Buckeye Valley High School
General Writing Rubric – Writing Across the Curriculum
Focus of Topic/Claim /
- Response veers off-topic multiple times or generally lacks focus
- Does not offer a clear or consistent perspective on the topic
- Audience and purpose are unclear and/or misunderstood
- Response may be vague at times or occasionally trend off-topic
- Provides a general perspective on the topic but may lack consistency at times
- Audience and purpose may lack focus or clarity at times
- Response stays focused on the prompt throughout the writing
- Provides a clear perspective on the topic
- The audience and purpose is clear and generally consistent
- Targeted response that never veers from the prompt
- Provides a specific and thoughtful perspective on the topic
- The audience and purpose is explicit and effectively maintained throughout
Development
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- Uses little to no pieces of info. to answer the prompt
- Generally uses weak, irrelevant, or inaccurate examples/details that may not even answer the prompt
- Provides no significant clarification of how the ideas/details relate to or expand on the topic
- Does not adequately expand on or prove a point(s) about the topic, or may simply repeat ideas, thus showing little understanding or application of the information
- Sources are not used or are used in a significantly deficient way to respond to the prompt (if applicable)
- Uses some valid info (i.e. quotes, data, facts, primary/ secondary source info.) to answer the prompt
- Uses some examples & details which may lack the relevance or specificity needed to address the topic well
- Some ideas/details may only be vaguely related to the topic
- May be somewhat unclear or redundant when discussing the topic, thus showing some lack of understanding or depth of knowledge
- Sources used may lack reliability or be over-used without sufficient understanding of how they relate to or expand on the topic (if applicable)
- Uses adequately specific pieces of info (i.e. quotes, data, facts, primary/secondary source info.)to answer the prompt
- Uses generally effective examples & details to discuss the topic
- Relates most ideas/details to the topic in a clear way, although occasionally lacking full explanation
- Expands on or proves point(s) about the topic with a generally accurate understanding and application of the information
- Sources used are reliable and appropriate to the topic (if applicable)
- Uses thorough, specific pieces of info (i.e. quotes, data, facts, primary/secondary source info.)
- Uses the most effective examples & details to examine the topic
- Clarifies relationships between all ideas/details and how they relate to the topic skillfully
- Expands on or proves point(s) about the topic with insight, depth, and command of the information
- Sources used are highly reliable and skillfully targeted to specific aspects of the topic (if applicable)
Cohesion & Organization /
- General lack of transitions to link sentences or ideas
- Sentences are generally choppy and over-simplified
- Confusing organizational pattern or substantial inconsistency in hoe ideas and details are presented
- Lacks logical order of ideas or lacks paragraphing by topic/main idea
- Noticeable need to use more transitions to link sentences/ ideas
- Sentences may be somewhat choppy or ideas may seem somewhat disconnected
- A logical order of ideas is inconsistently applied or is not maintained throughout the entire writing; or, organization of ideas may be somewhat confusing
- Most ideas linked fluidly using a variety of transitions with varying degrees of sophistication
- Most ideas are presented in a logical order that is consistent and generally effective for the topic (general-to-specific, compare/ contrast, problem-solution, order of importance, chronological…)
- All ideas linked fluidly using a variety of sophisticated transitions
- All ideas are presented in a logical order that is entirely consistent and most effective for the topic (general-to-specific, compare/ contrast, problem-solution, order of importance, chronological…)
Writing Conventions & Technical Skills
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- Significant errors that cause re-reading or confusion
- Significant & frequent awkward phrasing
- Errors in conventions that are frequent and obvious, thus indicatingsignificant carelessness in editing and/or deficiency in basic writing skills
- Sources are generally not credited and/or citations are frequently missing or formatted without consideration of standard guidelines (if applicable)
- Some errors that cause re-reading or misunderstanding
- Awkwardness that may indicate a pattern of sentence-level skill deficiency
- Some errors in conventions that indicate a carelessness in editing or pattern of some skill deficiency or misunderstanding
- A source may not be credited and/or some citations which lack adherence to standard guidelines (if applicable)
- An occasional error that is noticeable, but does not interfere with understanding
- Occasional awkwardness or misuse of conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitals, complete sentences, clarity, verb use, correct word use)
- Sources are credited and generally cited with attention to standard guidelines (if applicable)
- No major errors that impede fluency or understanding
- Editing shows careful use of writing conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitals, complete sentences, clarity, verb use, correct word use)
- Sources are credited and cited correctly using standard guidelines (if applicable)