Page 52 - ALEF EDUCATION PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/7/24, 11:06 AM Alef Education Collaborates with MetaMetrics® to Launch Arabic Reading Scale - Middle East News 247
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.

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.

Geoffrey Alphonso, CEO of Alef Education, said:“We are delighted to be working with

MetaMetrics® to develop an Arabic reading scale that will help increase the literacy rate of
learners in the MENA region. We are committed to a long-term strategic alliance to develop

and deliver educational products using an Arabic reading framework. The development of an

Arabic reading scale with a universal framework to measure the level of students and Arabic
texts will support student growth in Arabic language learning through actionable learning

measurements. Arabic language learning is at the center of our work and is a key factor in

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