Criteria

Achievement
Level 1
(30%)
9 percent
No effort to write a
thesis statement or
to give support for
the main idea of the
essay. Essay is
missing the
introduction, body
paragraphs, or
conclusion.

Achievement
Level 2
(60%)

Achievement Level
Achievement
Achievement
Level 3
Level 4
(75%)
(85%)

Achievement
Level 5
(90%)

Achievement
Level 6
(100%)

18 percent
23 percent
26 percent
27 percent
30 percent
The essay contains The essay contains The essay contains The essay contains The essay contains
an introduction,
an introduction with an introduction with an introduction with an introduction with
body paragraph,
a thesis statement; a thesis statement; a clearly written
a well- considered,
and a conclusion. body paragraphs; body paragraphs
thesis statement; 2-3 clearly written thesis
The thesis sentence and a conclusion. with supporting
body paragraphs
statement; 2-3 body
may be weak or
The thesis may not ideas, and relevant, with effective
paragraphs with
absent. Support and be clearly stated, or detailed examples; supporting ideas, extremely effective
examples are under- the body
and a conclusion
and relevant,
supporting ideas,
developed or
paragraphs may not that summarizes the detailed examples; and relevant,
irrelevant.
contain enough
main points. The
and a conclusion
detailed examples;
Content and
support and details. essay is interesting that summarizes the and a conclusion
Clarity
The essays's
and fairly
main points. The
that summarizes the
(30% Weighting)
composition and
convincing. The
essay is interesting main points and
content show some essays's
and convincing. The encourages the
care and thought. composition and
essays's
reader to further
content show care composition and
think about the
and thought.
content show care topic. The essay is
and thought.
interesting and
convincing. The
essay's composition
and content show a
great deal of care
and thought.
9 percent
18 percent
23 percent
26 percent
27 percent
30 percent
No effort to organize Little effort made to The essay has weak The paragraph may The essay is well- The essay is very
the essay.
organize the
or ineffective
have some
organized, stays on- well-organized,
essay, which
organization, is
weaknesses in
topic, and is easy to tightly focused, and
includes little or no confusing to read, organization, but
read and
easy to understand
background
and/or does not
generally stays on- understand; it
without re-reading;
information about stay on-topic; it
topic and is not
includes enough
it includes enough
the issue/ topic and includes little or no confusing or
background
background
does not clearly
background
illogical; it includes information about information about
state the author's information about some background the issue/ topic and the issue/ topic and
Organization and
purpose or position. the issue/ topic and information about clearly states the
clearly states the
Coherence
The essay is
does not clearly
the issue/ topic and author's purpose or author's purpose or
(30% Weighting)
confusing and the state the author's states the author's position. The author position. The author
ideas in each
purpose or position. purpose or position. effectively
effectively
paragraph seem
The author may
The author provides transitions between transitions between
unrelated to the
ineffectively
transitions between paragraphs, and
paragraphs, and
thesis.
transition between paragraphs, and
gives a brief
gives a brief
paragraphs, and
gives a brief
summary of the main summary of the main
may not give a brief summary of the main points in the
points in the
summary of the main points in the
conclusion.
conclusion.
points in the
conclusion.
conclusion.
8 percent
15 percent
19 percent
21 percent
23 percent
25 percent
No effort to use
Little effort to use Limited success in Satisfactory effort Successful use of Very successful use
correct grammar and correct grammar and using correct
use of correct
correct grammar and of correct grammar
sentence structure; sentence structure; grammar and
grammar and
sentence structure; and sentence
no evidence of
little evidence of
sentence structure; sentence structure; evidence of editing. structure; evidence
editing.
editing.
limited evidence of evidence of editing. Final draft contains of editing. Final
Grammar,
editing.
Final draft still
very few errors such draft still few or no
Sentence
contains errors such as fragments, run- errors. Author uses
Structure, and
as fragments, run- ons, word usage
varied sentence
Vocabulary
ons, word usage
problems, and
structure and
(25% Weighting)
problems, and
subject-verb
effective word
subject-verb
agreement mistakes. choice.
agreement mistakes. Author makes some
attempt to vary
sentence structure
and vocabulary.
3 percent
6 percent
8 percent
9 percent
9 percent
10 percent
No effort.
Little or no effort to Unsuccessful effort Satisfactory effort to Successful effort to Excellent use of
Mechanics and
use correct spelling, to use correct
use correct spelling, use correct spelling, correct spelling,
capitalization, and spelling,
capitalization, and capitalization, and capitalization, and
Spelling

punctuation.

(10% Weighting)
2 percent
Illegible text.

Format
(5% Weighting)

3 percent
Does not try to
follow formatting
directions.

capitalization, and
punctuation.

punctuation.
Contains few
obvious errors.
4 percent
4 percent
Contains many
Some mistakes in
formatting mistakes. formatting.

punctuation.
Contains few or no
obvious errors.
5 percent
Mostly follows
formatting
directions.

punctuation.
Contains few or no
errors.
5 percent
Exactly follows
formatting
directions:
Name, date, and
course title in upper
right hand corner.
Centered title.
8.5x11 inch paper
with one-inch
margins.
Size 12 Times New
Roman font, double
spaced.
First line is
indented.