text complexity... Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity CCSS 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

text complexity... The inherent difficulty of reading and comprehending a text combined with consideration of reader and task variables; in the Standards, a three-part assessment of text difficulty that pairs qualitative and quantitative measures with reader-task considerations. (CCSS, pp. 31, 57; Reading, pp. 4–16)

3 parts... Qualitative evaluation of the text: Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Quantitative evaluation of the text: Readability measures and other scores of text complexity Matching reader to text and task: Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)

3 parts... Qualitative evaluation of the text: Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Quantitative evaluation of the text: Readability measures and other scores of text complexity Matching reader to text and task: Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)

text complexity... new lenses for qualitative evaluation

levels of meaning* single level of meaning multiple levels of meaning (literary texts)

purpose* explicitly stated purpose implicit purpose, may be hidden or obscure (informational texts)

structure simplecomplex

structure explicitimplicit

structure* conventionalunconventional (chiefly literary texts)

structure* events related chronological order events related out of chronological order (chiefly literary texts)

structure* traits of a common genre or subgenre traits specific to a particular discipline (chiefly informational texts)

structure simple graphicssophisticated graphics

structure graphics unnecessary or merely supplementary to understanding the text graphics essential to understanding the text and may provide information not otherwise conveyed in the text

language conventionality & clarity literal figurative or ironic

language conventionality & clarity clear ambiguous, purposefully misleading

language conventionality & clarity contemporary, familiar archaic, otherwise unfamiliar

language conventionality & clarity conversational general academic & domain specific

knowledge demands: life experiences* simple theme complex or sophisticated theme (literary texts)

knowledge demands: life experiences* single theme multiple themes (literary texts)

knowledge demands: life experiences* common, everyday experiences or clearly fantastical situations experiences distinctly different from one’s own (literary texts)

knowledge demands: life experiences* single perspective multiple perspectives (literary texts)

knowledge demands: life experiences* perspective(s) like one’s own perspective(s) unlike or in opposition to one’s own (literary texts)

knowledge demands: cultural/literary knowledge* everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions required cultural and literary knowledge useful (chiefly literary texts)

knowledge demands: cultural/literary knowledge* low intertextuality (few if any references/ allusions to other texts) high intertextuality (many references/ allusions to other texts) (chiefly literary texts)

knowledge demands: content/discipline knowledge* extensive, perhaps specialized discipline- specific content knowledge required everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions required (chiefly informational texts)

knowledge demands: content/discipline knowledge* high intertextuality (many references to/ citations of other texts) low intertextuality (few if any references to/citations of other texts) (chiefly informational texts)