Performance Area

Clarity
(Structure)

Exceeds Standards
(8)

Meets Standards
(6)

Needs some improvement to

meet standards
(4)

Needs substantial
improvement to meet
standards
(2)

Written work has clear and

Written work has an adequate

Written work has weak beginning,

Written work has serious and

appropriate beginning,

beginning, development, and

development, and conclusion.

persistent errors.

development, and conclusion.

conclusion. Sections, paragraphing

Sections, paragraphing and

Sections, paragraphing and

and transitions are adequate.

transitions are deficient.

Written work provides in-depth

Written work sufficiently covers the

Written work does an inadequate

Written work does not cover the

coverage of the topic. Assertions

topic. Assertions are supported by

job of covering the topic. Assertions

topic. Assertions are not supported

are clearly supported by evidence.

evidence. In some cases, meaning is

are weakly supported by evidence.

by evidence.

Meaning is clear and apt.

unclear.

Poor word choice interferes with

Written work has no major errors in

Written work is relatively free of

Written work has several major

Written work has serious and

word selection and use, sentence

major errors in word selection and

errors in word selection and use,

persistent major errors in word

structure, spelling, punctuation, and

use, sentence structure, spelling,

sentence structure, spelling,

selection and use, sentence

capitalization.

punctuation, and capitalization.

punctuation, and capitalization.

structure, punctuation, and

transitions are clear and

appropriate.
Clarity
(Content)

meaning.
Grammar & Punctuation

capitalization.
See patterns, classify information,

Exceptionally defined and

Well defined and comprehensive

The logic and justification of the

The logic and justification of the

concepts & theories

comprehensive conceptual

conceptual framework with its

conceptual framework is weak.

conceptual framework has serious

framework with its

categories/elements or variables.

deficiencies.

categories/elements or variables.
Ability to use reasoned arguments
to judge evidence

The written work demonstrated an

The written work demonstrated

The written work demonstrated an

The written work demonstrated a

exceptional ability to judge

ability to judge arguments and

ability to judge arguments and

superficial command of the topic.

arguments and evidence.

evidence.5

evidence that could use marked

improvement.

(5)
Reference Page

Internal Referencing

The Reference Page demonstrates

The Reference Page demonstrates

The Reference Page demonstrates

The Reference Page is totally

APA style with no errors.

APA style with relatively few errors.

APA style with several major errors.

inconsistent with APA style.

The written work applies APA

The written work applies APA

The written work applies APA

The written work is totally

internal referencing with no major

internal referencing with relatively

internal referencing with several

inconsistent with internal

errors.

few errors.

major errors.

referencing in APA style.

Score
/Total score