Academic Expectation 1
Students will write clearly and effectively, producing work that is informative, well organized, and appropriate to its purpose.
Levels of Performance
Criteria		Exemplary		Proficient		Developing		Beginning
		Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting highest level of performance.		Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.		Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting movement and development towards mastering performance.		Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.
Focus	▪	Expresses a specific, supportable central idea in a sophisticated and concise manner	▪	Expresses a specific, supportable central idea in a concise manner	▪	Expresses a vague, somewhat supportable central idea	▪	Expresses an extremely vague, trite, and/or insupportable central idea
Organization	▪	Begins in a dynamic fashion that immediately captures the reader	▪	Begins in a capable fashion that captures the reader	▪	Begins in perfunctory fashion with limited capacity to interest the reader	▪	Offers no introduction to the reader
	▪	Establishes a clear, concise, and compelling preview of the paper’s purpose	▪	Establishes a clear and concise preview of the paper’s purpose	▪	Attempts to preview the paper’s purpose	▪	Neglects to preview the paper’s purpose
	▪	Crafts an argument that is creative and original and demonstrates critical thinking	▪	Crafts a competent argument that is somewhat limited in creativity, originality, and/or critical thinking	▪	Presents a broad and unclear argument	▪	Presents no argument; simply reiterates facts
	▪	Connects the conclusion clearly to the central idea in a refreshing and memorable manner	▪	Connects the conclusion clearly to the central idea	▪	Makes some connections between the conclusion and the central idea	▪	Makes no connections between the conclusion and the central idea
	▪	Develops a logical and coherent structure that flows smoothly	▪	Develops a logical and coherent structure	▪	Develops a structure that is confusing	▪	Neglects to develop a structure
	▪	Provides a strong reflective sense of closure	▪	Provides a sense of closure	▪	Provides a limited sense of closure	▪	Provides no closure
Content	▪	Employs sufficient and well-chosen evidence that is relevant to the central idea	▪	Employs sufficient evidence that is relevant to the central idea	▪	Provides some evidence that may or may not be relevant to the central idea	▪	Provides little or no evidence relevant to the central idea
	▪	Develops and analyzes content with sophistication and originality taking risks with ideas	▪	Develops and analyzes content, taking limited risks with ideas	▪	Reiterates content with a lack of analysis	▪	Does not attempt analysis
	▪	Chooses words with careful attention to connotation and denotation	▪	Chooses words with some attention to connotation and denotation	▪	Uses words with minimal attention to connotation and denotation	▪	Relies on colloquial phrases and vague word choices
Conventions	▪	Uses appropriate grammar and spells correctly throughout	▪	Uses appropriate grammar and spells correctly most of the time	▪	Makes grammatical and spelling errors that distract but do not compromise the meaning	▪	Makes grammatical and spelling errors that compromise meaning
	▪	When appropriate, uses the correct citation and bibliographic format consistently	▪	When appropriate, uses the correct citation and bibliographic format most of the time	▪	Uses incorrect citation and bibliographic formats	▪	Does not use citations and bibliographic formats
Style	▪	Demonstrates an insightful awareness of the audience	▪	Demonstrates an awareness of audience	▪	Demonstrates a limited awareness of audience	▪	Demonstrates no awareness of audience
	▪	Uses tone to enhance the content and advance the central idea	▪	Uses tone, on occasion, to enhance the content and advance the central idea	▪	Rarely uses tone to enhance the content and to advance the central idea	▪	Does not use tone to enhance the content and advance the central idea
	▪	Uses word choice, figurative language, and a variety of literary conventions creatively in order to maintain the reader’s attention and reinforce the central idea	▪	Uses word choice, figurative language, and a limited number of literary conventions in order to maintain the reader’s attention and/or reinforce the central idea	▪	Rarely uses word choice, figurative language, and literary conventions in order to maintain the reader’s attention and/or reinforce the central idea	▪	Does not use word choice, figurative language, and literary conventions in order to maintain the reader’s attention and/or reinforce the central idea
Process	▪	Refines the document systematically through a series of revisions	▪	Refines the document through a series of revisions	▪	Rarely refines the document through revisions	▪	Does not refine the document through revisions
	▪	Edits the final draft to produce an error-free document	▪	Edits the final draft to produce a nearly error-free document	▪	Delivers a final draft with numerous errors	▪	Delivers a final draft with numerous errors which compromise its coherence