Georgia Milestones Seven-Point Two-Trait Argumentative Rubric for Grade 7

The student's response is a well-developed argument that effectively relates and supports claims with clear reasons and relevant text-based evidence. - Effectively introduces claim(s) - Uses an organizational strategy to clearly present reasons and relevant evidence logically - Supports claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence using specific, well-chosen facts, details, and/or information from credible sources and demonstrates a good understanding of the topic or text - Acknowledges or counters opposing claim(s), as appropriate - Uses words, phrases, and/or clauses that effectively connect and show clear, strong relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence - Maintains a formal style and tone that is appropriate for task, purposes, and audience - Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from argument presented.

The student's response is a developed argument that develops and supports claims with clear reasons and relevant text-based evidence. - Introduces claim(s) - Uses an organizational strategy to present reasons and evidence - Supports claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant text-based evidence - May acknowledge or counter opposing claim(s), as appropriate - Uses words, phrases, and/or clauses to connect and show relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence - Maintains a formal style and tone that is appropriate for task, purposes, and audience - Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

The student's response is an incomplete or oversimplified argument that partially supports claims with loosely related text-based evidence. - Attempts to introduce claim(s) - Attempts to use an organizational structure which may be formulaic - Attempts to support claim(s) with facts, reasons, and other evidence sometimes, but logic and relevance are often unclear - Makes little, if any, attempt to acknowledge or counter opposing claim(s) - Uses few words, phrases, or clauses to connect ideas; connections are not always clear - Uses a formal style inconsistently or an informal style that does not fit task, purpose, or audience - Provides a weak concluding statement or section that may not follow the argument presented.

The student's response is a weak attempt to write an argument and does not support claims with adequate text-based evidence. - May not introduce claim(s)/claim(s), or they must be inferred - May be too brief to demonstrate an organizational structure, or no structure is evident - Has minimal support for claim(s) - Makes no attempt to acknowledge or counter opposing claim(s) - Uses minimal or no words, phrases, or clauses to connect ideas - Uses very informal style that is not appropriate for task, purpose, or audience - Does not provide a concluding statement or section.

The student will receive a condition code for various reasons: - Blank - Copied - Too Limited to Score/Illegible/Incomprehensible - Non-English/Foreign Language - Off Topic/Off Task/Offensive.

The student's response demonstrates full command of language usage and conventions.* - Effectively varies sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style - Shows command of language and conventions - Any errors in usage and conventions do not interfere with meaning*.

The student's response demonstrates partial command of language usage and conventions. - Varies some sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style - Shows some knowledge of language and conventions when writing - Has minor errors in usage and conventions with no significant effect on meaning*.

The student's response demonstrates weak command of language usage and conventions. - Has fragments, run-ons, and/or other sentence structure errors - Shows little knowledge of language and conventions when writing - Has frequent errors in usage and conventions that interfere with meaning*.

The student will receive a condition code for various reasons: - Blank - Copied - Too Limited to Score/Illegible/Incomprehensible - Non-English/Foreign Language - Off Topic/Off Task/Offensive.