Text Complexity: Qualitative Measures Rubric

INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Text Title___________________________________________
Exceedingly Complex
PURPOSE

o Purpose:

Subtle, implied, difficult

STRUCTURE

Very Complex

o Purpose:

Implied, but fairly easy

Moderately Complex

Purpose: Implied, but easy to

to determine; intricate,

to infer; more theoretical than

identify based upon context or

theoretical elements

concrete

source

o Organization of Main Ideas:

TEXT

Text Author_____________________________________

o Organization of Main Ideas:

o Organization of Main Ideas:

Slightly Complex

o Purpose:

Explicitly stated; clear,

concrete with a narrow focus

o Organization of Main Ideas:

Connections between an extensive

Connections between an expanded

Connections between some ideas

Connections between ideas,

range of ideas or events are deep,

range ideas, processes or events

or events are implicit or subtle;

processes or events are explicit

intricate and often implicit or

are deeper and often implicit or

organization is evident and

and clear; organization of text is

subtle; organization of the text is

subtle; organization may contain

generally sequential

clear or chronological or easy to

intricate or specialized for a

multiple pathways and may exhibit

particular discipline

traits common to a specific

predict

discipline

o Text Features: If used, are

essential in understanding
content

o Text Features: If used, greatly

enhance the readers

o Text Features: If used, enhance

the readers understanding of
content

understanding of content

o Use of Graphics: If used,

extensive, intricate, essential

o Text Features: If used, help the

reader navigate and understand
content but are not essential

o Use of Graphics: If used, graphics o Use of Graphics: If used, simple

o Use of Graphics: If used, essential

mostly supplementary to

graphics, unnecessary to

integrated graphics, tables,

integrated graphics, tables, charts,

understanding of the text, such

understanding the text but directly

charts, etc., necessary to make

etc.; may occasionally be essential

as indexes, glossaries; graphs,

support and assist in interpreting

meaning of text; also may

to understanding the text

pictures, tables, and charts

the written text

provide information not

directly support the text

otherwise conveyed in the text

o Conventionality: Dense and

LANGUAGE
FEATURES

o Conventionality: Complex;

o Conventionality: Largely explicit

o Conventionality: Explicit, literal,

complex; contains abstract,

contains some abstract, ironic,

and easy to understand with

straightforward, easy to

ironic, and/or figurative language

and/or figurative language

some occasions for more

understand

complex meaning

o Vocabulary: Generally unfamiliar,

archaic, subject-specific, or

o Vocabulary: Somewhat complex

language that is sometimes

o Vocabulary: Mostly

o Vocabulary: Contemporary,

overly academic language; may

unfamiliar, archaic, subject-

contemporary, familiar,

be ambiguous or purposefully

specific, or overly academic

conversational; rarely unfamiliar

misleading

familiar, conversational language

or overly academic

o Sentence Structure: Many

o Sentence Structure: Mainly

complex sentences with several

complex sentences often

subordinate phrases or clauses

containing multiple concepts

and transition words

o Sentence Structure: Simple and

o Sentence Structure: Mainly simple

sentences

compound sentences, with some

more complex constructions

o Subject Matter Knowledge:

KNOWLEDGE
DEMANDS

o Subject Matter Knowledge:

o Subject Matter Knowledge:

o Subject Matter Knowledge:

Extensive, perhaps specialized or

Moderate levels of discipline-

Everyday practical knowledge and

Everyday, practical knowledge;

even theoretical discipline-specific

specific content knowledge; some

some discipline-specific content

simple, concrete ideas

content knowledge; range of

theoretical knowledge may enhance

knowledge; both simple and more

challenging abstract and theoretical

understanding; range of

complicated, abstract ideas

concepts

recognizable ideas and challenging

abstract concepts

o Intertextuality: No references or
o Intertextuality: Many references or o Intertextuality: Some references or o Intertextuality: A few references or
allusions to other texts or outside

allusions to other texts or outside

allusions to other texts or outside

ideas, theories, etc.

ideas, theories, etc.

ideas, theories, etc.

allusions to other texts, or outside

ideas, theories, etc.

Text Complexity: Qualitative Measures Rubric

LITERARY TEXTS
Text Title___________________________________________
Exceedingly Complex
MEANING

o Meaning: Several levels and

Text Author_____________________________________

Very Complex

o Meaning: Several levels of

Moderately Complex

Meaning: More than one level of

Slightly Complex

o Meaning: One level of meaning;

competing elements of meaning

meaning that may be difficult to

meaning with levels clearly

theme is obvious and revealed

that are difficult to identify,

identify or separate; theme is

distinguished from each other;

early in the text.

separate, and interpret; theme is

implicit or subtle and may be

theme is clear but may be

implicit or subtle, often

revealed over the entirety of the

conveyed with some subtlety

ambiguous and revealed over the

text

entirety of the text

o Organization: Organization is
intricate with regard to elements

o Organization: Organization may

include subplots, time shifts and

o Organization: Organization may

have two or more storylines and

o Organization: Organization of text

is clear, chronological or easy to

such as narrative viewpoint, time

TEXT
STRUCTURE

more complex characters

occasionally difficult to predict

predict

shifts, multiple characters,

storylines and detail

o Use of Graphics: If used, a few

o Use of Graphics: If used, minimal

illustrations that support the text

illustrations that support the text

o Use of Graphics: If used, a range

of illustrations that support
selected parts of the text

o Use of Graphics: If used, extensive

illustrations that directly support
and assist in interpreting the
written text

o Conventionality: Dense and

LANGUAGE
FEATURES

o Conventionality: Complex;

o Conventionality: Largely explicit

o Conventionality: Explicit, literal,

complex; contains abstract,

contains some abstract, ironic,

and easy to understand with

straightforward, easy to

ironic, and/or figurative language

and/or figurative language

some occasions for more

understand

complex meaning

o Vocabulary: Generally unfamiliar,

o Vocabulary: Somewhat complex

o Vocabulary: Mostly

archaic, subject-specific, or

language that is sometimes

overly academic language; may

unfamiliar, archaic, subject-

contemporary, familiar,

be ambiguous or purposefully

specific, or overly academic

conversational; rarely unfamiliar

misleading

o Vocabulary: Contemporary,
familiar, conversational language

or overly academic

o Sentence Structure: Many

o Sentence Structure: Mainly

complex sentences with several

complex sentences often

subordinate phrases or clauses

containing multiple concepts

and transition words

o Sentence Structure: Simple and

o Sentence Structure: Mainly simple

sentences

compound sentences, with some

more complex constructions

o Life Experiences: Explores

KNOWLEDGE
DEMANDS

o Life Experiences: Explores themes o Life Experiences: Explores a single o Life Experiences: Explores a single

complex, sophisticated themes;

of varying levels of complexity;

theme; experiences portrayed are

theme; experiences portrayed are

experiences are distinctly different

experiences portrayed are

common to many readers

everyday and common to most

from the common reader

uncommon to most readers

o Intertextuality and Cultural

Knowledge: Many references or

readers

o Intertextuality and Cultural

o Intertextuality and Cultural

Knowledge: A few references or

o Intertextuality and Cultural

allusions to other texts or cultural

Knowledge: Some references or

allusions to other texts or cultural

Knowledge: No references or

elements

allusions to other texts or cultural

elements

allusions to other texts or cultural

elements

elements