Statement of Purpose & Focus
[ideas, content]
*opposing claim wording is ignored for expository writing / Response fully sustained & consistently & purposefully focused; Claim is clearly stated, focusedstrongly maintained [claim is echoed in topic and concluding sentence of each body paragraph];alternate or opposing claims are clearly addressed*; claim is introduced and communicated clearly within the context / Response adequately sustained & generally focused;
Claim is clear & for the most part maintained though some loosely related material may be present; alternate or opposing claims are clearly addressed adequate context provided for claim
Organization / Response has clear & effective organizational structure creating unity & completeness: claim is introduced & communicated clearly within the context; logical progression of ideas beginning to end; effective [analytical]introduction & [insightful] conclusion for audience & purpose; strong connections among ideas [strong paragraph format with topic sentence and concluding sentences] / Response has evident organizational structure & sense of completeness with minor flaws or loosely connected ideas
claim is introduced & communicated clearly within the context; adequate progression of ideas beginning to end; adequate introduction & conclusion for audience & purpose; adequate connections among ideas
Organization
[sentence fluency: various sentence structure and lengths] / Effective, consistent use of a variety of transitional strategies; strong connections among ideas with some syntactic variety / Adequate use of transitional strategies with some variety
Conventions / 2 / 1 / 0
Variety: A range of errors includes formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage, and spelling
Severity: Basic errors are more heavily weighted than higher-level errors.
Density: The proportion of errors to the amount of writing done well. This includes the ratio of errors to the length of the piece. / Response demonstrates a strong command of conventions; few, if any, errors are present in usage and sentence formation [no awkward fluency; no deadwood]; effective & consistent use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling [MLA format practically publishable, no I (except narrative tasks), literary analysis is present tense] / Response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions; some errors in usage and sentence formation may be present but no systematic pattern of errors is displayed; adequate use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling / The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions: frequent errors in usage may obscure meaning; inconsistent use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
Language & Elaboration of Evidence / 4 / 3
Elaboration of Evidence
[ideas, content, voice] / Response provides thorough & convincing support/ evidence for claim including effective use of sources, facts, and details. Response achieves substantial depth that is specific & relevant. use of evidence from sources is comprehensive, relevant, & concrete; effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques; [evidence + ideas blend for an intellectual conversation between texts and ideas] / Response provides adequate support/ evidence for claim including theuse of sources, facts, and details. Response achieves some depth & some specificity but is predominantly general. some evidence from sources is integrated, though citations may be general or imprecise; adequate use of a elaborative techniques
[sentence fluency] / Use of sources is smoothly integrated [sentence fluency & transitions to/from quotations blending with ideas] / Use of sources is smoothly integrated
[word choice] / Response clearly & effectively expresses ideas, using precise language [eradicate “thing”]; use of academic and domain-specific vocabulary is clearly appropriate for audience & purpose / Response clearly & effectively expresses ideas, using precise language; use of academic and domain-specific vocabulary is clearly appropriate for audience & purpose
Research / 2
(At 2 points per element, research =6 points) / 1 / 0
Analyze/
Integrate Information / Response gives sufficient evidence of ability to gather, analyze, and integrate information within and among multiple sources of information.[Balance use of paraphrases and quotes] / limited evidence / no evidence
Evaluate Information/ Sources / Response gives sufficient evidence of ability to evaluate the credibility, completeness, relevancy, and/or accuracy of information & sources. / limited evidence / no evidence
Use of Evidence / Response gives sufficient evidence of ability to cite evidence to support arguments and/or ideas. [Consistently & correctly attribute others’ ideas.] / limited evidence / no evidence
This Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA)-aligned rubric was revised 27 September 2016.