Depth of Knowledge
Professional Development
February 2008
The Inquiry Team
• Every school has a team.
• Four or more staff members.
• At least one Administrator (we have two)
• Teachers
Inquiry Team Purpose
• To identify and track the progress of a group of
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at risk students from one subgroup in our
school.
To determine a focus in ELA or Math.
To work with the teachers of this group of
students to improve student performance.
To use the information collected and apply it to a
larger population and improve school wide
performance.
Our Inquiry Team Target Group
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Students on the cusp
No behavior problems
Good attendance
Grades six and seven only.
Particular teachers/classes (for team
convenience)
Inquiry Team Focus
Academic Vocabulary
• Realistically, a focus for entire school
• Our data indicates that many of our
students are ELLs or ‘Equated ELLs’
• The Standardized Exams we administer, by
which our school is judged, has more
sophisticated vocabulary than our students
are used to.
• If they don’ t understand the question…
Our Strategy
Target Students
• Low Inference Observations
• Meet and work with target group teachers
• Maintain portfolios on each student
• Use data provided by Acuity, Aris, School
Progress Report, Report Cards,
Attendance, in school Assessments and
teacher observation to track progress
Our Strategy
School Wide
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Vocabulary Emphasis in all classes (word walls)
December hallway bulletin boards
Flocabulary Word Up Project
Depth of Knowledge Level
Draw
Define
Calculate
Identify
List
Label
Memorize
Who, What, When, Where
Illustrate
State
Report
Recall
Repeat
Tell
Arrange
Use
Measure
Tabulate
Quote Recite
Name
Match
Design
Categorize
Collect and Display
Level One
Connect
Identify Patterns
(Recall)
Synthesize
Apply Concepts
Level
Four
(Extended
Thinking)
Graph Organize
Level
Describe
Classify Construct
Two
Explain
Separate Modify Estimate
(Skill/
Interpret
concept)
Critique
Level Three
(Strategic Thinking)
Analyze
Create
Revise Assess
Cite Evidence
Cause/Effect Predict
Compare
Interpret
Relate Distinguish
Use context clues
Make observations
Develop a logical Argument
Summarize
Hypothesize Apprise Construct
Show
Use concepts to Solve Non-Routine Problems
Prove
Infer
Critique Compare Formulate Investigate
Explain Phenomena in Terms of Concepts
Draw Conclusions
Differentiate
Level One Activities
Level Two Activities
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Recall elements and
details of story
structure such as
sequence of events,
character, plot and
setting
Conduct basic
mathematical
calculations
Label locations on a
map
Represent in words
or diagrams a
scientific concept or
relationship
Perform routine
procedures like
measuring length or
using punctuation
marks correctly
Describe the
features of a place
or people
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Identify and
summarize the main
events in a
narrative
Use context clues to
identify the
meaning of
unfamiliar words
Solve routine
multiple step
problems
Describe the
cause/effect of a
particular event
Identify patterns in
a behavior
Formulate a routine
problem given data
and conditions
Organize,
representate and
interpret data
Level Three Activities Level Four Activities
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Support ideas with
details and
examples
Use voice
appropriate to the
audience
Identify research
questions and
design
investigations fore a
scientific problem
Develop a scientific
model for a complex
situation
Determine the
author’s purpose
and describe how it
affects the
interpretation of a
reading selection
Apply a concept in
other contexts
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Conduct a project that
requires specifying a
problem, designing and
conduction an
experiment, analyzing its
data, and reporting
results/solutions
Apply a mathematical
model to illuminate a
problem or situation
Analyze and synthesize
information from mulitple
sources
Describe and illustrate
how common themes are
found across texts from
different cultures
Design a mathematical
model to inform and
solve a practical or
abstract situation
What Depth of Knowledge Level
Are We Using?
• Collection of assessments created and
used by our teachers
• Random selection of questions
• Use the worksheet to assign each question
a DOK Level
• Where are our students working?
What DOK Level Are Our Students
Being Tested At?
• Collection of random questions from
Standardized Exams administered in our
school
• Use the worksheet to assign each question
a DOK Level
• Compare your findings.