Retrieving: Searching My Files... and a Surprising Discovery

Still stumped about the lexile system's background with my personal school, I searched the filing cabinets in my office.  I have all of the previous librarian's files and wondered if I could find something helpful.  Sure enough, I found an old folder labeled "student lexiles" tucked deep within a bottom drawer.

The file contains mostly materials published by MetaMetrics, who I gather to be the creators of the Lexile system.  The file also contains some materials from NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), designed to help teachers select materials within appropriate lexiles.

All of the materials in the file were copyrighted between 2003 and 2006.  My most interesting find was a blue folder containing notes from a training session on "The Lexile Framework as an Approach for Reading Measurement and Success."  This folder contained handouts, printouts from a PowerPoint presentation, and even some handwritten notes.  The folder and its contents are dated March 11, 2005.

I still don't know who attended this training or took the notes, but finding the folder confirms that the lexile system was in use even before my predecessor started her job as the school librarian.  In fact, it seems that this training session and notes predate the school itself.  My school opened in January of 2006, so it seems that someone in my school district made the decision to use lexiles to measure student reading level over 10 years ago, before my particular school even opened.

This is especially interesting to me, because it explains a lot about why the teachers at my own school have so little "skin in the game" when it comes to the subject of lexile use.  The decision to use this system predates every single employee at our school.  Likewise, the decision predates our principal (who was hired three years ago) and our superintendent (who was hired six months ago).

As far as I can tell, we've all be using this system because it was what was in place when we were hired, not because it's necessarily the best or the most effective.  This makes me really excited about my project, because it feels far more likely that my work could have real and lasting consequences for my students, the teachers, and the school.