Missouri Students Receive Lexile Measures

Missouri Assessment Program Reports Include Measures for Improving Student Reading Ability at School and Home

JEFFERSON CITY, MO and DURHAM, NC–(EMWNews – August 19, 2008) – When Missouri’s more than

500,000 students in grades 3-8 and 11 receive their 2008 MAP (Missouri

Assessment Program) results next month, their scores in communication arts

also will be reported as a Lexile® measure. As the result of a research

study that linked the MAP with The Lexile Framework® for Reading,

educators, parents and students use Lexile measures to improve literacy

skills by selecting reading materials that meet and challenge the student’s

ability and interests. Missouri students first received Lexile measures in

2006.

Recognized as the most widely adopted reading measure, Lexile measures are

used at the school level in various capacities in all 50 states. Each year,

more than 28 million Lexile measures are reported from state and national

assessments, classroom assessments and reading programs, representing about

half of U.S. students. Last spring, Missouri students in grades 3-8 and 11

took the MAP tests in communication arts. The MAP incorporates

CTB/McGraw-Hill’s TerraNova, one of the many assessments that reports

Lexile measures. Test results are used by the state to evaluate public

schools for accreditation purposes and to satisfy the accountability

requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

“Our primary focus is on setting high and achievable standards and

expectations for all Missouri students,” said Stan Johnson, assistant

commissioner, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“Adding Lexile measures to students’ MAP reports provides our teachers and

parents with an actionable tool for boosting student literacy development

and helping our public schools in their efforts to meet the increasingly

stringent proficiency standards as mandated by federal law.”

The Lexile Framework is an educational tool that connects readers with

reading materials using a common measure called a Lexile. What makes the

Lexile Framework unique, and what has led to its widespread adoption, is

that it measures both reading ability and text difficulty on the same

developmental scale. When used together, Lexile reader measures and Lexile

text measures allow educators, parents and students to find books and other

materials that meet and challenge a reader’s unique ability and interests.

More than 115,000 books, 80 million articles and 60,000 Web sites have

Lexile measures, and the number of resources with Lexile measures continues

to grow.

“MetaMetrics joins the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary

Education and the state’s many talented educators in their commitment to

helping students achieve at the highest academic levels,” said Malbert

Smith III, Ph.D., president, MetaMetrics®, Inc., developer of the Lexile

Framework. “By continuing to provide teachers, parents and students with

Lexile measures, the state department of education is demonstrating its

commitment to preparing all Missouri students to compete in today’s global

economy.”

For more information on the Lexile Framework, visit www.Lexile.com.

Additional information is available from the Missouri Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education at http://dese.mo.gov.

About MetaMetrics, Inc.

MetaMetrics, Inc., a privately held educational measurement company,

develops scientifically based measures of student achievement that link

assessment with instruction, foster better educational practices, and

improve learning by matching students with materials that meet and

challenge their abilities. The company’s team of psychometricians developed

the widely adopted Lexile Framework for Reading (www.Lexile.com); El

Sistema Lexile para Leer, the Spanish-language version of the Lexile

Framework; The Quantile Framework® for Mathematics (www.Quantiles.com);

and The Lexile Framework for Writing. In addition to licensing Lexile and

Quantile® measures to state departments of education, testing and

instructional companies, and publishers, MetaMetrics delivers professional

development, resource measurement and customized consulting services. For

more information, visit www.MetaMetricsInc.com.

MetaMetrics, Lexile, Lexile Framework, the Lexile symbol, Quantile,

Quantile Framework and the Quantile symbol are trademarks or U.S.

registered trademarks of MetaMetrics, Inc. The names of other companies and

products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

© 2008 MetaMetrics, Inc. All rights reserved.