Focus	Support	Organization	Integration	
6	•	Sets purpose of composition in introduction through either a thematic introduction or specific preview
•	Maintains position/logic throughout
•	If previewed, each point is addressed
•	Effective closing (may be restatement of points in the introduction)	•	Most major points supported with specific detail; some may be developed with more detail than others (not balanced or even)
•	Some development of depth
•	Word choice may enhance specificity
•	Voice is appropriate for topic, purpose, and audience	•	Structure is evident
•	Major points are appropriately paragraphed
•	Coherence and cohesion demonstrated through some appropriate use of devices such as transitions, pronouns, causal linkage, parallel structure, etc.
•	Varied sentence structure produces some cohesion	•	Fully-developed for grade level
•	Clear and purposeful Focus; in-depth Support; lines of reasoning identified and developed coherently and/or cohesively throughout the composition	
5	•	Subject/position (or issue) clear, identified by at least an opening statement (may be general)
•	Sufficient Support to maintain subject (cannot be a giant Focus)
•	If previewed, each point is addressed
•	Maintains position/logic throughout – separate ideas
•	Has closing	•	Some Support developed by specific details (i.e., second-order ideas beyond major point); some may be general
•	Attempt to develop depth
•	Voice is appropriate for topic, purpose, and audience	•	Structure is evident
•	Most major points are appropriately paragraphed
•	Coherence and some cohesion evident (sentence to sentence), may depend on formulaic structure
•	Most transitions are appropriate
•	May have minor digressions	•	Developed for grade level
•	All features are not equally well developed throughout the pap	
4	•	Subject may be prompt-dependent (rely upon reader’s familiarity with the prompt); position (or issue) may require reader inference; writer launches into topic without providing an opening statement
•	If previewed, may develop fewer or more points than delineated in opening (over-promise or over-deliver)
•	Minor Focus drift or lapse in logic (not really separate ideas – repetitious)
•	May lack closing	•	Most Support may be general
•	May include list of specifics with some extensions
•	Little depth
•	Little evidence of suitable voice	•	Structure is noticeable; reader may still have to infer it
•	Some structure within paragraphs (e.g., some purposeful ordering of sentences)
•	Some major points are appropriately paragraphed
•	Has some evidence of coherence (paragraph to paragraph), may depend on formulaic structure
•	If present, transitions may be simplistic or redundant, but not intrusive
•	May have minor digressions	•	Bare-bones-developed composition for grade level
•	Simple, clear, presenting nothing more than the essentials
•	Limited depth	
3	•	Subject/position (or issue) may lack clarity
•	Multiple positions without a unifying umbrella statement
•	Off-mode response NOT serving expository purpose
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate a developed Focus	•	Most Support is general or underdeveloped
•	Consists of a list of unrelated specifics without extensions
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Support
•	No evidence of suitable voice	•	Structure is attempted, but the reader must work hard to infer it
•	Off-Mode response NOT serving the Expository purpose
•	May have major digressions
•	May have inappropriate or intrusive transitions
•	May have little evidence of appropriate paragraphing
•	May have little structure within paragraphs (e.g., lacks purposeful ordering of sentences)
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Organization	•	Partially developed
•	Some (or one) of the features may not be sufficiently formed, but all are present
•	Lacks appropriate expository structure
•	Inference is usually required	
2	•	Subject/position (or issue) is vague
•	Unrelated ideas or major drift from Focus
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that subject/issue (or position) can be sustained	•	Attempt at Support is made
•	May be confusing, unclear, or redundant/repetitious
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that Support can be maintained	•	Confusing
•	Structure may be attempted but with little success (random presentation of ideas)
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that Organization can be sustained	•	Attempts to address the assignment, but only rudiments of techniques for forming Focus, Support, and Organization can be detected
•	Some confusion and/or disjointedness
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that features can be maintained	
1	•	Subject/position (or issue) absent
•	Insufficient writing to meet criteria	•	Support is absent
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met specificity.	•	Very confusing; little or no attempt at structure
•	Insufficient writing to meet criteria	•	Does not fulfill the assignment; barely deals with the topic; does not present most or all of the features
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	

	Conventions	
3	•	Strong knowledge of conventions is demonstrated
•	Standards of punctuation, capitalization. and spelling are consistently followed – may have minor lapses
•	May have minor errors in usage and sentence formation
•	A variety of sentence structures is evident	
2	•	Partial knowledge of conventions is evident
•	Severity and density of errors constitute a noticeable pattern
•	Little attempt at varying sentence structures	
1	•	Little or no discernable knowledge of conventions
•	Severity and density of errors is such that meaning is impaired
•	Sentence structure is simplistic or in error