How does BSD assess reading in grades 6-10?
What’s changing?
As a school district, we updated our Lexile grade level proficiency bands to align with nationally recognized standards. All of the new proficiency bands are higher than previously; that is, the starting score required for “Proficient” at a particular grade level is higher. This means, for example, that a 6th grade Lexile score of 820 was once marked as “Proficient” within the SRI assessment system but will now be marked “Basic”.
This chart shows scores for the old bands italicized in gray and the new, revised scores, in bold.
What does this mean for our students and for teachers?
This means that students we once thought were proficient may no longer meet the standard for proficiency in reading. As a district we have been holding them to a standard that is too low, and we all need to support students who are not yet proficient in reading in accelerating their growth. This needs to happen everywhere - in English Language Arts class, science class, PE class, and math class. All teachers need to know what students’ strengths and challenges are in reading, and teach their subject matter in a way that helps each and every student:
Access the grade level material
Improve their comprehension of rich, rigorous texts
Is the SRI the only literacy data we should collect?
The SRI is our universal literacy screener, but it is not the only tool we use. The SRI is a blunt instrument. The Teaching and Learning Office also recommends that all students who are below grade level by two or more grades also get additional diagnostic assessment:
The Lexia AutoPlacement assessment
A one-minute fluency screener, such as the Scholastic 3 Minute
A spelling assessment, such as Words Their Way.
We’re working on a plan that instructional coaches and members of the Literacy Intervention Task Force are developing. The goal is to have a set of 3-4 classroom reading acceleration teaching strategies that each teacher, across content areas, is trained in using, starting in the fall of 2024.
What is the goal for our students?
The overall goal is growth in literacy: we want all our students to demonstrate progress in their Lexile scores. In general, students should be increasing their Lexile score by a minimum of 50 points per year in 6th through 10th grade.
Increase proficiency and decrease the disparities in reading proficiency based on free and reduced lunch, IEPs, and membership of the global majority.
How did T&L choose the newly revised bands?
These ranges show where students should be at the beginning and end of the year in order to achieve college and career readiness in literacy (1300L) by 12th grade.
Are the data walls updated?
Have more questions? Please connect with your instructional coach. They will be collecting questions for clarification, consideration and discussion.
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