title: How accurate are lexile text measures?
abstract: The Lexile Framework for Reading models comprehension as the difference between a reader measure and a text measure. Uncertainty in comprehension rates results from unreliability in reader measures and inaccuracy in text readability measures. Whole-text processing eliminates sampling error in text measures. However, Lexile text measures are imperfect due to misspecification of the Lexile theory. The standard deviation component associated with theory misspecification is estimated at 64L for a standard-length passage (approximately 125 words). A consequence is that standard errors for longer texts (2,500 to 150,000 words) are measured on the Lexile scale with uncertainties in the single digits. Uncertainties in expected comprehension rates are largely due to imprecision in reader ability and not inaccuracies in text readabilities.
authors.affiliation: MetaMetrics, Inc., 1000 Park Forty Plaza Drive, Suite 120, Durham, NC 27713, USA. jstenner@lexile.com
authors.forename: A Jackson
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stenner
authors.forename: Hal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burdick
authors.forename: Eleanor E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Donald S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Burdick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015206:Southwestern United States