Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Not only uses strategies appropriate to assignment, such as cause and effect, analysis, argument, paraphrase, comparison/contrast, narration, description, definition, mediation, synthesis, exposition, etc…. 

·          But also includes necessary background and expository material for level of audience knowledge

·          And uses multiple examples to illustrate main points/generalizations

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·          Engages with specific ideas and complexities of readings

·          Accurately reflects and fairly represents the tone, purpose, and meaning of each source cited

·          Identifies key ideas within a reading or among multiple readings and examines their interrelationships, functions within the whole, and significance

·          Explains, paraphrases, and incorporates quotations from sources logically, effectively, and even gracefully

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·          Integrates focused information and ideas from multiple sources in order to write a well-organized discussion or argument

·          All paragraphs contribute to development of thesis

·          Uses evidence that clearly and deliberately appeals to logos, pathos, and/or ethos

·          Uses a variety of evidence (facts and statistics, expert opinion, and personal anecdotes when appropriate) amply, fairly, convincingly, appropriately, and with correct documentation

·          Uses evidence drawn from reliable, timely research sources (reputable books, periodicals, documents, on-line sources; effectively conducted interviews, surveys)

·          Uses strategies appropriate to assignment, such as cause and effect, analysis, argument, paraphrase, comparison/contrast, narration, description, definition, mediation, synthesis, exposition, etc.

·          Uses a few examples that illustrate main points/generalizations

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·          Engages with specific ideas of readings

·          Almost always accurately reflects and fairly represents the tone, purpose, and meaning of each source

·          Identifies key ideas within a reading or among multiple readings

·          Explains, paraphrases, and incorporates quotations from sources logically

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·          Integrates focused information and ideas

·          Contains paragraphs that contribute to development of thesis

·          Uses evidence that appeals to logos, pathos, and/or ethos

·          Relies on one or two types of evidence, especially anecdotal

·          Uses evidence drawn from reliable research sources appropriately and with correct documentation

·          May use evidence of indeterminate quality

·          Does not use rhetorical strategies appropriate to assignment, thus making it difficult to assess essay’s purpose and adherence to assignment guidelines  

·          Does not include necessary background and expository material for level of audience knowledge, so audience is easily confused

·          Use too few examples to illustrate main points/generalizations

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·          Offers a simple overview or incomplete coverage of readings

·          Inaccurately reflects and unfairly represents the tone, purpose, and/or meaning of sources

·          Does not identify key ideas within readings but instead focuses on less significant ideas, or does not examine the interrelationships, functions within the whole, and significance of key ideas

·          If includes quotations from sources, does not explain, paraphrase, and incorporate them logically

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·          Does not effectively integrate focused information and ideas, so essay lacks organization or effective argumentation

·          Contains digressions from thesis and purpose

·          Does not use enough evidence, or uses evidence that offers faulty appeals to logos, pathos, and/or ethos

·          Uses evidence drawn from unreliable research sources (chat-rooms and web sources, inappropriate or too much anecdotal information, unreliable print sources such as tabloids or dated material, sources with insufficient documentation to determine reliability)

·          Incorrectly documents or even plagiarizes from secondary sources

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Uses standard essay structure (introduction, body, and conclusion), and develops those parts in a particularly effective or creative manner: for example, a cogent synthesis of the main ideas or attention-getting introduction

·          Contains a specific, articulate, and assertive thesis statement expressing paper’s main idea at an appropriate location early in the essay

·          Effectively uses paragraphing and paragraph breaks, and features paragraphs with topic sentences that articulate the main idea of the paragraph

·          Uses principles of sequence, ordering, and emphasis through paragraphing to achieve a deliberate rhetorical effect

·          Develops unified paragraphs through relevant examples, reasons, support, evidence, description, explanation, facts, statistics, anecdotes, and/or definitions of key terms

·          Uses topic sentences to express main ideas of paragraphs, to clarify meaning or structure, and to advance thesis idea

·          Uses transition words and phrases to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs

·         Uses conclusion to reinforce purpose of paper, synthesize main ideas, and gracefully lead the reader out of the essay

·          Uses standard essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion

·          Contains thesis statement in the form of assertion expressing paper’s main idea

·          Thesis may be located at counterintuitive location

·          Correctly uses paragraphing and paragraph breaks, and uses paragraphs with topic sentences

·          Most paragraphs are unified, develop a single idea, and feature a topic sentence that adequately articulates that single idea

·          Uses conclusion to reinforce purpose of paper

·          Does not use standard essay structure of introduction, body, and conclusion

·          Does not contain a thesis statement that expresses paper’s main idea, or thesis not stated in the form of assertion and/or claim, or thesis is located at an inappropriate location in essay

·          Does not correctly use paragraphing and paragraph breaks, or does not use paragraphs with topic sentences, leading to confusion or difficult reading

·          Orders paragraphs arbitrarily,  unclearly, or with no sense of deliberate rhetorical effect

·          Does not contain unified paragraphs; paragraphs digress from purpose or lack relevant examples, reasons, support, evidence, description, explanation, facts, statistics, anecdotes, and definitions of key terms

·          Paragraphs lack topic sentences, or topic sentences do not express main ideas of paragraphs, clarify meaning or structure, or advance thesis idea

·         Conclusion digresses from purpose of paper or introduces new ideas

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Not only uses sentences correctly, but also uses sentences in particularly effective ways, such as those listed below:

·          Uses varied sentence structure with attention to coordination, subordination, and other tactics of emphasis

·          Experiments with and plays with language; uses figurative language to unique effect (creativity)

·          Employs transitions between ideas such as linking/repeating ideas and words, parallel structure, and transitional expressions

·         Employs an overall style/voice which includes the sentence-level concepts of formal versus informal syntax, parallel structures, and several other less well-defined variables to arrive at a mature and graceful use of language 

·          Uses sentences correctly: demonstrates an understanding of how sentences work and are constructed (parts of speech, sentence types, completeness)

·          Uses simple or unvaried sentence structures

·          Uses language in strictly utilitarian manner; does not demonstrate creativity with language

·          Does not use sentences correctly: does not demonstrate an understanding of how sentences work and are constructed (parts of speech, sentence types, completeness)

·          Uses confusing or awkward sentence structures that interfere with intended meaning

·          Employs no transitions between ideas, so paper is choppy or has gaps between ideas and thus is difficult to follow

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations /D-F

·          Consistently uses correct and appropriate diction for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·          Uses interesting, varied, and possibly sophisticated language and word choice

·          Employs an overall style/voice which includes the word-level concepts of formal versus informal diction, active versus passive voice, consistent and logical verb tenses, and several other less well-defined variables to arrive at a mature and graceful use of language

·         Avoids wordiness, repetition, and clichés

·          Generally uses correct and appropriate diction for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·         Contains wordiness, repetition, and/or clichés

·          Misuses formal or informal language for assignment’s audience and expectations of formality

·          Uses incorrect word choices

·          Overuses passive voice

·         Uses incorrect verb tenses or mixes verb tenses

Above Average / Exceeds Expectations / A-B

Average / Meets Expectations / C

Below Average / Doesn’t Meet Expectations / D-F

·          Uses correct grammar: correctly uses pronoun-antecedent and subject-verb agreement, shifts in verb and mood, modifiers (dangling and otherwise); avoids gender-biased language

·          Correctly uses punctuation like commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, quotation marks; avoids fragments, run-ons, and comma splices

·          Adheres to correct spelling, capitalization, and abbreviation

·          Employs judicious and effective usage of means of mechanical emphasis (underline, bold, italics)

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·          Not only cites sources and uses acceptable paraphrasing

·         But also follows the assigned documentation convention in the body of the paper through correctly formatted footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical citations and follows the assigned documentation convention in the paper’s Works Cited or Reference page/s

·          Contains only a few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, emphasis, etc (see “Above Average” description) so that meaning and readability are not greatly impeded

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·          Cites sources, demonstrating an understanding of the obligation to document source material that is not common knowledge

·          Uses acceptable paraphrasing, including providing context, changing syntax, using synonyms, and retaining the sense of the original

·          Does not follow the assigned documentation convention in the body of the paper through correctly formatted footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical citations, though generally demonstrates an understanding of what material should be cited 

·         Works Cited or References are incomplete or inconsistently formatted

·          Contains so many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, emphasis, etc (see “Above Average” description) that meaning and readability are impeded

 

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·          Does not cite sources, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the obligation to document source material that is not common knowledge, even to the point of plagiarism

·          Does not appropriately indicate or integrate paraphrases, suggesting that the ideas are the student’s

·          Does not contain a Works Cited or Reference page/s