Texas STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing Rubric - Grades 6-12 -English II

'Argument/opinion is clear and fully developed': The argument/opinion is clearly identifiable. The focus is consistent throughout, creating a response that is unified and easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are identified and refuted. 'Organization is effective': A purposeful structure that includes an effective introduction and conclusion is evident. The organizational structure is appropriate and effectively supports the development of the argument/opinion. The sentences, paragraphs, or ideas are logically connected in purposeful and highly effective ways. 'Evidence is specific, well chosen, and relevant': The response includes relevant text-based evidence that is clearly explained and consistently supports and develops the argument/opinion. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from both texts. The response reflects a thorough understanding of the writing purpose. 'Expression of ideas is clear and effective': The writer's word choice is specific, purposeful, and enhances the response. Almost all sentences and phrases are effectively crafted to convey the writer's ideas and contribute to the overall quality of the response and the clarity of the message.

'Argument/opinion is present and partially developed': An argument/opinion is presented, but it may not be clearly identifiable because it is not fully developed. The focus may not always be consistent and may not always be easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments may be identified but are not refuted. 'Organization is limited': A purposeful structure that includes an introduction and conclusion is present. An organizational structure may be apparent, but it may not be consistent and may not always support the logical development of the argument/opinion. Sentence-to-sentence connections and clarity may be lacking. 'Evidence is limited and may include some irrelevant information': The response may include some text-based evidence to support the argument/opinion, but it may be insufficiently explained, and/or some evidence may be irrelevant to the argument/opinion. For pairs, evidence is drawn from at least one of the texts. The response reflects partial understanding of the writing purpose. 'Expression of ideas is basic': The writer's word choice may be general and imprecise and at times may not convey the writer's ideas clearly. Sentences and phrases are at times ineffective and may interfere with the writer's intended meaning and weaken the message.

'Argument/opinion is evident but not developed': An argument/opinion is present but not developed appropriately in response to the writing task. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are not identified. 'Organization is minimal and/or weak:' An introduction or conclusion may be present. An organizational structure that supports logical development is not always evident or is not appropriate to the task. 'Evidence is insufficient and/or mostly irrelevant': Little text-based evidence is presented, or the evidence presented is mostly extraneous and/or repetitious. Explanation of any evidence presented is insufficient and may be only vaguely related to the writing task. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from only one text. The response reflects a limited understanding of the writing purpose. 'Expression of ideas is ineffective': The writer's word choice is vague or limited and may impede the quality and clarity of the essay. Sentences and phrases are often ineffective, interfere with the writer's intended meaning, and impact the strength and clarity of the message.

An argument/opinion may be evident. The response lacks an introduction and conclusion. An organizational structure is not evident. Evidence is not provided or is irrelevant. The response reflects a lack of understanding of the writing purpose. The expression of ideas is unclear and/or incoherent.

Student writing demonstrates consistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has few errors, but those errors do not impact the clarity of the writing.

Student writing demonstrates inconsistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including limited use of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has several errors, but the reader can understand the writer's thoughts.

Student writing demonstrates little to no command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including infrequent use of or no evidence of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has many errors, and these errors impact the clarity of the writing and the reader's understanding of the writing.