GWAR HOLISTIC SCORING GUIDE
Each score is based on the following five characteristics:
Tasks: This category refers to what the writer must do: (1) read the passage and state the author’s main idea in his or her own words, and (2) argue either for or against the author’s position.
Reasoning: Reasoning refers to how precise the thinking and/or logic is and includes the author’s ability to connect ideas and support a thesis.
Development: Development refers to how well ideas are explored.
Organization: This category refers to how effectively ideas are organized.
Prose: This label refers to how engaging the writing is as well as how well the prose flows, including sentence structure, sentence variety, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy.
6Superior
A 6 paper generally has the following characteristics:
Both the paraphrase and the essay are handled fully and thoughtfully with a clear response to the question.
Thinking is precise and without serious logical flaws, representing analytical reasoning. Transitions are effective, and critical connections are explored.
Ideasare fully explored with a combination of examples and analysis.
Organization of ideas employs some strategy to help connect ideas, creating fluent discourse.
Prose is engaging and sophisticated, demonstrating superior control of syntax and vocabulary. Paper is virtually free of errors.
5 Above Average
A 5 paper generally has the following characteristics:
The paraphrasemay be slighted but not ignored; the essay clearly responds to the question.
Thinking is essentially free of serious logical flawsand includes some analytical reasoning, though thinking may occasionally be imprecise. Some minor connections may be implied rather than stated, but transitions are generally used effectively, and critical connections are explored.
Ideas are explored with examples and some analysis.
Paragraphs may have minor organizational weaknesses, but overallideas are organized to create a fluid essay.
Prose employs a variety of sentence types and uses aprecise vocabulary to create clear, though perhaps not sophisticated, discourse. Paper is largely free of errors.
4Proficient
A 4 paper generally has the following characteristics:
The paraphrasemay be slighted but not ignored; the essay responds adequately to the question.
The essay uses some analytical reasoning, but results typically are not as logically precise as the 5 or 6. Transitions are sometimes missing or not effective, and some critical connections may be unexplored so that the connections tying ideas back to the thesis are implied.
Some ideas may be stated or repeated rather than explored, and the development of ideas is commonly more general than concrete. Papers in this category may be developed by simply adding on examples.
Paragraphs typically have some organizational weakness, but not enough to continually disrupt the reader.
Though prose may be marginally awkward or imprecise, it employs some sentence variety and uses at least a basic college-level vocabulary. The paper contains some errors, but they are not distracting.
3Basic
A paper may be placed in this category if it has any one of the following characteristics:
The paraphrase is misconstrued, mishandled, or ignored, and the essay response is skewed in some manner.
Thinking is generic, flawed, and imprecise; transitions are missing or ineffective; and critical connections are unexplored.
Most ideas are sweeping generalities with little or no concrete development; are mostly repeated rather than explored; and consist of subjective anecdotes with little or no analysis. Like a 4, development is usually by addition.
Organization has paragraphing and/or overall structural weaknesses that disrupt the essay’s fluency.
Sentence structure and vocabulary are simplistic, redundant, and/or vague, resulting in inexact and awkward prose. Frequent and sometimes serious errors distract the reader from the content.
2 Substandard
A 2 paper generally has the following characteristics:
Both the paraphrase and the essay response are usually ignored, misconstrued, badly mishandled, or redefined to accommodate what the writer wants or is able to say.
Thinking is often seriously flawed. Transitions, when used, usually indicate the wrong logical connection, and critical connections are unexplored, resulting in disjointed reasoning.
Ideas are typically sweeping generalities, repeated with little or no development.Examples, when present, tend to be personal narrative with no analysis.
APaper in this category usually demonstrates a variety of structural weaknesses, such as lacking an overall plan, that seriously disrupt the essay’s meaning.
Vocabulary and sentence structure are typically very weak, making the prose difficult to interpret. Serious and frequent errors may gravely interfere with readability.
1Ineffectual
A 1 paper generally has the following characteristics:
Both the paraphrase and the essay response tend to be seriously misconstrued, mishandled, or ignored, or the paper may fail to deal with the topic altogether.
A combination of logical weaknesses demonstrates serious conceptual confusion.
Ideas are often vague generalizations, marked merely by statement and restatement.
Ideas may lack even a simple organizational plan, creating a seriously disjointed and chaotic essay.
Serious and frequent errors and problems with sentence structure and vocabulary generally render the paper incomprehensible.
1