usage 71% 67% 6% 71% of KidBiz3 students logged in after school hours. 67% of TeenBiz3 students logged in after school hours. 6% of Empower3 students logged in after school hours. Elementary school students logged in 4,,71 times after school during the school year. Middle school students logged in 3,694,673 times after school during the school year. High school students logged in 1,378,132 times after school during the school year. 21 MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. (211, November). Literacy in afterschool: An essential building block for learning and development (Issue Brief No. 53). Washington, DC: Author.

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