Investigating Complexity of Leveled Passages Used in Classroom Reading Assessments

• In Event: Strategic Approaches for Literacy Development

Abstract

This study investigated the complexity of K-3 leveled passages from three popular classroom reading assessments. Four quantitative tools of text complexity—Lexile, Beginning-Reader Lexile, SourceRater, and Reading Maturity Metric—were used to examine whether the leveled passages show intended progressions across grade levels and within-grade level equivalency in text complexity. Results indicated that neither the between-level progression nor the within-level consistency between passages are as sharp and distinct as they ought to be. Also found was great variability in complexity scores across the multiple measures, indicating that some measures may not be as effective in detecting complexity in early grade passages as others. Further, one assessment tool showed more desirable complexity score distributions than others.

Authors

• Yukie Toyama, University of California - Berkeley

• Elfrieda H. Hiebert, TextProject

• P. David Pearson, University of California - Berkeley