Focus	Elaboration	Organization	Integration	
6	•	Subject and unifying event clear and maintained throughout with the event commented upon by the end of the composition
•	Clearly sets purpose of composition through successful introduction strategy
•	Reactions are effectively connected to unifying event
•	Effective closing which unifies the writing	•	All major episodes are developed by specific detail
•	Episodes developed evenly (to the same degree of specificity as appropriate)
•	Considerable Elaboration through multiple strategies (e.g., points of view/perspective, others’ reactions, dialogue, etc.)
•	Most episodes show significant depth of development
•	Word choice enhances specificity
•	Voice is appropriate for topic, purpose, and audience	•	Narrative structure is clear, effective, and appropriate – sequence of episodes is logically presented without gaps
•	Appropriate and purposeful paragraphing
•	Coherence and cohesion demonstrated by effective and varied devices (transitions, parallel structure, pronouns, etc.)
•	Paragraph development follows narrative sequence
•	All episodes and reactions logically presented and interrelated
•	Varied sentence structure and word choice produce cohesion	•	Fully-developed composition for grade level
•	Clear and purposeful Focus; in-depth, balanced Elaboration; sequence of episodes is coherently and cohesively developed throughout the composition	
5	•	Subject and unifying event clear and maintained throughout with the event commented upon by the end of the composition
•	Clearly sets purpose through effective opening or may attempt more sophisticated strategy (may not be completely successful)
•	Reactions are relevant to unifying event
•	Effective closing	•	All major episodes developed by specific detail
•	Most Elaboration is even or balanced
•	Some Elaboration through multiple strategies (e.g., points of view/perspective, others’ reactions, dialogue, etc.)
•	Word choice may enhance specificity
•	Voice is appropriate for topic, purpose, and audience	•	Narrative structure is clear and effective – sequence of episodes is logically presented through time without significant gaps
•	All paragraphs appropriate
•	Coherence and cohesion demonstrated by appropriate devices (transitions, parallel structure, pronouns, repetition, etc.)
•	Most episodes and reactions logically presented and interrelated
•	Some varied sentence structure and word choice produce cohesion	•	Developed composition for grade level
•	All features not equally well-developed throughout the composition
•	Depth is evident	
4	•	Subject and unifying event clear and maintained with event commented upon by the end of the composition
•	Sets purpose through effective opening
•	Reactions clearly present and appropriate
•	Has closing	•	Many major episodes developed by specific detail; some Elaboration may be general
•	Elaboration may not be even or balanced
•	Some depth
•	Word choice may enhance specificity
•	Voice is present but inconsistent	•	Narrative structure is evident – sequence of episodes moves through time with a beginning, a middle, and an ending with few gaps
•	Most paragraphs appropriate
•	Coherence (paragraph to paragraph) and cohesion (sentence to sentence) demonstrated with appropriate devices
•	Coherence may depend on holistic structure (e.g., chronology)
•	May have minor digressions
•	Most episodes logically presented and organized	•	Bare-bones-developed composition for grade level
•	Simple and clear, presenting nothing more than the essentials
•	Limited depth	
3	•	Subject and event clear; may be prompt-dependent
•	Minor Focus drift or lapses in logic
•	Reactions are present
•	May lack closing
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Focus	•	Some major episodes developed by specific detail; some Elaboration may be general or repetitive
•	May be list of specific episodes/reactions with some extensions
•	Limited depth
•	Voice shifts or disappears
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Elaboration	•	Narrative structure is evident – sequence of episodes moves through time with significant gaps
•	Some appropriate paragraphing
•	May have a major digression
•	May have intrusive or inappropriate transitional devices
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Organization	•	Partially developed
•	Some (or one) of the feature(s) are not sufficiently formed, but all are present
•	Inference is usually required	

	Focus	Elaboration	Organization	Integration	
2	•	Subject and/or event may be vague
•	Unrelated or illogical ideas or major drift from Focus (composition consists mostly of repetitions/redundancies)
•	Off-mode response (NOT narrative showing a sequence through time)
•	Multiple events without an umbrella statement
•	No reactions
•	Insufficient writing to determine that Focus can be sustained	•	List of episodes and/or reactions which may have extensions
•	Most Elaboration is general or consists of repetition/redundancy
•	No evidence of suitable voice
•	Insufficient writing to determine that the Elaboration can be maintained	•	Structure is noticeable, but the reader must infer it – sequence of episodes moves through time with either an expository preview developed by event/reaction, OR an event developed by reasons/examples
•	Limited evidence of appropriate paragraphing
•	May have major lapses/digressions
•	Insufficient writing to determine that Organization can be sustained	•	Attempts to address the assignment, but only rudiments of techniques for forming Focus, Elaboration, and Organization can be detected
•	Some confusion and/or disjointedness
•	Lacks narrative structure
•	Insufficient writing to determine that the features can be maintained	
1	•	Subject/event unclear
•	Reactions absent
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	May lack clarity
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	Little or no evidence of structure
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	Does not fulfill the assignment; barely deals with the topic; or 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