perspectives on text complexity in 2011 february 23, 2011 presented by: a. jackson stenner

Perspectives on Text Complexity in 2011

February 23, 2011Presented by:

A. Jackson Stenner

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Overview

Introduction to MetaMetrics and the Frameworks

Text Complexity, Reader Ability, and Comprehension Rates

Text Complexity Continuum Dimensionality of Reading How Well Does the Lexile Theory

Work? Free Resources for Educators

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Founded in 1984 as an organization focused on psychometric research and development

Research funded by five grants from NIH Introduced The Lexile Framework® for Reading

in 1997 Introduced The Quantile Framework® for

Mathematics in 2005 Introduced The Lexile Framework® for Writing

in 2006

Introduction to MetaMetrics

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Measurement Properties– Vertical Scale– Common Supplemental Scale– Focus on Individual Student Growth K-16– Connects the Day-to-Day with the Year-to-Year

Metric is Instrument-Independent Instructional Properties

– Differentiated Instruction– Links Assessment/Instruction– Educator, Parent, and Student Actionable

Features and Benefits of Our Frameworks

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Reading is a process in which information

from the text and the knowledge

possessed by the reader act together

to produce meaning.

Anderson, R.C., Hiebert, E.H., Scott, J.A., & Wilkinson, I.A.G. (1985) Becoming a nation of readers: The report of the Commission on Reading

Urbana, IL: University of Illinois

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A causal model relating reader ability, text complexity and comprehension

Measures reader ability and text complexity on a common scale—the Lexile scale

Allows educators to forecast the level of comprehension a reader is likely to experience with a particular text

The Lexile Framework for Reading

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=Reader Ability

Text ComplexityComprehension -

Conceptual

Statistical

RawScore

= Σi

e (RA – TC )i

1 + e (RA – TC i )

RA = Reader Ability

TC = Text Complexity

An Equation

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Comprehension Rates for Readers of Different Ability with Texts of the Same Complexity or How Reader Ability and Comprehension Rate Relate Under Constant Text Complexity

Reader Ability Classroom Textbook Comprehension Rates

500L750L

1000L1250L1500L

1000L1000L1000L1000L1000L

25%50%75%90%96%

Comprehension Rates for Fixed Text Complexity

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Comprehension Rates for Readers of the Same Ability with Texts of Different Complexity or How Reader Ability and Comprehension Rate Relate Under Varying Text Complexity

ReaderAbility

TextComplexit

yText Titles

Comprehension Rates

1000L

1000L

1000L

1000L

1000L

500L

750L

1000L

1250L

1500L

The Magic School Bus, Inside the

Earth (Cole)

The Martian Chronicles (Bradbury)

The Reader’s Digest

The Call of the Wild (London)

On Equality Among Mankind

(Rousseau)

96%

90%

75%

50%

25%

Comprehension Rates for Fixed Reader Ability

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Williamson, G.L. (2008). A text readability continuum for post-secondary readiness.

Journal of Advanced Academics, 19(4), 602-632.

Text Complexity Continuum

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Observed vs. Aspirational Text Complexity Stenner, A.J., Koons, H., Swartz, C.W. (2009). Closing the text complexity gap: Reconceptualizing the text curve.

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Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10

Grade 11

Grade 12

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Text Continuum by Content Area

HealthLanguage ArtsLiteratureMathematicsScienceSocial Studies

Lexile M

easure

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Community/Techncial College(N=37)

Community College(N=48)

Four-Year (N=52)

All(N=137)

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

Distribution of Text Readability Measures for the Texas Higher Education Coor-dinating Board

(Box Plots: min, 25th, 50th, 75th, max)L

ex

ile

Me

as

ure

Standard = 1015L

THECB = 1170L

Commended = 1490L

Commissioned by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Boardwww.thecb.state.tx.us/collegereadiness/MetaMetrics-Technical-Report-Update.pdf

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Consistency Across States Cut Points

– Commended/Advanced– 1490L, 1475L, 1460L

– College Ready– 1170L, 1200L, 1215L

– Standard/Basic– 1015L, 960L, 980L

Text Distributions

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Text ViewVs

Reader View

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17

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r = 0.952

r” = 0.960

R2” = 0.921

RMSE” = 99.8L

Figure 1: Plot of Theoretical Text Complexity versus Empirical Text Complexity for 475 articles

“Mythology”

Reliability = .996SEM = 12L

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Oasis: Usage Report by Grade

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Oasis: Usage Report by Reader Lexile

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Oasis: Usage Report By Category of Article

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A. Jackson Stennerjstenner@Lexile.com

Contact: