An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Selected Readability Formulas Applied to Secondary Texts

Everyday, the reality of this statement becomes painfully obvious to many high school students across the nation. The creative ideas implemented in elementary school are not often to be found on the secondary level. Instead, we find subject area teachers who are confident of their ability to uphold the high standards in teaching the content of their particular disciplines. Unfortunately, these high standards frequently involve using material which is written on a high twelfth grade or college readability level. With national attention focused on students\u27 declining scores in reading, as well as increased apprehension concerning the number of illiterate high school graduates, not to mention the escalating drop-out rate, secondary educators are beginning to reevaluate their standards of the past and to develop objectives and plans to insure that their lessons are meaningful, challenging, and readable for their students