Page 24 - ALEF EDUCATION PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/7/24, 11:04 AM Alef Education collaborates with MetaMetrics
Africa. The unique scale is set to become the de facto standard for Modern Standard
Arabic, just as the Lexile® Framework for Reading is now the standard for English, as

ministries of education in the MENA region strive to preserve and promote Arabic

language and culture.

This innovative collaboration aims to provide native Arabic speakers with a powerful tool to

improve their literacy in Arabic, promoting a more effective and personalized approach to

improving literacy in the region. By leveraging the expertise of Alef Education and the
MetaMetrics® Lexile® Framework for Reading, the initiative aims to provide students

across the MENA region with the foundational skills they need for academic success and
lifelong learning.

Benefits of an Arabic reading scale include the ability for governments to identify and

measure students’ reading levels and progress over time, regardless of the reading
materials used, by comparing geographic regions, school districts, and individual schools

using the same scale. In addition, publishers, EdTech companies, and authors of Arabic
language content will be able to link their reading materials and assessments to the unified

scale to meet learners’ needs for reading materials. It will be easier for teachers to

measure their students’ levels and create data-driven plans for their individual
development. At the same time, parents will understand their children’s reading levels so

that they can further develop and improve their reading skills.

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Recent data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows that six

Arab countries scored an average of 406 points in their PISA exams, while the
international OECD average is 480. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science

Study (TIMSS) shows that eight Arab countries scored an average of 432 points in

elementary school and 441 points in secondary school, while the global average is 500.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) shows that seven Arab

countries scored an average of 441, while the worldwide average is 500, underscoring the

urgency to address the literacy crisis among today’s learners. The need for action requires
a reimagined solution: an Arabic reading scale powered by the Lexile scale, which will

serve as the foundation for a unified ecosystem of assessments and instructional
resources.

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