1. Understanding Depth of Knowledge
Pearl River Central School District
October 2007
Stacy Baudoin
Curriculum Coordinator

2. DOK DOK stands for “Depth of Knowledge.”
DOK is one way administrators, teachers, and parents can understand the objectives in terms of the complexity of what students are expected to know and do.
DOK is a system for categorizing cognitive demand (Bloom is a system we are all familiar with).
Developed by Norman L. Webb.

3. Why is DOK important?
The more you understand DOK, the better you will be able to prepare your students for statewide tests.
You must feel comfortable with DOK in order to model this way of thinking.
Feedback for students should involve the thinking process involved in getting to the correct answer.

4. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
Level 1 Recall
Recall of a fact, information, or procedure, rote response, follow a set procedure, typically involves one step
Level 2 Basic Reasoning
Use information or conceptual knowledge, make decisions about how to approach the question or problem, use two or more steps that go beyond recall or simple procedure
Level 3 Strategic Thinking
Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps, has some complexity, more than one possible answer based on more demanding reasoning
Level 4 Extended Thinking
Requires an investigation, time to think and process multiple conditions of the problem or task, relate ideas within and among content

5. Teaching with DOK
Every objective in our frameworks has been assigned a DOK level.
State assessments are designed so that the test items match the DOK levels of the objectives.
DOK 1, 2, and 3 items are on the state assessments.
Instruction needs to be designed at the same level as the DOK specified by the objective if students are to be adequately prepared for the state assessments.
Teachers need to examine each objective to ensure that they are teaching at the appropriate DOK level.

6. Depth of Knowledge is Not
DOK is not just a verb.
DOK is not a Performance Level Descriptor.

7. DOK is Not a Verb Verbs are not always used correctly.
Compare the following:
*Describe how many houses are in the picture. DOK 1 Recall
*Describe how two historical events are alike.
DOK 2 Basic Reasoning
*Describe your analysis of the literary elements in Walk Two Moons citing evidence from the text. DOK 3 Strategic Thinking

8. DOK is About What Follows the Verb
What comes after the verb is more important than the verb itself.
*Analyze this sentence to decide if semicolons have been used correctly.
Students are merely recalling a rule.
DOK 1 Recall

9. DOK is Not About Difficulty
Difficulty only tells us how many students can answer a question correctly.
*How many of you know the definition of the word knowledge? DOK 1 Recall
If most of you know the definition, it is an easy question.
*How many of you know the definition of the words panegyrize? DOK 1 Recall
If most of you do not know the definition, it is a difficult question.

10. DOK is About Complexity
Level 1 requires students to use simple skills or abilities.
Level 2 includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling.
Level 3 requires some higher level mental processing like reasoning, planning, and using evidence.
Level 4 requires complex reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking over an extended period of time.

11. Performance Level Descriptors
Advanced
Proficient
Basic
Minimal
NCLB requires PLD’s for at least three levels, including Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Our fourth and lowest level is Minimal.

12. PLD is about Difficulty
Advanced: Students at the advanced level are able to perform at a high level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency as specified by the grade-level content standards.
Proficient: Students at the proficient level are able to perform at the level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency specified by the grade-level content standards.
Basic: Students at the basic level are able to perform some of the content standards at a low level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency as specified by the grade-level content standards.

13. 6th Grade Vocabulary PLD
Advanced: Justify the use of context clues used to determine meaning of multiple meaning words or to infer meaning of figurative language. Justify vocabulary usage based on appropriateness for context and purpose. Justify selection of word choice based on use of reference materials.
Proficient: Apply knowledge of roots and affixes (com-, ex-, il-, mid-, under-, sub-, -ance, -ence, -ive, -en) to determine the meaning of multi-syllabic words. Apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate. Use context clues to determine the meanings of multiple meaning words and the figurative meanings of text. Use reference materials to evaluate word choice in a variety of texts and to determine meaning. Analyze and evaluate vocabulary usage based on appropriateness for context and purpose.
Basic: Identify of roots and affixes in multi-syllabic words; identify and produce grade-level appropriate synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; identify figurative language in text of increasing length, complexity and difficulty.

14. These are only myths. Myths of DOK *Advanced means DOK 3.
*Proficient means DOK 2.
*Basic means DOK 1.
These are only myths.
Advanced PLD requires more thinking, but does not always increase the DOK level.

15. PLD’s and DOK’s
Language Arts, Grade 3, 2b: The student will analyze texts in order to identify, understand, infer, or synthesize information. (DOK 3)
Sub-objective: Answer literal and inferential questions about main characters, setting, plot, and theme.
Grade 3 Basic PLD:
In reading comprehension: Use texts to identify literal and simple inferential questions about story elements . . .

16. Why DOK is important
MCT2, Algebra I Test, and English II Test are tied to specific Depth of Knowledge Levels.
DOK on these tests will range from Levels 1-3.
Teachers at all grade levels need to understand all DOK levels.
Instruction, assignments, and classroom assessment must incorporate the expectation of rigor for students associated with the DOK levels of all objectives for that grade and content area.

17. DOK and Reading
Level 1: RECALL requires students to recite facts or to use simple skills or abilities requiring only a shallow understanding of the text presented.
Level 2: BASIC REASONING requires both comprehension and subsequent processing of text or portions of text.
DOK 2 items require closer understanding of text; DOK 2 multiple-choice answer options may reflect paraphrasing of the text rather than verbatim wording.

18. More DOK and Reading
Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING involves reasoning and planning; students must be able to support their thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3 activity.
Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires extended activity and application of significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.
Note: The extended time period does not automatically raise the DOK level if students merely repeat a rote process.

19. DOK and Writing
Level 1: RECALL expects students to write, speak, and edit using the conventions of Standard English. This level includes having students use appropriate grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Level 2: BASIC REASONING expects students to begin connecting ideas, using a simple organizational structure. Applying more complex sentence structure meets the DOK 2 criteria.

20. More DOK and Writing
Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING expects students to compose text that demonstrates some synthesis and analysis with multiple paragraphs and complex sentence structure. Students show awareness of their audience and purpose.
Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires students to compose multi-paragraph text based upon their ability to synthesize and analyze complex ideas or themes (from multiple sources).

21. DOK – Reading and Writing Examples
DOK ____: Identify cause and effect, and understand main idea and purpose implied by text.
DOK ____: Evaluate the relative accuracy and usefulness of information from different sources.
DOK ____: Locate, gather, and analyze written information for the purpose of drafting a reasoned report that supports a position.

22. DOK Levels May Change From Grade to Grade
Grade 6 LA, 2b: The student will analyze text to understand, infer, draw conclusions, or synthesize information. (DOK 2)
(DOK 2) – PLD Proficient
Grade 7 LA, 2b: The student will analyze text to infer, justify, draw conclusions, synthesize, or evaluate information. (DOK 3)
(DOK 3) – PLD Proficient

23. Grade 6 Language Arts, 2b Sample Item

24. Grade 7 Language Arts, 2b Sample Item

25. DOK Levels May Remain Constant From Grade to Grade
Grade 3 LA, 3b: The student will compose descriptive text using specific details and vivid language. (DOK 3)
(DOK 3) – PLD Proficient
Grade 6 LA, 3b: The student will compose descriptive texts using sensory details and vivid language. (DOK 3)
Grade 7 LA, 3b: The student will incorporate descriptive details into texts including but not limited to narrative, expository, or persuasive text. (DOK 3)

26. Grade 3 Language Arts, 3b Sample Item

27. Grade 3, 3b DOK, PLD, Sample Item
This objective assigned a DOK 3.
This task was placed in the Basic PLD based on this language: Use the composing process to generate descriptive text using specific details. Notice that “vivid language” is not in this statement.
The sample items lacks the “vivid language” necessary to move the item to a DOK 3; therefore, the sample item is labeled with DOK 2.
The Advanced PLD addresses descriptive writing in this way: Evaluate the use of specific details and vivid language in descriptive text.

28. DOK and Mathematics
Level 1: RECALL includes knowing information such as facts, definitions, terms, or simple procedures.
Level 2: BASIC REASONING includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond habitual response. Students must make decisions about what they are presented.
Note: A two-step process in a math calculation is NOT automatically a
DOK 2 if the steps require only rote or mechanical knowledge or
skills.

29. More DOK and Mathematics
Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING requires demanding reasoning, using evidence, and a high level of thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3 activity.
Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires complex reasoning and development of a product, often over an extended period of time.
Note: The extended time period does not automatically raise the DOK
level if students merely repeat a rote process.

30. DOK – Math Examples
DOK ____: Read, write, and compare decimals in scientific notation.
DOK ____: Design a statistical experiment to study a problem and communicate the outcomes.
DOK ____: Construct two-dimensional patterns for three-dimensional models, such as cylinders and cones.
DOK ____: Compute with numbers (that is, add, subtract, multiply, divide).

31. Where do we start?
Examine the framework for your subject area and/or grade level. Note the DOK levels for each objective.
Examine the PLD for your subject area and/or grade level. Note the differences among advance, proficient, and basic.
Examine the Test Items Specifications for your subject area and/or grade level. Note the way each objective is assessed.

32. DOK in your Classroom Start with the objectives
Create assessments using DOK that are modeled after Test Item Specifications
Design instruction based on DOK and PLD
Assess at regular intervals
Use assessment results to focus instruction and to make interventions

33. Resources Curriculum Framework http://wwwmde.k12.ms.us/acad1
Test Blueprints
Performance Level Descriptors
Test Item Specifications
Practice Tests