New Jersey Holistic Scoring Rubric for Essay Writing 6pt

Scoring Criteria
Inadequate Command Limited Command 1 2 May lack opening and/or closing Attempts to focus May drift or shift focus Partial Command 3 May lack opening and/or closing Usually has single focus Adequate Command 4 Generally has opening/closing Single focus Strong Command 5 Superior Command 6

May lack opening CONTENT & and/or closing ORGANIZATION Communicates intended Minimal response to message to intended audience Relates to topic Opening and closing Focused Logical progression of ideas Transitions Appropriate details and information topic; uncertain focus

Opening and closing Opening and closing Single focus Single, distinct focus Sense of unity and Unified and coherent coherence Well-developed Key ideas developed Logical progression Logical progression of ideas of ideas Fluent, cohesive Moderately fluent Compositional risks successful Attempts compositional risks Details effective, vivid, explicit, and/or pertinent Very few, if any, errors

No planning evident; Attempts disorganized organization Few, if any, transitions between ideas Details random, inappropriate, or barely apparent No apparent control Severe/ numerous errors Details lack elaboration, i.e., highlight paper Numerous errors

Some lapses or flaws Ideas loosely in organization connected May lack some Transition evident transitions between ideas

Repetitious details Uneven development Details appropriate of details and varied Several unelaborated details Errors/ patterns of errors may be evident Some errors that do not interfere with meaning Few errors

USAGE Tense formation

Subject-verb agreement Pronouns usage/agreement Word choice/meaning Proper modifiers

SENTENCE CONTRUCTION Variety of type,

structure, and length Correct construction

Assortment of Excessive incomplete and/or monotony/ same incorrect sentences structure Numerous errors Errors so severe they Numerous serious detract from errors meaning

Little variety in syntax Some errors

Some errors that do not interfere with meaning

Few errors

Very few, if any, errors

MECHANICS Spelling Capitalization Punctuation

Patterns of errors evident

No consistent pattern Few errors of errors Some errors that do not interfere with meaning

Very few, if any, errors

Non-Scorable Responses

NR = No Response

Student wrote too little to allow reliable judgment of his/her writing.

NE = Not English WF = Wrong Format

Student wrote in a language other than English. Student refused to write on the topic, or the writing task folder was blank.

OT = Off Topic/ Off Student did not write on the assigned topic/task, Task or the student attempted to copy the prompt.