Language Arts 9 Functional Writing Rubric

	CONTENT: Ideas & organization of the topic are effective; the purpose of the assignment is fulfilled with complete and appropriate information; the tone is appropriate for a business letter and awareness of audience is evident.	CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Words and expressions are used accurately and effectively; sentence structure, usage, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation) are controlled; the format of a business letter and envelope are consistently applied.
Meets the standard of Excellence 5	Ideas are well-developed & organization of the topic is clear & effective. Complete info. is presented, and this info. is enhanced by precise & appropriate details that effectively fulfill the purpose of the assignment. A tone appropriate for the addressee is clearly and effectively maintained.	Words and expressions used are consistently accurate and effective. The writing demonstrates confident and consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. The letter and envelope are essentially free from format errors.
Approaches the Standard of Excellence 4	The ideas are generally well-developed and organization of the topic is generally effective. Complete information is presented, and this information is substantiated by appropriate details that fulfill the purpose of the assignment. A tone appropriate for the addressee is clearly maintained.	Words & expressions used are usually accurate and effective. The writing demonstrates competent and generally consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. The letter and envelope contain few format errors and/or omissions.
Clearly Meets the Acceptable Standard 3	The ideas are adequately developed and organization of the topic is adequate. Some information is given, and this information is supported by enough detail to fulfill the purpose of the assignment. A tone appropriate for the addressee is generally maintained.	Words & expressions used are generally accurate and occa9ionally effective. The writing demonstrates basic control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors may occasionally impede meaning. The letter and envelope contain occasional format errors and/or omissions.
Does Not Clearly Meet the Acceptable Standard 2	The ideas are poorly developed and organization of the topic is ineffective. Information is lacking. Supporting details are scant, insignificant, and/or irrelevant. The purpose of the assignment is only partially fulfilled. A tone appropriate for the addressee is evident but not maintained.	Words and expressions used are frequently inaccurate and/or misused. The writing demonstrates faltering control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors impede meaning. The letter and envelope contain frequent format errors and/or omissions.
Clearly Below the Acceptable Standard 1	The ideas are not developed and organization of the topic, if present, is inadequate. Information is inappropriate and/or missing. The purpose of the assignment is not fulfilled. Little awareness of tone appropriate for the addressee is evident.	Words and expressions are inaccurate and/or misused. The writing demonstrates lack of control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors severely impede meaning. The letter and envelope contain numerous and glaring format errors and/or omissions.
Insufficient INS	The marker can discern no evidence of an attempt to fulfill the assignment, or the writing is so deficient in length that it is not possible to assess Content.	The writing has been awarded an INS for Content.

Language Arts 9 Narrative/Essay Writing Rubric

FOCUS	CONTENT Considers the reader; establishes a purpose; chooses ideas; supports the response; stays on topic	ORGANIZATION Demonstrates focus, coherent order, connections between events and/or details, closure	SENTENCE STRUCTURE Sentence structure is controlled, sentence type and length is effective and varied.	VOCABULARY Accuracy of words and expressions; effectiveness of the words & expressions; appropriateness & effectiveness of the writer's voice/tone	CONVENTIONS Mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, indentation) and Usage (subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement); clarity & flow of the response
Meets the Standard of Excellence 5	The writing captivates & holds the reader's interest and is creative and/or original. The writer's purpose is clear and sustained; the ideas used by the writer are carefully chosen and perceptive. Supporting details are precise and often creative. The writing is "on-topic" in that it directly addresses the assignment throughout the response.	The introduction is purposeful and interesting, and it clearly establishes an appropriate focus that is sustained. Events and/or details are arranged in paragraphs in a purposeful and effective order, and coherence is maintained. Transitions, either explicit or implicit, effectively connect events and/or details within sentences and between paragraphs. Closure is effective and purposeful.	Sentence structure is effectively and consistently controlled. Sentence type and sentence length are consistently effective and varied. Sentence beginnings are consistently varied.	Words and expressions are used accurately and deliberately to fulfill the writer's purpose. Specific words and expressions are used to create vivid images and/or enrich details. The writer's voice/tone is confident and appropriate, and it enhances the meaning.	The quality of the writing is enhanced because it is essentially error-free. The relative absence of error is impressive considering the complexity of the response.
Approaches the Standard of Excellence 4	The writing engages and holds the reader's interest. The writer's purpose, whether stated or implied, is clear and generally sustained. The ideas used by the writer are thoughtful. Supporting details relevant and specific. The writing is "on-topic" in that it directly addresses the assignment for most of the response.	The introduction is purposeful, and it clearly establishes an appropriate focus that is generally sustained. Events and/or details are arranged in paragraphs in a purposeful order, and coherence is generally sustained. Transitions, either explicit or implicit, appropriately connect events and/or details within sentences and between paragraphs. Closure is appropriate and related to the focus.	Sentence structure is consistently controlled. Sentence type and length are usually effective and varied. Sentence beginnings are often varied.	Words and expressions are often used accurately and effectively. Specific words and expressions show some evidence of careful selection and some awareness of connotative effect. The writer's voice/tone is clear and appropriate.	The quality of the writing is sustained because it contains only minor convention errors. Any errors that are present do not reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the response.
Clearly Meets the Acceptable Standard 3	The writing generally holds the reader's interest. The writer's purpose, whether stated or implied, is evident but may not be sustained. The ideas used by the writer are appropriate but conventional. Supporting details are relevant but general. The writing is "on-topic" in that it directly acknowledges the assignment in some part of the response.	The introduction is functional, and it establishes a focus that may be inconsistently sustained. Events and/or details are arranged in a discernible order, although coherence may falter occasionally. Transitions tend to be mechanical and may be used inconsistently within sentences and/or between paragraphs. Closure is related to the focus but may be mechanical and/or artificial.	Sentence structure is generally controlled, but lapses may occasionally impede meaning. Sentence type and sentence length are sometimes effective and/or varied. Some variety of sentence beginnings is evident.	Words and expressions are generally used appropriately. General words and expressions are sometimes used when specific words would be more effective. The writer's voice/tone is discernible but may be inconsistent or uneven.	The quality of the writing is sustained through generally correct use of conventions. Errors that are present may reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the response.
Does Not Clearly Meet the Acceptable Standard 2	The writing does not hold the reader's interest. The writer's purpose, whether stated or implied, is vague and not sustained. The ideas used by the writer are superficial. Supporting details are scant and/or vague. The writing is "off-topic" in that it only indirectly acknowledges the assignment in a vague or ambiguous manner.	The introduction may lack purpose and/or may not be functional; any focus established by the writer may not be sustained. The arrangement of events and/or details is not clearly discernible, and coherence falters frequently. Transitions within sentences and/or details ins not clearly discernible, and coherence falters frequently. Transitions within sentences and/or between paragraphs are lacking or may be inappropriate. Closure may be unrelated to the focus.	Sentence structure often lacks control, and this may impede the meaning. Sentence type and sentence length are rarely effective or varied; run-on sentences and/or sentence fragments, if present, often impede meaning. There is little variety of sentence beginnings.	Words and expressions are generally used appropriately but may convey only vague meanings. General words and expressions predominate; specific words, if present, may be misused. The writer's voice/tone is not clearly established or is inappropriate.	The quality of the writing is weakened by the frequently incorrect use of conventions. Errors reduce the clarity and interrupt the flow of the response.
Clearly Below the Acceptable Standard 1	The writing is confusing and/or frustrating for the reader. The writer's purpose is not evident or is very vague and not sustained. The ideas used by the writer are inappropriate and/or insufficient. Supporting details are irrelevant, inappropriate, and/or lacking. The writing is "off-topic" in that it does not respond to the assignment at all.	The introduction, if present, is not functional or is inappropriate; no focus is established. The arrangement of events and/or details is haphazard and incoherent. Transitions are not used within sentences or between paragraphs. Closure is inappropriate or missing.	Sentence structure generally lacks control, and this often impedes meaning. There is no variation of sentence type or sentence length; run-on sentences and/or sentence fragments, if present, severely impede meaning. There is no variety of sentence beginnings.	Words and expressions convey only vague meanings. Words and expressions are frequently misused. The writer's voice/tone is not evident.	The quality of the writing is limited by the consistently incorrect use of conventions. Errors severely reduce the clarity and interrupt the flow of the response.
Insufficient INS	The writer has written so little that it is not possible to assess Content.	The writing has been awarded and INS for content	The writing has been awarded and INS for content	The writing has been awarded and INS for content	The writing has been awarded and INS for content