Rubric Domains
This domain of the rubric evaluates a writer's ability to establish and maintain an objective tone.
What is Language?
This type of writing depicts a sequence of events in order to communicate a message about the human condition to the reader.
What is Narrative writing?
Because the rubric requires a 3, 4, or 5 to maintain this specific tone, writers should avoid personal pronouns like "I," "me," or "my".
What is an objective tone?
These two punctuation marks are explicitly named as tools to "enhance sentence style" in scores 3 and above.
What are semicolons and colons?
This is the first step when taking a timed writing assessment.
What is reading the prompt?
This domain of the rubric evaluates a writer's inclusion of textual evidence to support their conclusions or claims.
What is Development?
This mode is the only one that explicitly requires the writer to "state a precise claim" and acknowledge the "strengths and limitations" of a counterclaim.
What is Argumentative writing?
A score of 2 is given if the writer utilizes these types of transitional words and phrases, which lack variety.
What are basic and repetitive?
To score a 3 or higher, a student must use this technique (defined as using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance) to add variety and interest to their writing.
What is parallel structure?
This is the process of correcting grammatical mistakes within an essay.
What is editing?
This domain of the rubric evaluates how effectively a writer clarifies relationships to create cohesion.
What is Focus and Organization?
This mode requires the writer to "synthesize ideas from multiple texts or quotes within a paragraph" to explain a concept rather than a plot.
What is Informational/Explanatory writing?
To score a 4/5, a student must use these literary techniques to help convey their ideas.
What are metaphors, similes, and analogies?
While a score of 4/5 has "little to no" errors, a score of 3 is allowed to have "occasional minor and/or major errors," as long as they do not do this.
What is "significantly interfere with meaning"?
This is the process of reading over an essay after writing the first draft to identify key places that need improvement.
What is proofreading?
These two domains of the rubric evaluate the readability of an essay, focusing on transitions between ideas, variety and interest, and grammatical structure.
What are Language and Conventions?
Both the Argumentative and Informational rubrics require a score of 4/5 to "consistently cite evidence" using this specific standard format.
What is MLA?
For a score of 5, the rubric specifies that sophisticated transitions must occur between these two specific elements of the essay.
What are paragraphs and ideas?
This is intentionally breaking standard grammar rules in order to emphasize a point or draw attention to a particular aspect of an essay.
What are "complex and contested grammatical structures and conventions"?
This is how long you should spend reading the passages and planning an essay before beginning on the first draft.
What is 10-15 minutes?
In the Focus & Organization domain, a score of 1 is given if the writing contains these two specific types of introduction or concluding statements.
What is "no" or "irrelevant"?
Both Argumentative and Informational modes require a score of 4/5 to end with this specific concluding element.
What is a thoughtful observation and/or call-to-action?
Rather than always using an objective tone in Narrative writing, we describe the tone as this that accounts for the tone of the source material.
What is appropriate?
Name at least 3 things that are included under the "conventions of standard written English" on the rubric.
Sentence structure, grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization, punctuation
This paragraph should be written after the body paragraphs to effectively present the essay's main claim.
What is the introduction?