Trait

4

3

2

1

Ownership of Ideas/Personal Investment

Demonstrates a clear sense of ownership of student's own text and ideas, as well as strong personal investment in learning about the topic through effective engagement with texts and a strong sense of inquiry.  Also through voice, creativity, style, and forceful prose.

Demonstrates a modest sense of ownership of student's own text and ideas, as well as some personal investment in learning about the topic through effective engagement with texts and a strong sense of inquiry.  Also through voice, some creativity, style, and clear prose.

Demonstrates minimal sense of ownership of his or her own text and ideas, as well as little personal investment in the learning process about the topic through effective engagement with texts and little sense of inquiry.  Also through uneven voice, little creativity, little style, and/or weak prose.

Demonstrates no sense of ownership of student's own text and ideas, and no personal investment in learning more about the topic.  Also through uneven voice, no creativity, little style, and weak prose.

Critical Analysis of Text

Writer not only comprehends the author's ideas and argument, connecting the parts to understand the whole text, but interprets and expands the ideas in light of her own thinking and questioning. This includes appropriate contextual, structural, textual analysis, rhetorical, or genre analysis.

Writer somewhat comprehends the author's ideas and argument, connecting the parts to understand the whole text, but interprets and expands it in a limited fashion, not deeply engaging the text.  This includes some contextual, structural, textual, rhetorical, or genre  analysis. 

Writer has a limited comprehension of the author's ideas and argument, not clearly distinguishing part to whole, and gives little personal interpretation, engagingly the text only superficially.  This includes no real textual analysis..

Writer has a limited comprehension of the author's ideas and argument, showing no awareness of parts connecting to the whole text, and offers almost no personal interpretation.  This includes no real  textual analysis.

Coherent Extended Argument

This paper consistently develops a complex set of assertions that support a specific idea, moving from an engaging question or problem to its resolution, providing a pleasing organization and seamless transitions.

This paper develops assertions that may be properly focused and resolved yet are moderate with regard to complexity OR develops assertions that are complex yet not entirely supported or focused in limited areas.  Organization and transitions are adequate.

This paper may have a clear focus and a few complex assertions at points but as the paper unfolds this focus is either abandoned or becomes confusing OR, the paper may start with no real focus and eventually hit on an argument that (whether complex or not) is never developed throughout. The paper's organization is problematic and transitions are not consistently effective.

This paper lacks any real focus and makes no overall claim, struggling to navigate through assertions. It barely develops points throughout and examines no question in any sustained depth. The paper may move from one point to the next in a type of free-write pattern reaching no ultimate resolution OR it may handle a simplistic topic in a repetitive fashion and similarly come to no ultimate resolution.  The author provides no clear organization and little guidance to the reader.

Integration of Outside Sources

Represents the supporting texts faithfully and concisely, using them to further develop the author's own argument while keeping her own argument and voice central.  Quote incorporation is smooth, effective, and is always analyzed or elaborated upon. Sources are cited correctly.

Represents texts faithfully if not concisely, generally using them to further develop the author's own argument while keeping her own argument or voice central.  Quote incorporation is smooth and effective but may not be elaborated upon.  Sources are generally cited correctly.

Represents texts in ways that seem unclear, vague, or inaccurate.  May not  choose sources to support the author's purpose or to further support her own argument.   Uses quotes too sporadically or drops source material into the essay so as to make the argument difficult to follow.   Sources are often cited incorrectly.

Misrepresents and misinterprets texts.  Uses sources in ways that seem fairly arbitrary or unclear.  Texts do not further her own argument and are of no value to the essay.  Uses at most one quotation, and drops source material with no further elaboration or analysis.  Sources are cited incorrectly.

Follow MLA style.

Formats the document as a whole and sources in particular (both within text and in the works cited page) with virtually no errors.

Formats the document as a whole and sources in particular (both within text and in the works cited page) with some errors but not enough to distract.

Formats the document as a whole and sources in particular (both within text and in the works cited page) with many errors, though the student demonstrate clear awareness of the need to follow MLA style.

Shows little awareness of MLA style either in formatting the document or citing sources.

Following (academic) genre conventions

Uses appropriately formal language, and a clear and powerful style, and makes choices based on an understanding of the genre; makes almost no errors in usage, mechanics, or syntax.

Uses generally formal language, a fairly natural voice, and a clear and concise style; makes some errors in usage, mechanics, or syntax but not enough to distract.

Uses a mixture of formal and conversational language, a weak voice, and a verbose or simplistic style; makes distracting errors in usage, mechanics, or syntax.

Uses inappropriate language and an unnatural voice, and has no clear style; the usage, mechanics, or syntax interfere with comprehension of the text.