For some subscriptions, Lexile® assessments are used instead of the myON placement test or students' Star Reading assessments. Note that students are not required to take assessments to see ATOS ZPD and Lexile scores; for students who have not taken assessments, the grade defaults will be used.
Launching the Test
If the test is required in the building settings, students begin by taking a Lexile placement exam after they first log in and complete the interest inventory.
If it is not required, students will see a banner like this one after they finish the interest inventory, and they select Finish Setup to take the test.
How the Test Works
This is how the exam works:
- The student starts the placement test, and the timer begins. (If you close the window without clicking Next, the timer doesn't work. If you click Next and then immediately close the window, the timer may not have time to submit results.)
- Each time the student presses Next, the timer updates, along with the question information.
- The test ends when one of the following conditions is met:
- The student has been active in the test for 25 minutes.
- 4 questions in a row have been answered incorrectly.
- All 35 questions have been answered correctly within the 25-minute time limit.
Note: Students can pause the placement exam by closing the browser window, and they can resume the exam by logging in again. However, if the placement exam is not resumed within 7 days, the exam will start over at question 1 the next time the student logs in.
- The Lexile® information will then be submitted to the myON site to set the student's ATOS ZPD and Lexile score. (This takes a few minutes.)
Progress Monitoring
Retests allow you to monitor your students' progress to see how much students' scores improve over time.
In the building settings, in addition to choosing whether the first Lexile test is required, the Building Administrator can choose whether retests are allowed, whether they are optional or mandatory, and how often students will be asked to retest. If retests are mandatory, after the set number of days, the student will be asked to take a test after logging in.
If retests are not mandatory, the student will see the message below after the set number of days. The student selects Let's find out to start the test.
When students are eligible for a new test, teachers will see the "Assessment available" message on the student data page and the Reading Range Placement tab.
Allowing a series of benchmarks after the initial placement exam gives you a more accurate view of the student's ability over time. See Managing Multiple Measures (MetaMetrics, Inc.).
Frequently Asked Questions about Lexile® Assessments
The following questions provide more information about the Lexile assessment.
How long does a benchmark take?
The length of benchmark tests varies depending on the student's grade and Lexile® level. Younger students typically take 10 minutes, and older students typically take 10-15 minutes.
Students need to be sure they are not rushed as they complete benchmarks. Please ensure students have plenty of time to complete the exam.
Why is the initial placement exam given at grade level?
Each grade level has a different placement exam, and each placement exam includes a floor (the lowest possible Lexile® level) and a ceiling (the highest possible Lexile® level). The initial Placement Exam is given at a student's grade level in order to give the student his or her initial Lexile® number. Benchmark assessments given after the initial placement are given at a student's reading level. After a few benchmark assessments are taken, the student's Lexile® will adjust naturally.
In some instances, students are enrolled in a grade that is above their reading level. In these instances, educators can either let the student take the grade-specific assessment and allow the level to self-correct as the student takes benchmarks, or they can increase or decrease the student's grade level to artificially change the Lexile® level range that can be assigned to the student based on the placement exam results. For more information on Lexile®, see the MetaMetrics website.
Why can't assessments be read to students?
Per lexile.com: "The Lexile Framework is a scientific way to match readers with text using the same scale." Audio on a Lexile® assessment would negate results, skew them, or provide inaccurate results because the assessment is measuring reading comprehension rather than listening comprehension.
Can a Lexile® score received previously be used in place of the existing score?
There is no way to revert to a student’s previous Lexile® assessment. A student should only have one initial Lexile® assessment. Only students who have moved into a different school district will be presented with a new Lexile® assessment. After the initial assessment, progress monitoring benchmarks may be available based on the building settings as described above.
How do I assign a Lexile® test to a student?
If you want students to take a Lexile® placement test or to take a new benchmark before they're asked to do so based on the building settings, you can assign a Lexile® test in an assignment.
Click here for instructions
Follow the steps below to create assignments that contain Lexile® exam activities. Faculty and Building Administrators can create these assignments and assign them to students.
- Select Assignments at the top of any page
- In the upper left part of the page, click on Create New Assignment.
- Enter the title of the assignment in the Title field.
- In the Add Activities section, select Lexile® Exam.
- Select either the Placement Exam or Benchmark Exam option. (The explanations in the window will help you choose.) Then, click Add. Note: Lexile®/Benchmark activities cannot be edited; if you want to make a change, you must remove the activity and add a new one.
- Select Save as Draft at the top or bottom of the page. Since the assignment has not yet been assigned to students, on the Assignments page, it will be in the Drafts. Once you assign it to students, it will be Active.
How can I ensure that students only take assessments at school?
Initial Lexile® tests cannot be restricted to specific times. To prevent students from receiving help during the test, educate parents/guardians about the importance of the initial test, the integrity of the test, and its importance in establishing a more accurate benchmark score for students.
For benchmark exams, the District Administrator can set the time of day for all students in the district so they can only take benchmark exams during school hours. Building Administrators and teachers should check with their District Administrator to find out what the testing window is for their district.
Why aren't Lexile® placement tests available in other languages?
The placement and benchmark tests are based on the MetaMetrics Lexile® Framework. Ultimately, myON is a program to help develop English reading ability, not to help Spanish speakers improve their Spanish, so even a native Spanish speaker (or a speaker of another language) should be able to take the English placement exam.
Why aren't my students offered the Lexile® placement exam after logging in?
In the building settings, the Building Administrator sets which grades take reading range placement assessments. In addition, students in Pre-K do not take a placement exam, and students in other grades who have been enrolled in myON and have taken a placement exam before will not take another one.
What are BR Lexile® Levels?
Beginning (BR) Lexile® measures are like negative numbers, so a score of BR 40L would be like saying -40L. If you are trying to find the average Lexile®, and BR values are included, replace the BR with a – sign. BR scores should not be perceived as an inability to read. Instead, it is a scale that progresses, showing growth. For more information, see BR Lexile® Values.
How do Lexile® reader measures and Lexile® text measures differ?
There are two kinds of Lexile® measures:
- The Lexile® reader measure: Students receive a Lexile® reader measure as a score from a reading test - it describes the student’s reading ability.
- The Lexile® text measure: Books and other texts receive a Lexile® text measure from a software tool called the Lexile® Analyzer - it describes the book's reading demand or difficulty.
Both of these measures are on the same scale. When used together, these measures can help match a reader with reading material that is at an appropriate level of difficulty, or they can help give you an idea of how well a reader will comprehend a section of text. The Lexile® reader measure can also be used to monitor a reader's growth in reading ability over time. Lexile® helps readers grow and helps keep parents and teachers informed.
When a Lexile® text measure matches or is in the range of a Lexile® reader measure, this is called a targeted reading experience. The reader will encounter some level of difficulty with the text, but not enough to get frustrated. This is the best way to grow as a reader - reading text that's not too hard but not too easy.
For more information on Lexile® Measures, see Understanding Lexile® Measures on lexile.com.
How to View Lexile® Assessment Results
Faculty, Building Administrators, and District Administrators can view Lexile® assessment results for individual students or for multiple students (in reports). Reports also allow you to track how the student is progressing in reading and comprehension skills.
Viewing Assessment Results for Individual Students
- District Administrators begin by selecting My District, then Users. Building Administrators select My School, then Users. Faculty select Classroom, then Students.
- District Administrators may need to select a school.
- On the Users or My Roster page, find the student and select the student's name.
- On the student's page, select Reading Range Placement. You will see a list of the assessments the student has taken, including the date, type, ATOS ZPD minimum and maximum, and Lexile for each.
Viewing Assessment Results in Reports
- District Administrators begin by selecting My District, then Reports. Building Administrators select My School, then Reports. Faculty select Classroom, then Reports.
- On the reports page, select Reading Range Placement.
- Use the report options to choose the students to include, a building (if necessary), and the start and end dates. Then, select Run Report. You will see the starting and ending ZPD, the initial and ending Lexiles and the placement dates, and information about students' growth.
How Students View Their Assessment Results
Students and their parents can see their assessment results when the student logs in to myON. The student selects their name, then Lexile to see a graph of their scores. For more information, see How Students View Their Assessment History.