> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.learningcommons.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Grade Level Appropriateness

> Test whether AI-generated text suits independent reading at a target grade band using readability, vocabulary, structure, and knowledge demand checks.

[Evaluator last updated August 27, 2026.](#evaluator-release-history)

<EarlyAccess isBreaking={false} />

## Overview

The Grade Level Appropriateness evaluator assesses whether AI-generated text is suitable for independent reading at a specified grade band.

The evaluator considers:

* Flesch-Kincaid grade level
* Word count
* Text structure – Organization complexity, connections between ideas, text features
* Language features – Vocabulary, sentence complexity, figurative vs. abstract
* Purpose – Explicitly vs. not explicitly stated, concrete vs. abstract
* Knowledge demands – Discipline-specific knowledge, references, allusions
* Student background knowledge – What students at a given grade level would already know

## At a glance

|                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| :------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Supported grades** | K–12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **Rubric**           | [Student Achievement Partners (SAP)](https://learnwithsap.org/) ↗'s [Qualitative Text Complexity Rubric for Informational Text](https://learnwithsap.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2026/04/Qualitative-Text-Complexity-Rubric-Informational.pdf) ↗ (All dimensions) |
| **Model used**       | Gemini 3.6 Flash (`gemini-3.6-flash`) with temperature of 1 <Note>The evaluator was built and validated using this specific model and temperature. Other configurations will produce different results and may have lower accuracy.</Note>                  |

## Getting started

Follow the [Quickstart](/evaluators/getting-started/quickstart) to start using this evaluator:

| Access method             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| :------------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Evaluators playground** | [View in Platform](https://platform.learningcommons.org/apps/evaluators/playground) ↗                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| **SDK**                   | [Python](https://github.com/learning-commons-org/evaluators/blob/main/sdks/python/src/learning_commons_evaluators/evaluators/grade_level_appropriateness.py) ↗ and [TypeScript](https://github.com/learning-commons-org/evaluators/blob/main/sdks/typescript/src/evaluators/text-complexity/ela-reading/grade-level-appropriateness.ts) ↗                                                                                                                                                                  |
| **Other**                 | [Python notebook](https://github.com/learning-commons-org/evaluators/blob/main/evals/text-complexity/ela-reading/grade-level-appropriateness/example_notebook.ipynb) ↗<br /><br />Prompts: [`system.txt`](https://github.com/learning-commons-org/evaluators/blob/main/evals/text-complexity/ela-reading/grade-level-appropriateness/system.txt) ↗ and [`user.txt`](https://github.com/learning-commons-org/evaluators/blob/main/evals/text-complexity/ela-reading/grade-level-appropriateness/user.txt) ↗ |

## Inputs

| Input    | Description                                                                        | Required |
| :------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------- |
| **Text** | Informational text to evaluate<br />10 - 10,000 words (\< 1,200 words recommended) | Yes      |

## Output

| Field                      | Description                                                                                                                                       |
| :------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Grade band**             | Target grade band for the text at independent reading                                                                                             |
| **Reasoning**              | Reasoning for the output grade level for each of the analysis steps (quantitative, qualitative, background knowledge), followed by a synthesis    |
| **Alternative grade band** | Grade band that could read and comprehend the text with scaffolding, or as a read-aloud                                                           |
| **Scaffolding needed**     | Scaffolding (picture, graph, additional context, vocabulary pre-teaching, etc.) that would make the text accessible at the alternative grade band |

## Interpreting results

| Output                                     | How to use                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| :----------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Grade + Reasoning**                      | Evaluate and improve the complexity of your AI-generated content<br /><br />**Example**: Validate that your LLM prompts produce grade-appropriate content; aggregate reasoning across runs to diagnose and fix systemic complexity issues |
| **Alternative grade + Scaffolding needed** | Adapt content for a wider range of learners<br /><br />**Example**: Make scaffolding suggestions (e.g., vocabulary pre-teaching, read-aloud) to help educators adapt content for mixed classrooms                                         |

## Evaluator release history

| Date               | Changed              |
| ------------------ | -------------------- |
| August 27, 2026    | Minor prompt updates |
| September 23, 2025 | First release        |

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