Reviewing the Cognitive Rigor
Matrix and DOK
Tuesday September 10, 2013
This material was developed for the Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics project through the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, Center for Mathematics and Science Education Research (CMSER). This material may be used by schools to support learning
of teachers and staff provided appropriate attribution and acknowledgement of its source. You may not use this work for commercial
purposes.
This project was supported through a grant from the Wisconsin ESEA Title II Improving Teacher Quality Program
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
Today’s Learning Targets
By the end of the session, participants will:
Understand the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels
within the Cognitive Rigor Matrix and SBAC
assessment items by explaining the
characteristics that distinguish the levels.
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
Cognitive Rigor Matrix – Developed by Karin Hess
A framework for increasing the rigor of student tasks.
National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (NCIEA), 2009
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
How are Bloom’s Taxonomy and DOK
related?
Read and highlight the article
What exactly do “fewer, clearer, and higher
standards” really look like in the classroom?
Using a cognitive rigor matrix to analyze
curriculum, plan lessons, and implement
assessments by Karin K. Hess, Dennis Carlock,
Ben Jones, and John R. Walkup
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
How are Bloom’s Taxonomy and DOK
related?
What exactly do “fewer, clearer, and higher standards” really
look like in the classroom? Using a cognitive rigor matrix to
analyze curriculum, plan lessons, and implement assessments
by Karin K. Hess, Dennis Carlock, Ben Jones, and John R. Walkup
1.What do you now understand about the CRM
and DOK? (on a yellow Post-it)
2.What questions do you still have? (on a pink
Post-it)
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
DOK is About Complexity
• The DOK level is determined by type of
thinking and application of the intended
student learning outcome.
• Instruction and classroom assessments
must reflect the DOK level of the objective
or intended learning outcome.
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
Clarifying what each DOK level means
Use the CRM(Cognitive Rigor Matrix) and
the handout of sample release items to
decide on three important characteristics
for each DOK level.
Be prepared to share your answers for
your assigned DOK with the whole group.
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
DOK Level 1:
Recall and Reproduction
• Requires recall of information, such as a
fact, definition, term, or performance of a
simple process or procedure
• Answering a Level 1 item can involve
following a simple, well-known procedure
or formula
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
DOK Level 2:
Basic Skills and Concepts
• Includes the engagement of some mental
processing beyond recalling or
reproducing a response
• Items require students to make some
decisions as to how to approach the
question or problem
• Actions imply more than one mental or
cognitive process/step
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
DOK Level 3
Strategic Thinking
• Requires deep understanding exhibited through
planning, using evidence, and more demanding
cognitive reasoning.
• The cognitive demands are complex and
abstract.
• An assessment item that has more than one
possible answer and requires students to justify
the response would most likely be a Level 3.
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
DOK Level 4
Extended Reasoning
• Requires high cognitive demand and is very
complex.
• Students are expected to make connections,
relate ideas within the content or among
content areas, and select or devise one
approach among many alternatives on how the
situation can be solved.
• Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK
4 often requires an extended period of time.
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014
Reflection:
What? So What? Now What?
Understand the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels within the
Cognitive Rigor Matrix and SBAC assessment items by explaining
the characteristics that distinguish the levels.
What have you learned? What actions will you take based
on what we have talked about so far in regards to aligning
tasks, DOK, and higher level thinking?
Leadership for the Common Core in Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2013-2014