My original post asked for pros/cons of switching from AR to RC because=20=
of Lexile levels.
Thanks to all for your input. Barb, I did not know there was a way to=20=
get Lexile levels on AR labels; now if there was just a report by=20
Lexile level. I am requesting this from Renaissance Learning. For=20
more information on Lexiles visit
http://www.lexile.com/EntrancePageFlash.html
Thanks again,
Susan Beall
sbeall@mlsd.wednet.edu
Elementary Library Coordinator
Moses Lake School District
Moses Lake, WA
You can have the AR labels print out Lexile levels if you want. It is=20
just a simple click on a radio button. I don't think that they show up=20=
on the TOP report, but it should still be ok. There is no need to=20
change horses!
Barb Engvall
I made a lovely discovery not long ago - in Follett Title Search you
can actually request that all three be shown when you are looking up=20
titles.
Interesting findings on some of the titles - AR and RC do not agree very
often. I haven't really worked with lexiles enough to know how they=20
relate
to either reading program. I guess I wouldn't consider switching=20
because AR
has SO many tests and we have over 6000 of them, but there are pros and=20=
cons
to each system. I'm betting that AR will come up with lexile levels if
enough of us ask for them to be included in the test information. I'll=20=
send
in my request tomorrow!
Jackie George
AR=A0does not use the lexile, but if you want to print out labels, one =
of=20
the choices you have is an alternate book level.=A0 If you chose the 2nd=20=
alternate book level, that is the lexile of that book.=A0 The AR label=20=
will print out with both the AR level and Lexile level.=A0 We had to do=20=
this on ALL of the books we had already labled.=A0 =46rom now on, any =
new=20
books that I get I print the labels this way.=A0 Hope this helps.
Sharon
Reading Counts has a larger pool of questions to ask about each book,=20
and the teacher selects how many of the 30 available choices will be=20
given to each child. Thus, each test is randomized and different from=20=
all the others, even if the book is the same.
Accelerated Reader awards points based on the score on the test, once=20
the original number is established. For example, on a book worth 10=20
points, a score of 100 earns all ten points, a score of 80% would earn=20=
8 points. Reading Counts awards all points if the test is passed.
Just some differences between the two programs.
Gail Smith, NBCT
we made the switch and like it fine. We use the
lexiles but are not sure they are more accurate than
the reading level. One of the advantages of RC over
AR is "you" can change a reading level or lexile if
you think what they give is wrong. We haven't changed
many but a few in AR were so far off and there was
nothing we could so about it. Also students can
retake quizzes on RC which some teacher like. And
lastly, in RC there is a bank of 30 questions for each
quiz with 10 chosen at random for any one student so
two students can sit side by side and take the same
quiz.
Tracy Magin,librarian
I have found it very difficult to find current copyrights in a
variety of nonfiction books using Reading Counts. AR is always sending
current catalogs. I've talked with a number of vendors who have told me=20=
RC
is too expensive for publishers to buy the RC tests. If it had been my
choice I would have stayed with AR.
Helen Maxfield
We switched from AR to RC last year and I have to say that I love the=20
program.=A0 Things I like: with RC no test is ever the same (10 question=20=
test is made from a pool of 15-20 questions; students get to interact=20
with the system in rating books; students can retake a failed=A0quiz=20
after 24 hours; quiz questions are much better.
=A0My students love the new program. Good luck!
Billie Esser
We just switched our Elementary and Primary schools to RC from AR. The=20=
switch went beautifully. We did the Elementary switch last fall, and=20
the Primary switch at Christmas. I've asked anyone and everyone to let=20=
me know of any problems, and the only one we've had is one computer in=20=
one teacher's 1st-grade classroom that freezes occasionally. She has=20
two other testing computers that chug right along. No one has spoken=20
of missing anything.
I prefer RC over AR for many reasons, but the main one is that RC=20=
allows retesting with different questions, which teaches the students=20
the value of re-reading and studying. As the teachers learn about=20
Lexile, they will find it a much more accurate measure of reading=20
ability than grade-level estimates.
Since there was no expense with switching, we bought Find-a-Book=20
from Follett (our automation system) to tag all our MARC records with=20
RC and Lexile information.
When we first switched the elementary last fall I had a librarian=20=
aide that went into a spiral about all the books that weren't matched=20
in RC. She was so distressed that she went into all this research to=20
prove to the principal that "wonderful books" would be wasted now that=20=
we had switched. It turned out that the books that weren't matches=20
weren't circulating anyway, none of the teachers depended on any of=20
them, etc. The quiz credits RC allowed for all the unmatched titles=20
have really perked up our collection.
Donna Cook
Take a good look at RC. I used it for years and liked it....very user
friendly.
Maryjay Ridgway
The only thing I really "miss" was the ability to begin printing labels=20=
at
any point on a sheet of labels - with Reading Counts - you always start
printing with the first label .
One thing I really, really like about RC is that each book has a bank=20
of 30
or so questions, which are randomly chosen from to come up with 10=20
questions
for a quiz, so no two quizzes are ever exactly the same.
Leah Hawkins, Librarian
When we invested both programs a few years ago, we decided to go with=20
Reading Counts because it had a larger database of questions (30) per=20
title as opposed to 10 questions with AR.=A0 Some of the schools who had=20=
AR told us that there were problems with kids as young as fourth grade=20=
cheating and selling test questions to their friends since there were=20
the same 10 questions for everyone - just a different order.=A0 We were=20=
told that many AR schools only give the kids once chance for testing=20
due to that reason.=A0 We thought it might create greater test anxiety=20=
for that reason.=A0Good luck in your search.=A0
Deborah Maehs, LMS
With RC you determine all testing criteria, quizzes
are generated from a database of 30 questions so no
two students ever get the same quiz.
Is also great if you decide to let students have more
than one opportunity to pass a quiz.
Paula
I would like to know if Lexile levels are more accurate? This would be=20=
very expensive. I though AR used a very successful and accurate way to=20=
level their books.
Thanks for the info.
Sylvia Hix
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