What is the Lexile Framework?

The Lexile® Framework is an educational tool that links text complexity and readers ability on a common scale metric known as the Lexile. The Georgia Department of Education has worked with MetaMetrics, the developers of the Lexile Framework, for several years to establish the relationship of state-wide assessments and the Lexile scale. Students who take the reading CRCT or the EOCT in English Language Arts now receive Lexile measures along with their CRCT or EOCT scale score. These Lexile measures can be used to match readers with texts targeting the student’s reading ability; such targeting reading material is essential for growth in reading ability and helps to monitor student progress towards reading.

MetaMetrics is currently revising its Lexile map to reflect the Common Core Standards that stress the importance in text complexity in assessing college and career readiness. The map provides a graphic representation of texts and titles matched to appropriate levels of reading ability.

• New Lexile Map coming soon.
• Georgia’s Summer Reading Challenge

Lexiles & Common Core Standards

The Common Core Standards promote that students should be ready for college and career after high school. The most important factor for readiness is a student’s ability to read and understand texts of steadily increasing complexity as they progress through school. The Lexile® Framework provides valuable insights into student readiness by measuring both the complexity of college and career texts and a student's ability to comprehend these texts.

The Lexile Framework has been realigned to match the Common Core Standards' text complexity grade bands.  These Common Core “stretch” bands of the Lexile Framework show an upward trajectory of reading comprehension development through the grades to indicate that all students should be reading at the college and career readiness level by no later than the end of high school. The Common Core Standards attend to both text complexity of what students read as well as how students read and comprehend. The Lexile bands in the table above help teachers and parents determine what text is appropriate for each grade band and what should be text that will stretch the students and help them gain in literacy skills. Students should read written texts within the Common Core “stretch” Lexile band for each year in order to be on the pathway to be college and career ready upon high school graduation.

*Grade Bands reflect the 2012 Revised Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

These grade and Lexile bands are the basis for determining at what text complexity level students should be reading—and at which grades—to make sure they are ultimately prepared for the reading demands of college and careers.

What is a Lexile?

A Lexile is a standard score that matches a student’s reading ability with difficulty of text material. A Lexile can be interpreted as the level of book that a student can read with 75% comprehension. Experts have identified 75% comprehension level as offering the reader a certain amount of comfort and yet still offering a challenge. The Lexile Framework Map shows Lexiles ranging between approximately 200 and 1700. However, some reading materials and readers do have Lexiles below 200 and may have a code of BR for beginning reader.

On my child’s report there is a Lexile score of BR. What does this mean?

Typically readers and text materials fall between 200 and 1700. Lexile text below 200L represents beginning-reading material, and a student’s Lexile score may have a number in the 100s or the code of BR. BR is a code that stands for Beginning Reading. This code is used for any text or student ability that has a Lexile measure of zero or below. Some students, particularly at the lower grades, had CRCT scores that generated a BR Lexile score. To find appropriate reading material for a student with a Lexile of BR, use the Find A Book section on the MetaMetrics website: lexile.com.

Here are some titles that reflect Lexile measures below 200.

Here are some titles that reflect Lexile measures of BR.

Does my son or daughter have to take an additional test to get a Lexile score?

No. The Georgia Department of Education has conducted a study to link existing state tests to the Lexile scale. If your son or daughter takes the Reading Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), then he or she will receive a Lexile score on the individual student report produced from that administration. Likewise, beginning with the spring 2012 administration, if your son or daughter takes the 9th Grade Literature End-of-Course Test (EOCT) or the American Literature EOCT, then he or she will receive a Lexile score on the individual student report.

Where can I find my son’s or daughter’s Lexile score?

You will find the Lexile score on the individual student report for either the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) in reading, the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests – Modified (CRCT-M) in reading or the End-of-Course (EOCT) in 9th Grade Literature or American Literature.

• View the Lexile information on the CRCT report.
• View the Lexile information on the EOCT report.

Now that I know my child’s Lexile score, what do I do with it?

First, calculate your student’s Lexile range. Add 50 to the student’s reported Lexile measure and subtract 100; in other words, locate 50L above and 100L below their reported Lexile measure. This range represents the boundaries between the easiest kind of reading material for your student and the hardest level at which he/she can read successfully. Now select reading material within that Lexile range. Also consider a student’s topic interests and favorite authors.

Example: Susie’s Individual Student Report shows she has a Lexile measure of 450. Her range would be 350L to 500L. To find reading material that she can read with at least a 75% comprehension level, select books, magazines, or other reading material within this range.

Where can I find books within my child’s Lexile range?

Libraries now have many books that have been tagged with a Lexile score. Ask your school media specialist or public librarian to assist in locating books with Lexile scores. Many publishers have had their books “Lexiled,” and this information can often be found in the library catalogue system as well as on the book’s copyright page, spine, or back cover.

In addition, MetaMetrics, the developer of the Lexile, has created a parent-friendly book-search engine, Find a Book, that allows parents to enter the child’s Lexile score. The search engine will automatically compute the Lexile range. Parents can also serach for reading materials without a Lexile score by entering certain information and the site will make selections based on student’s grade, comfort level with reading, and child’s preference for topics and/or genres. A selection of books that fit these criteria will be generated. Then the parent can select those that interest the student and the finalized list can be saved to a file, emailed, or printed. Visit the Find a Book site at: www.lexile.com.

Where can I find out more about Lexiles?

The Testing Division of the Georgia Department of Education has created a short presentation on Lexiles.

• Powerpoint
• PDF

Additional information provided by the Georgia Department of Education is available on Georgia Standards.org.

• To find Lexile information on Georgia Standards, click here.

MetaMetrics developed the Lexile Framework and provides a wealth of information for teachers and families on Lexiles. Three documents, in particular, are helpful: Lexile Measures in the Home, Lexile Measures in the Classroom, and Lexile Measures in the Library. To find these family and educator guides and other helpful information, visit the MetaMetrics Lexile website at lexile.com.

For additional Lexile information and resources, click here.