According to Achieve3000 research, professional firefighters have an average Lexile measure of 1260L. Hospitalists have an average 1440L. And would-be video game designers—the most popular career choice for District 11 middle schoolers in Colorado Springs—need about 1300L to have a shot in that industry.

This information is an important motivator for students, as K-12 Literacy and Language Arts Facilitator Dr. Shelmon Brown observed during a recent classroom visit.

“Every student told me where they were currently reading, what career they were considering, and how much they needed to grow to achieve that goal,” Brown says. “This is exactly what we want—for our students to understand the power of literacy as currency.”