Argumentation/Opinion Text-Based Writing Rubric Grades 11–12 Score of 4 Score of 3 Score of 2 Score of 1 Reading/Research The writing – effective use of available resources supports an opinion with relevant and sufficient facts and details from resources with accuracy credible sources* The writing – adequate use of available resources an opinion with relevant and sufficient facts and details from resources with accuracy credible sources* The writing – limited use of available resources supports an opinion with relevant and sufficient facts and details from resources with accuracy uses credible sources* The writing – inadequate use of available resources to support an opinion with relevant and sufficient facts and details from resources with accuracy to use credible sources* Development The writing – all aspects of the writing task with a tightly focused response develops the claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases effective use of writing process (using technology if applicable) ∆ The writing – the writing task with a focused response the claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases adequate use of writing process (using technology if applicable) ∆ The writing – the writing task with an inconsistent focus develops the claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases limited use of writing process (using technology if applicable) ∆ The writing – to address the writing task but lacks focus to establish a claim or proposal the claim or proposal using insufficient and/or irrelevant details to support reasoning inadequate use of writing process (using technology if applicable) ∆ uses skillfully skillfully
Organization The writing – introduces precise, knowledgeable claim(s); establishes the significance of the claim(s); distinguishes the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claim(s) creates an organization that logically sequences claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence words, phrases, and /or clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims an effective concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented The writing – precise, knowledgeable claim(s); establishes the significance of the claim(s); distinguishes the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claim(s) an organization that logically sequences claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence words, phrases, and/or clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented The writing – the claim(s); however, may fail to establish the significance of the claim(s) and/or distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claim(s) a progression of ideas that may lack cohesion (ideas may be rambling and/or repetitive) uses words, phrases, and/or clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims a sense of closure The writing – the claim(s) little or no evidence of purposeful organization
Score of 4 Score of 3 Score of 2 Score of 1 Language/Conventions The writing – an exemplary command of standard English conventions employs language and tone appropriate to audience and purpose sentences that are constructed with appropriate variety in length and structure standard format for citation with few errors* The writing – a command of standard English conventions; errors do not interfere with understanding language and tone appropriate to audience and purpose sentences that are generally complete with sufficient variety in length and structure standard format for citation with few errors* The writing – a limited and/or inconsistent command of standard English conventions; errors may interfere with understanding employs language and tone appropriate to audience and purpose some sentence formation errors and/or a lack of sentence variety standard format for citation with several errors* The writing – a weak command of standard English conventions; errors interfere with understanding language and tone that are inappropriate to audience and purpose frequent and severe sentence formation errors and/or a lack of sentence variety standard format for citation with significant errors* * If applicable ∆ Added by NCSD#1 September 2012