Writing Rubric

Opinion Essay Writing Rubric (Grades 35)

Score 4 3 2 1
The response is fully sustained and The response is adequately sustained The response is somewhat sustained The response is related to the topic but
consistently focused within the and generally focused within the within the purpose, audience, and task may demonstrate little or no awareness
purpose, audience, and task; and it has purpose, audience, and task; and it has but may include loosely related or of the purpose, audience, and task; and
a clearly stated opinion and effective an opinion and evident organizational extraneous material; and it may have it may have no discernible opinion and
organizational structure creating structure with a sense of completeness. an opinion with an inconsistent little or no discernible organizational
coherence and completeness. The The response includes most of the organizational structure. The response structure. The response may include
response includes most of the following: may include the following: the following:
Purpose, Focus, and Organization

following:

Strongly maintained opinion with A maintained opinion, though Partially focused opinion but Absent, confusing, or ambiguous
little or no loosely related material some loosely related material may insufficiently sustained or unclear opinion
be present
Skillful use of a variety of Inconsistent use of transitional Frequent extraneous ideas
transitional strategies to clarify the Adequate use of transitional strategies with little variety impeding understanding
relationships between and among strategies with some variety to
ideas clarify the relationships between Uneven progression of ideas from Few or no transitional strategies
and among ideas beginning to end and an
Logical progression of ideas from inadequate introduction or Too brief to demonstrate
beginning to end with a satisfying Adequate progression of ideas conclusion knowledge of focus or organization
introduction and conclusion from beginning to end with a
sufficient introduction and
conclusion

*To receive a score in all categories the response must be in English, of a sufficient length, and address the prompt.
[UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2015]
 Opinion Essay Writing Rubric (Grades 35)
Score 4 3 2 1
The response provides thorough and The response provides adequate The response provides uneven, cursory The response provides minimal
convincing support/evidence for the support/evidence for the writers support/evidence for the writers support/evidence for the writers
writers opinion that includes the opinion that includes the use of opinion that includes ineffective use of opinion, including little if any use of
effective use of sources, facts, and sources, facts, and details. The sources, facts, and details. The sources, facts, and details. The
details. The response includes most of response includes most of the response may include the following: response may include the following:
the following: following:

Evidence and Elaboration

Relevant evidence integrated Generally integrated evidence from Weakly integrated evidence from Minimal, absent, erroneous, or
smoothly and thoroughly with sources, though references may be sources and erratic or irrelevant irrelevant evidence from the
references to sources general, imprecise, or inconsistent references source material

Effective use of a variety of Adequate use of some elaborative Repetitive or ineffective use of Expression of ideas that is vague,
elaborative techniques, techniques elaborative techniques unclear, or confusing
demonstrating understanding of
the topic and text Adequate expression of ideas, Imprecise or simplistic expression Limited or inappropriate language
employing a mix of precise and of ideas or domain-specific vocabulary
Clear and effective expression of general language
ideas, using precise language Inappropriate or ineffective Sentences limited to simple
Domain-specific vocabulary domain-specific vocabulary constructions
Academic and domain-specific generally appropriate for the
vocabulary clearly appropriate for audience and purpose Sentences possibly limited to
the audience and purpose simple constructions
Some variation in sentence
Varied sentence structure, structure
demonstrating language facility

Score N/A 2 1 0
(2-point rubric begins at score point 2) The response demonstrates an The response demonstrates a partial The response demonstrates a lack of
adequate command of basic command of basic conventions. The command of conventions, with
conventions. The response may include response may include the following: frequent and severe errors often
Conventions

the following: obscuring meaning.

Various errors in usage
Some minor errors in usage but no
patterns of errors Inconsistent use of correct
punctuation, capitalization,
Adequate use of punctuation, sentence formation, and spelling
capitalization, sentence formation,
and spelling

*To receive a score in all categories the response must be in English, of a sufficient length, and address the prompt.