Lexia English Placement FAQs
Overview
This article describes how students are placed into a language proficiency level in Lexia English, how you can view which proficiency band and level a student is currently assigned to, and some factors to consider if you’re wondering whether a student is appropriately placed.
Applies to: Educators and administrators who have Teacher or Admin access to myLexia
Does not apply to: Educators with read-only access.
Before you begin
When students log in to Lexia English for the first time, they will go through a few short onboarding tasks to learn how to navigate the program. Then they will begin Auto Placement, which will determine the most appropriate proficiency level for them to begin working. Before students log in for the first time, make sure they are prepared for the placement activity.
Be sure students have headphones!
Help students understand they should take the placement seriously, so they will be placed in the best level of the program for them.
Be sure to monitor students during the placement activities.
What is Lexia English Auto Placement?
Auto Placement is a tool that is used only once when students first log in to Lexia English. It is designed to place each student in the most appropriate starting level of Lexia English, based on their performance.
How does Lexia English Auto Placement work?
Auto Placement automatically begins the first time a student logs in to Lexia English (unless, prior to the student’s first login, someone manually assigns the student to a level). Auto Placement is designed to assess both receptive and productive language skills (speaking, grammar and syntax, and listening comprehension). Based on their performance, students will be assigned to the level that corresponds with their knowledge and use of English.
The content and number of questions students see in the Auto Placement varies depending on their proficiency and which grade cluster they belong to. There are a dynamic number of placement levels in the product.
Grade Cluster | Possible Placement Levels |
K-2 | Level 01 |
Level 03 | |
Level 06 | |
3+ | Level 01 |
Level 04 | |
Level 07 | |
Level 10 | |
Level 13 | |
Level 16 |
How long does Auto Placement take?
Auto Placement generally takes about 10 minutes to complete. However, students who demonstrate higher levels of proficiency on the early sections of the tool may take longer.
Do students need a license to take Auto Placement?
No, Lexia English Auto Placement does not require a license. Once the student is placed, they can continue working in the assigned level without taking a license, until they log out. The next time that student logs in, a license is automatically assigned to the student.
How can I tell if a student is in Auto Placement?
When students are in Auto Placement, you’ll see a blue badge in the top right, next to their name.
Do students have to finish Auto Placement in one sitting?
Students do not have to complete Auto Placement in one sitting! If a student does not complete Auto Placement in one sitting, their work is saved. When they log in again, Auto Placement will continue.
You can view which students have started, but have not finished Auto Placement by selecting Lexia English in myLexia. From your Class Overview, select Placement.
Student placement results show which students have not started, are currently working in Auto Placement, and have been placed in the program.
What happens after students complete Auto Placement?
When a student finishes Auto Placement, they see Lydia, the character who assists them with Onboarding and Auto Placement. She says, "Good job! Now you're going to meet some of my friends. Let's go!" Students are taken to their placement level and are able to begin working.
Can a student place out of Lexia English?
Currently, students are not able to place out of Lexia English. Educators and administrators should consider whether the program meets the needs of a student before having them engage with the Auto Placement tool.
I don't want a student to take Auto Placement.
Before the student logs in for the first time, you can log in to myLexia and manually assign the student to a proficiency level. See Change Student Placement in Lexia English for instructions on how to manually assign student placement.
Please note that students who are manually placed will not go through the Onboarding section. Instead, they will go directly into the program at the chosen level.
I'm not sure the Auto Placement tool correctly placed a student.
Analysis of student data suggests that the Lexia English Auto Placement tool tends to place students showing more advanced levels of proficiency—as measured by ELPAC and ACCESS, English language proficiency assessments—into higher program levels, and students in earlier stages of proficiency into lower levels.
But you know your students best! If a student’s placement level is different than expected, consider these two options:
Option 1
Allow the student to begin working in the level that Auto Placement assigned them to, and monitor their scores in the Student Overview section of myLexia. To see the Student Overview, go to the Lexia English page. From a Class Overview, select the student’s name in the Class Table to access their Student Overview page. Check their scores in the following areas:
Speaking accuracy percentage
Listening accuracy percentage
Grammar accuracy percentage
Presentation of Knowledge unit score
These scores can give you valuable information about the student’s placement in Lexia English. If the student is consistently scoring very high or very low across all four areas, then you may want to consider manually changing their placement).
Option 2
Manually change the student’s placement to a different level. Lexia recommends using data from additional sources, such as state and/or local proficiency tests, to determine the most appropriate placement. To learn how to change student placement, see Change Student Placement in Lexia English.
For more information on how Lexia English connects to state and national proficiency tests, see Lexia English Language Development Auto Placement and Guidance for Manual Placement.
Can I have a student take Auto Placement again?
Students who are already working in Lexia English were placed based on their grade level or manually by their teacher. The Auto Placement tool was not specifically designed to sensitively measure growth in language proficiency, so it is not an appropriate tool for within-year progress monitoring.
If something happened during placement, such as you discovered that the volume was not loud enough, or the headphones were not working correctly, you may reset a student’s account so that they can take Auto Placement again.
Log in to myLexia and select Manage, and then Students.
Find the student you want to edit and select the pencil icon in the student’s row.
Select the EL Program tab. You will see the student’s current grade, band, and level, and their placement within each activity in the level. Select Reset Placement to reset the student’s placement in Lexia English.
You will see a warning that resetting the student’s placement will permanently delete all of their Lexia English data.
Select Save to reset the student. The student will be set to “not started” in Lexia English, and will take placement activities the next time they log in.