The English Literacy Gradient Analysis Scale under the New Gaokaob (China's National College Entrance Examination Reform) framework is theoretically grounded in the English Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools (2017 Edition, 2020 Revision) and the China Standards of English Language Ability, incorporating the Flesch Reading Ease formula to construct a five-dimensional framework: Discourse Form (textual function, discursive scope, rhetorical architecture) reveals the graduated design across informational transmission (A1), literary-aesthetic appreciation (A2), and specialized academic contexts (A3), mapping textual functionality onto cognitive hierarchies; Background Knowledge (situational knowledge D1, cultural knowledge D2, disciplinary knowledge D3) quantifies cross-disciplinary transfer demands, foregrounding Gaokao's assessment of cultural interpretation and epistemic integration; Linguistic Knowledge (knowledge density E1-E3, grammatical/lexical strata F1-F3, lexical breadth G1-G3) anchors the deep integration of contextual and rhetorical meanings; Knowledge Mobilization Pathways (H1 direct retrieval to H3 evaluative reconstruction) operationalize Bloom's higher-order thinking specifications, foregrounding critical deconstruction and creative knowledge application; and Surface Structure Processing Load (I1-I3) triangulates algorithmic metrics with qualitative analysis. The scale discloses five transformative imperatives for high school English teaching, learning, and assessment: (1) discourse instruction must adopt thematic text clusters, strengthening structural parsing and functional literacy; (2) knowledge scope should dismantle disciplinary silos, activating situational and cultural knowledge transfer to address authentic problems; (3) language skills require multimodal integration through unified viewing-listening-speaking-reading-writing-translation tasks to enhance evaluative synthesis; (4) disciplinary connotation must shift from formal meaning to rhetorical meaning, using context to drive critical consciousness; and (5) educational value requires cross-cultural dimensions, cultivating cultural rationality and global competence. This scale provides a quantifiable, operational instrument for systematic, integrated assessment of core competencies, empowering teachers to precision-design tiered instruction and facilitating competency-based educational transformation.

Liu Yumei, Huang Yuanyan, Xie Jialuo. Construction of an English Disciplinary Literacy Gradient Analysis Scale Based on the New Gaokao. International Journal of New Developments in Education (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 10: 72-83. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2025.071012.

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