Delaware - Smarter Balanced Opinion Performance Task Writing Rubric - Grades 3-5

The response has a clear and effective organizational structure, creating a sense of unity and completeness. The organization is sustained between and within paragraphs. The response is consistently and purposefully focused.

The response has an evident organizational structure and a sense of completeness. Though there may be minor flaws, they do not interfere with the overall coherence. The organization is adequately sustained between and within paragraphs. The response is generally focused.

The response has an inconsistent organizational structure. Some flaws are evident, and some ideas may be loosely connected. The organization is somewhat sustained between and within paragraphs. The response may have a minor drift in focus.

The response has little or no discernible organizational structure. The response may be related to the topic but may provide little or no focus.

Insufficient (includes copied text) in a language other than English • Off-topic • Off-purpose

The response provides thorough and convincing elaboration of the support/evidence for the opinion and supporting idea(s) that includes the effective use of source material. The response clearly and effectively develops ideas, using precise language.

The response provides adequate elaboration of the support/evidence for the opinion and supporting idea(s) that includes the use of source material. The response adequately develops ideas, employing a mix of precise with more general language.

The response provides uneven, cursory elaboration of the support/evidence for the opinion and supporting idea(s) that includes partial or uneven use of source material. The response develops ideas unevenly, using simplistic language.

The response provides minimal elaboration of the support/evidence for the opinion and supporting idea(s) that includes little or no use of source material. The response is vague, lacks clarity, or is confusing.

Insufficient (includes copied text) in a language other than English • Off-topic • Off-purpose

The response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions: • adequate use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage, and spelling.

The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions: • limited use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage, and spelling.

The response demonstrates little or no command of conventions: • infrequent use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage, and spelling • insufficient (includes copied text) • in a language other than English • Off-topic.