Focus	Support	Organization	Integration	
6	•	Effective opening (may or may not include specific preview) which displays some sophistication through the use of anecdotes, quotations, definitions, personal appeals or other effective strategies; may develop the Focus inductively
•	Clearly maintains logic throughout
•	Effective closing which unifies the writing	•	All major points developed by specific detail
•	Most key points are developed evenly – to the same degree of specificity
•	Extensive development of Support through multiple strategies (e.g., explanation, evidence, and example)
•	Word choice enhances specificity
•	Voice is appropriate to topic, purpose, and audience	•	Structure is clear and appropriate to purpose
•	All points appropriately paragraphed
•	Coherence and cohesion demonstrated by effective and varied transitions or other devices (e.g., transitions, parallel structure, pronouns, repetition, etc.)
•	All points are logically presented and interrelated
•	Varied sentence structure and word choice produce cohesion	•	Fully developed for grade level
•	Clear and purposeful Focus; in-depth balanced Support; lines of reasoning identified and developed coherently and cohesively throughout	
5	•	Sets purpose through effective thematic introduction, a specific preview, or may attempt more sophisticated strategy; could be developed inductively
•	Clearly maintains logic throughout
•	Effective closing - more than a simple restatement of the introduction	•	All major points are developed by specific detail; Support may not be even or balanced
•	Some Support developed through multiple strategies (e.g., explanation, evidence, and example)
•	Word choice enhances specificity
•	Voice is appropriate to topic, purpose, and audience	•	Structure is clear and appropriate to purpose
•	Most major points appropriately paragraphed
•	Coherence and cohesion demonstrated by appropriate transitions or other devices (e.g., transitions, parallel structure, pronouns, repetition, etc.)
•	Most points are logically presented and interrelated
•	Some varied sentence structure and word choice produce cohesion	•	Developed for grade level
•	All features are adequately developed but not equally well developed, throughout	
4	•	Subject/position (or issue) is identified by a general opening or a specific preview (No ‘launch’)
•	If previewed, composition develops only previewed points
•	Maintains logic/position throughout
•	Clear closing is evident (may be simple restatement of the introduction)	•	Most main points are developed by specific detail
•	All key points supported but not necessarily evenly or in depth
•	Word choice may enhance specificity
•	Voice is present but not consistent	•	Structure is evident
•	Most major points appropriately paragraphed
•	Coherence (paragraph to paragraph) and cohesion (sentence to sentence) demonstrated with appropriate transitions or other devices
•	May have minor digression
•	Most points logically presented and organized	•	Bare-bones-developed composition for grade level
•	Simple and clear, presents nothing more than the essentials
•	Limited depth	
3	•	Subject/position (or issue) identified by at least a brief, general opening statement or is established somewhere in the composition
•	If previewed, composition develops more or fewer points than previewed (over-promise or over-deliver)
•	Minor Focus drift or lapses in logic (not really separate ideas – repetitious)
•	May lack closing
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate a developed Focus	•	Some major points are developed by specific detail (e.g., second-order ideas beyond major point); some Support may be general
•	Some Support of key points – but may lack depth
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Support
•	Voice shifts or disappears	•	Structure is noticeable
•	Some appropriate paragraphing
•	May have a major digression
•	May have inappropriate or intrusive transitions that disrupt the progression of ideas (e.g., “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Lastly” used within paragraphs)
•	Lacks sufficiency to demonstrate developed Organization	•	Partially developed
•	Some (or one) of the feature(s) may not be sufficiently formed, but all are present
•	Inference is usually required	

	Focus	Support	Organization	Integration	
2	•	Subject/position (or issue) may be vague or prompt-dependent; may launch with no unifying statement anywhere, or repeat prompt or a portion of it as the only focusing statement
•	Unrelated or illogical ideas or major drift from Focus (composition consists mostly of repetitions and redundancies)
•	Off-mode response that does NOT serve persuasive purpose
•	Multiple subjects/positions without a unifying umbrella statement
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that subject/issue can be sustained	•	Most Support is general or consists of repetition/redundancy
•	Simple list that may have some extensions
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that the Support can be maintained
•	No evidence of suitable voice	•	Structure is attempted, but the reader must infer it
•	Limited evidence of appropriate paragraphing
•	Limited structure within paragraphs (e.g., little purposeful ordering of sentences)
•	Lacks appropriate persuasive structure
•	May have major lapses/digressions
•	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
•	Lacks appropriate persuasive structure
•	May be insufficient writing to determine that features can be maintained	
1	•	Subject/position (or issue) unclear
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	Support may lack clarity
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	Little or no evidence of a plan
•	Insufficient writing to show that criteria are met	•	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