EOG Reading Grades 3–8 and Beginning-of-Grade 3 Reading Test Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors

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Accountability Services, Achievement Level Descriptors, EOG, Testing

North Carolina End-of-Grade Tests of Reading Grades 3–8 (Edition 5) and Beginning-of-Grade 3 Reading Test

In July 2021, a committee of North Carolina educators participated in a multi-phase standard setting for the North Carolina end-of-grade tests of reading in grades 3–8. The goal of the workshop was to identify cut scores that divide students into four achievement levels for general reading (Not Proficient through Level 5).

In August 2021, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted college-and-career readiness Academic Achievement Standards and Academic Achievement Descriptors for the End-of-Grade (EOG) reading tests. Effective with the 2020–21 school year, the state will report four levels as follows:

Reading Grades 3–8 Achievement Levels

Achievement Level	Meets On-Grade-Level Proficiency Standard	Meets Career-and-College Readiness Standard
Level 5	Yes	Yes
Level 4	Yes	Yes
Level 3	Yes	No
Not Proficient	No	No

Reading Grades 3–8 Achievement Level Ranges (Cut Scores)

Test	Grade	Not Proficient	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
General Education Reading	3	≤ 539	540 - 545	546 - 550	≥ 551
General Education Reading	4	≤ 543	544 - 547	548 - 555	≥ 556
General Education Reading	5	≤ 549	550 - 553	554 - 559	≥ 560
General Education Reading	6	≤ 551	552 - 557	558 - 566	≥ 567
General Education Reading	7	≤ 553	554 - 558	559 - 565	≥ 566
General Education Reading	8	≤ 556	557 - 562	563 - 571	≥ 572

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 3

Achievement Level 5

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Ask and answer complex questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Recount in depth stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the implied central message, lesson, or moral and explain in depth how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Describe characters in a story and explain in depth how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text, identifying words that impact the meaning in a text.

Reading: Informational

Ask and answer complex questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the implied stated main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain in depth how they support the main idea.
Describe in depth the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using specific academic language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Describe in depth how the author connects ideas between sentences and paragraphs to support specific points in a text.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: paragraph-level context clues, uncommon word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of nuances in word meanings: distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.

Achievement Level 4

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, identifying words that impact the meaning in a text.

Reading: Informational

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Describe how the author connects ideas between sentences and paragraphs to support specific points in a text.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of nuances in word meanings: distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.

Achievement Level 3

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Ask and answer simplistic questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Simplistically recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the explicitly stated central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through details in the text.
Describe characters in a story and simplistically explain how their actions contribute to the story.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases in a text, identifying words that impact the meaning in a text.

Reading: Informational

Ask and answer simplistic questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the explicit main idea of a text; recount a key detail and explain simplistically how it supports the main idea.
Describe simplistically the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, or cause/effect.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Describe simplistically how the author connects ideas between sentences and/or paragraphs to support specific points in a text.

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, common word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of nuances in word meanings: distinguish the literal and/or nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.

Not Proficient

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to answer simplistic questions to demonstrate understanding of a text.
Attempt to recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; attempt to determine the explicitly stated central message, lesson, or moral and attempt to explain how it is conveyed through details in the text.
Describe characters in a story and attempt to simplistically explain how their actions contribute to the story.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases in a text.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to answer simplistic questions to demonstrate understanding of a text.
Attempt to determine the explicitly stated main idea of a text; attempt to recount a key detail and attempt to explain simplistically how it supports the main idea.
Attempt to describe simplistically the relationship between historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that attempts to pertain to time, sequence, or cause/effect.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Attempt to describe simplistically how the author connects ideas between sentences or paragraphs to support specific points in a text.

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of basic unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies: simple sentence-level context clues, common word parts, and simple word relationships.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of basic word meanings: attempt to distinguish the literal and/or nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 4

Achievement Level 5:

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing complex inferences from the text.
Determine an implied theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text in depth.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning and tone.

Reading: Informational

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing complex inferences from the text.
Determine the implied main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text in depth.
Explain in depth events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Describe in depth the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Explain in depth how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: paragraph-level context clues, word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: explain in depth the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context.

Achievement Level 4:

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning and tone.

Reading: Informational

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Describe the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context.

Achievement Level 3:

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing simplistic inferences from the text.
Determine an explicit theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text simplistically.
Describe a character, a setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on details in the text.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning and/or tone.

Reading: Informational

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing simplistic inferences from the text.
Determine the explicit main idea of a text and explain simplistically how it is supported by key details; summarize the text simplistically.
Explain simplistically events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened or why, based on information in the text.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Describe simplistically the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Explain simplistically how an author uses reasons and/or evidence to support particular points in a text.

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of some unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: explain simplistically the meaning of simple similes and/or metaphors in context.

Not Proficient:

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly.
Attempt to determine an explicit theme of a story, drama, or poem; attempt to summarize the text.
Attempt to describe a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on details in the text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly.
Attempt to determine the explicit main idea of a text and attempt to explain how it is supported by key details; attempt to summarize the text.
Attempt to explain simplistically events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, based on information in the text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Attempt to describe simplistically the structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Attempt to explain simplistically how an author uses reasons or evidence to support particular points in a text.

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of basic unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, and simple word relationships.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: attempt to explain the meaning of simple similes and/or metaphors in context.

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 5

Achievement Level 5:

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing complex inferences from the text.
Determine an implied theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text in depth.
Compare and contrast in depth two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text, recognizing specific word choices that contribute to meaning and tone.
Describe in depth how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Reading: Informational

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing complex inferences from the text.
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain in depth how they are supported by key details; summarize the text in depth.
Explain in depth the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Explain in depth how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: multi-paragraph-level context clues, word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings: interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

Achievement Level 4:

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, recognizing specific word choices that contribute to meaning and tone.
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Reading: Informational

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

Achievement Level 3:

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing simplistic inferences from the text.
Determine an explicit theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text simplistically.
Compare or contrast simplistically two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on details in the text.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text, recognizing word choices that contribute to meaning and/or tone.
Describe simplistically how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Reading: Informational

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing simplistic inferences from the text.
Determine two or more explicit main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text simplistically.
Explain simplistically the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Explain simplistically how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret figurative language, including similes and/or metaphors, in context.

Not Proficient:

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly.
Attempt to determine an explicit theme of a story, drama, or poem, from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; attempt to summarize the text.
Attempt to compare simplistically two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on details in the text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text, recognizing word choices that contribute to meaning or tone.
Attempt to describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly or when drawing simplistic inferences from the text.
Attempt to determine two explicit main ideas of a text and attempt to explain how they are supported by key details; attempt to summarize the text.
Attempt to explain simplistically the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a text in a historical or scientific text based on specific information in the text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Attempt to explain simplistically how an author uses reasons and/or evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies: simple sentence-level context clues, known word parts, and simple word relationships.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: attempt to interpret figurative language, including similes and/or metaphors, in context.

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 6

Achievement Level 5:

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence to support an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an implied theme of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide an in-depth summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Describe in depth how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze in depth how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Explain in depth how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence to support an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an implied central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide an in-depth summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of a specific word choice on meaning.
Analyze in depth how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain in depth how it is conveyed in the text.
Trace and evaluate in depth the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: paragraph-level context clues, word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret uncommon or unfamiliar figures of speech in context based on grade 6 reading and content.

Achievement Level 4:

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning.
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret figures of speech in context based on grade 6 reading and content.

Achievement Level 3:

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or simplistic inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an explicit theme of a text and how it is conveyed through details; provide a simplistic summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Describe simplistically how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of a word choice on meaning and/or tone.
Analyze simplistically how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text or contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Explain simplistically how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or simplistic inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an explicit central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through details; provide a simplistic summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Analyze simplistically how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and/or elaborated in a text.
Determine the explicit meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning.
Analyze simplistically how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section contributes to the structure of a text and/or contributes to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain simplistically how it is conveyed in the text.
Trace and evaluate simplistically the argument and explicit claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 6 reading and content.

Not Proficient:

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to cite textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or simplistic inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine an explicit theme of a text and attempt to state how it is conveyed through particular details; attempt to provide a simplistic summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Attempt to describe simplistically how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds and/or how the characters respond as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words or phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to simplistically analyze the impact of a word choice on meaning or tone.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text or contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Attempt to explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to cite textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or simplistic inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine an explicit central idea of a text and attempt to state how it is conveyed through details; attempt to provide a simplistic summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgements.
Attempt to analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and/or elaborated in a text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section contributes to the structure of a text or contributes to the development of the ideas.
Attempt to determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and attempt to explain simplistically how it is conveyed in the text.
Attempt to trace and evaluate simplistically the argument and explicit claims in a text, attempting to distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, and simple word relationships.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: attempt to interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 6 reading and content.

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 7

Achievement Level 5:

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an implied theme of a text and analyze in depth its development over the course of the text; provide an in-depth objective summary of the text.
Analyze in depth how particular elements of a story or drama interact.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds on meaning and tone in a specific line or section of a literary work.
Analyze in depth how a drama’s or poem’s (or other literary genre’s) form or structure contributes to its meaning.
Analyze in depth how an author develops and contrasts the perspectives of different characters in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine two or more implied central ideas in a text and analyze in depth their development over the course of the text; provide an in-depth objective summary of the text.
Analyze in depth the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze in depth the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze in depth how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Trace and evaluate in depth the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: paragraph-level context clues, word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret uncommon or unfamiliar figures of speech in context based on grade 7 reading and content.

Achievement Level 4:

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds on meaning and tone in a specific line or section of a literary work.
Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s (or other literary genre’s) form or structure contributes to its meaning.
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the perspectives of different characters in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret figures of speech in context based on grade 7 reading and content.

Achievement Level 3:

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite at least two pieces of textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an explicit theme of a text and analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text; provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Analyze simplistically how particular elements of a story or drama interact.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of rhymes and/or other repetitions of sounds on meaning or tone in a specific line or section of a literary work.
Analyze simplistically how a drama’s or poem’s (or other literary genre’s) form or structure contributes to its meaning.
Analyze simplistically how an author develops and contrasts the perspectives of different characters in a text.

Reading: Informational

Cite at least two pieces of textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or inferences drawn from the text.
Determine two or more explicit central ideas in a text and analyze simplistically their development over the course of the text; provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Analyze simplistically the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze simplistically the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and/or to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze simplistically how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Trace and evaluate simplistically the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 7 reading and content.

Not Proficient:

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to cite at least two pieces of textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine an explicit theme of a text and attempt to analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text; attempt to provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how particular elements of a story or drama interact.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words or phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to simplistically analyze the impact of rhymes and/or other repetitions of sounds on meaning or tone in a specific line or section of a literary work.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how a drama’s or poem’s (or other literary genre’s) form or structure contributes to its meaning.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how an author develops and/or contrasts the perspectives of different characters in a text.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to cite at least two pieces of textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine two or more explicit central ideas in a text and attempt to analyze simplistically their development over the course of the text; attempt to provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Attempt to analyze simplistically the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Attempt to analyze simplistically the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and/or to the development of the ideas.
Attempt to determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and attempt to analyze simplistically how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Attempt to trace and evaluate simplistically the argument and specific claims in a text, attempting to assess whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, and simple word relationships.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: attempt to interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 7 reading and content.

Reading Achievement Level Descriptors—Grade 8

Achievement Level 5:

Students at Level 5 demonstrate comprehensive understanding of grade level content standards, are on track for career and college, and are prepared for advanced content at the next grade/course.

Level 5 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an implicit theme of a text and analyze in depth its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an in-depth objective summary of the text.
Analyze in depth how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal complex aspects of character, or provoke a decision.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze in depth how differences in the perspectives of the characters and the audience or reader create such effects as suspense or humor.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an in-depth analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an implicit central idea of a text and analyze in depth its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an in-depth objective summary of the text.
Analyze in depth how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events.
Determine the meaning of uncommon or unfamiliar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze in depth the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a complex key concept.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze in depth how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Delineate and evaluate in depth the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: paragraph-level context clues, word parts, complex word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret uncommon or unfamiliar figures of speech in context based on grade 8 reading and content.

Achievement Level 4:

Students at Level 4 demonstrate a thorough understanding of grade level content standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of character, or provoke a decision.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze how differences in the perspectives of the characters and the audience or reader create such effects as suspense or humor.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Language

Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret figures of speech in context based on grade 8 reading and content.

Achievement Level 3:

Students at Level 3 demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.

Level 3 Students can:

Reading: Literature

Cite textual evidence that supports a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an explicit theme of a text and analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to characters, setting, and/or plot; provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Analyze simplistically how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal basic aspects of character, or provoke a decision.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of specific word choices on meaning and/or tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze simplistically how differences in the perspectives of the main characters and the audience or reader create such effects as suspense or humor.

Reading: Informational

Cite textual evidence that supports a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine an explicit central idea of a text and analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Analyze simplistically how a text makes explicit connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events.
Determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and/or tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Analyze the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing a key concept.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze simplistically how the author acknowledges or responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Delineate and evaluate simplistically the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize irrelevant evidence.

Language

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 8 reading and content.

Not Proficient:

Students who are not proficient demonstrate inconsistent understanding of grade level content standards and will need support at the next grade/course.

Not Proficient Students can:

Reading: Literature

Attempt to cite textual evidence that supports a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine an explicit theme of a text and attempt to analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to characters, setting, and/or plot; attempt to provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal basic aspects of character, or provoke a decision.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to analyze simplistically the impact of specific word choices on meaning and/or tone.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how differences in the perspectives of the main characters and the audience or reader create such effects as suspense or humor.

Reading: Informational

Attempt to cite textual evidence that supports a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Attempt to determine an explicit central idea of a text and attempt to analyze simplistically its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; attempt to provide a simplistic objective summary of the text.
Attempt to analyze simplistically how a text makes explicit connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events.
Attempt to determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; attempt to analyze simplistically the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and/or tone.
Attempt to analyze the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing a key concept.
Attempt to determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and attempt to analyze simplistically how the author acknowledges or responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Attempt to delineate and evaluate simplistically the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient; attempt to recognize irrelevant evidence.

Language

Attempt to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies: sentence-level context clues, known word parts, and simple word relationships, and reference materials.
Demonstrate emerging understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings: attempt to interpret common or familiar figures of speech in context based on grade 8 reading and content.

Document Entity Terms

Accountability Services

Achievement Level Descriptors

EOG

Testing

First Published

August 31, 2021

Last Updated

July 22, 2022