Scoring Rubric 
Writing to Persuade

3 Points

Development: The writer identifies a clear position and fully supports or refutes that position with relevant personal and/or factual information.
Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is logical and consistently maintained.
Attention to Audience: The writer effectively addresses the needs and characteristics of the identified audience.
Language: The writer consistently uses language choices to enhance the text.

2 Points

Development: The writer identifies a clear position and partially supports or refutes that position with relevant personal and/or factual information.
Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is logical and maintained, but with minor flaws.
Attention to Audience: The writer adequately addresses the needs and characteristics of the identified audience.
Language: The writer frequently uses language choice to enhance the text.

1 Point

Development: The writer identifies a position, yet that position lacks clarity. The writer tries to support or refute that position with relevant personal and/or factual information.
Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is generally maintained.
Attention to Audience: The writer minimally addresses the needs and characteristics of the identified audience.
Language: The writer sometimes uses language choices to enhance the text.

0 Points

Development: The writer identifies an ambiguous position with little or no relevant personal and/or factual information to support that position; or the writer fails to identify a position.
Organization: The writer presents an argument that is illogical and/or minimally maintained.
Attention to Audience: The writer does not address the needs and characteristics of the identified audience.
Language: The writer seldom, if ever, uses language choices to enhance the text.

NSR (Non-Scorable Response)

Blank.         Off topic/task.         Unscorable.
 
 

3 Points - Throughout the text there is evidence of the writer using language choices and order for effective style, tone, and expression of meaning. The text uniformly conveys an impression of correctness, with few, if any, errors. Errors that occur may appear as a consequence of risk-taking in language use. The writer consistently:
? uses varied sentence formation to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? uses language choices to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? demonstrates correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

2 Points - Through much of the text there is evidence of the writer using language choices and order for effective style, tone, and expression of meaning. The text generally conveys an impression of correctness, with few, if any, errors. The errors that occur may be of one or two types and occur infrequently. Sometimes errors that occur may appear as a consequence of risk-taking in language use. The writer frequently:
? uses varied sentence formation to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? uses language choices to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? demonstrates correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

1 Point - In portions of the text there is evidence of the writer using language choices and order for effective style, tone, and expression of meaning. Errors of several types may occur and may be repeated. Errors do not appear to be the result of risk-taking. The writer sometimes:
? uses varied sentence formation to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? uses language choices to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? demonstrates correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

0 Points - In little or none of the text there is evidence of the writer using language choices and order for effective style, tone, and expression of meaning. The text uniformly conveys an overall impression of being error-ridden. Errors do not appear to be the result of risk-taking. The writer rarely or never:
? uses varied sentence formation to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? uses language choices to create style and tone and to enhance meaning.
? demonstrates correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

Special thanks to Cam Miller, Stephen Decatur Middle School, Worcester County