Criteria for Success/Rubric
Argument Writing
(Adapted from AIR Test: Kid-Friendly Language)
Exceeding
Purpose
Focus
Organization
Developing
*address the opposing
claim
*maintain claim (keep
evidence relevant)
* plus the meeting criteria
*use transition words (signal
words) to move between
ideas
*address the opposing
claim
* plus the meeting criteria
*maintain your position on the
claim
* doesn’t maintain position
on claim
*address the opposing
claim
*start with an introduction,
provide sufficient evidence,
end with a conclusion
*use transition words (signal
words) to move between
ideas
*inconsistent use of
transition words,, or not
enough
*correct referencing of
sources
*provide relevant, specific,
and sufficient evidence
*support claim in different
ways
*ideas make sense
*use grade level vocabulary
*evidence is weak,
repetitive, or irrelevant
* plus the meeting criteria
Evidence &
Elaboration
Meeting
*multiple, correct citations
of sources that make sense
*uses text in multiple ways
to support claim (i.e. text
features)
*plus all meeting criteria
*identify claim, or opposing
claim, provides irrelevant or
insufficient evidence
*loosely related ideas
*ideas are elementary
*doesn’t support claim in
different ways
*mostly short sentences
* varied sentence structure.
(short, medium, and long
sentences)
Conventions
of Standard
English
*No errors in spelling,
capitalization, grammar,
punctuation
*Some minor errors, but not
repeated
*mostly correct use of
punctuation, capitalization
*mostly correct use of
grammar, sentence structure,
and spelling
*doesn’t use grade level
vocabulary
*many errors in usage
*inconsistent use of
punctuation, spelling,
sentence formation;
interferes with meaning
*mistakes make meaning
unclear
Middle School Writing Standards Addressed