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Resources: Informational Documents and PowerPoints
Depth-of-Knowledge (DOK) Levels for Reading
According to Norman L. Webb ("Depth-of-Knowledge Levels for Four Content Areas," March 28, 2002), "interpreting and assigning Dept-of-Knowledge Levels to both objectives within standards and assessment items is an essential requirement of alignment analysis. Four levels of Depth-of-Knowledge are used for this analysis."
A general definition for each of the four (Webb) Depth-of-Knowledge levels is followed by Table 1, which provides further specification and examples for each of the DOK levels. Webb recommends that large-scale, on-demand assessments in reading should only assess Depth-of-Knowledge Levels 1, 2, and 3. Depth-of-Knowledge at Level 4 in reading should be reserved for local assessment only.
Descriptors of DOK Levels for Reading (based on Webb and Wixson, March 2002)
Level 1 requires students to use simple skills or abilities to recall or locate facts from the text. The focus is on basic initial comprehension, not on analysis or interpretation. Items require only a shallow/literal understanding of text presented and often consist of verbatim recall from text, or simple understanding of a single word or phrase.
Level 2 requires both initial comprehension and subsequent processing of text or portions of text. Important concepts are covered, but not in a complex way. GLEs/items at this level may include words such as paraphrase, summarize, interpret, infer, classify, organize, collect, display, compare, and determine whether fact or opinion. Literal main ideas are stressed. Items may require students to apply skills and concepts that are covered in Level 1.
Level 3 requires deep knowledge. Students are encouraged to go beyond the text and are asked to explain, generalize, or connect ideas. Students must be able to support their thinking, citing references from the text or other sources. Items may involve abstract theme identification, inferences between or across passages, students' application of prior knowledge, or text support for an analytical judgment made about a text.
Level 4 requires complex reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking most likely over an extended period of time, such as comparing multiple works by the same author or from the same time period. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and doesn't require applying a significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.
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Table 1: Detailed Descriptions of Depth-of-Knowledge Levels for Reading
(Adapted by Karin Hess, Center for Assessment/NCIEA, 2004, Based on Webb)
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Level 1
Recall of Information |
Level 2
Basic Reasoning |
Level 3
Complex Reasoning |
Level 4
Extended Reasoning |
Examples represent, but do not constitute all Level 1 reading performances:
- Read words orally in isolation
- Read words orally in connected text
- Read multi-syllabic words
- Locate or recall facts or details explicitly presented in text
- Identify or describe characters, setting, sequence of events
- Use language structure (pre/suffix) or word relationships (synonym/antonym) to determine meaning of words
- Select appropriate words to use in context (e.g., content-specific words, shades of meaning) when intended meaning is clearly evident
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Examples represent, but do not constitute all Level 2 reading performances:
- Use context cues or resources to identify the meaning of unfamiliar words
- Predict a logical outcome based on information in a reading selection
- Make basic inferences or draw basic conclusions about information presented in text (e.g., According to this report what caused…?)
- Recognizing appropriate generalizations about text (e.g., possible titles, main ideas)
- Identify and summarize the major events, problem, solution, conflicts in a literary text
- Determine whether a text is fact or fiction
- Distinguish between fact and opinion
- Describe the characteristics or features of various types of text
- Obtain information using text features of informational text (e.g., Table of Contents, sidebar, chart)
- Organize information presented in informational text using mapping, charting, or summarizing
- Locate information to answer questions related to explicit or implicit central ideas in informational texts
- Identify (e.g, imagery, idioms, exaggeration, alliteration, etc.)
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Examples represent, but do not constitute all Level 3 reading performances:
- Explain, generalize, or connect ideas, using supporting evidence from the text or from other sources
- Draw inferences about author's purpose, author's message or them (explicit or implied)
- Make and support inferences about implied causes and effects
- Describe how word choice, point of view, or bias affects the interpretation of a reading selection
- Summarize or compare information within and across text passages
- Analyze interrelationships among elements of the text (plot, subplots, characters, setting)
- Analyze or interpret use of author's craft (literary devices) to analyze or critique a literary text
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Examples represent, but do not constitute all Level 4 reading performances:
- Compare or analyze multiple works by the same author, including author's craft
- Compare or analyze multiple works from the same time period or from the same genre
- Gather, analyze, organize, and interpret information from multiple (print and non print) sources for the purpose of drafting a reasoned report
- Evaluate the relevancy and accuracy from multiple (print and non print) sources (e.g., verifying factual information or assertions with other sources; researching the source of information)
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