Carver Middle High School 21st Century Learning Skills
4. Students will write with clarity, purpose, and an understanding of audience.
Exceeds Expectation
Purpose
Purpose (Intent)
Thesis (Main Idea)
Focus
o Shows an in-depth understanding o Shows understanding of the
of the assignment
assignment
o Establishes a clear, insightful, and o Establishes a clear and insightful
original/thought-provoking thesis
thesis
o Maintains exceptional focus
o Maintains consistent focus
Content
o
Development
Topics (Categories Of
Evidence)
o
Evidence
Analysis
o
Background
(Ensuring A General
Reader’s
Understanding)
Organization
Structure &
Intro/Conclusion
Transitions
Style
Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Meets Expectation
Selects key topics that support
o Selects topics that support thesis
thesis clearly and effectively
adequately
Develops topics fully with detailed o Develops topics with detailed
reasons, facts, examples
reasons, facts, examples
Offers in-depth, skillful analysis o Offers analysis consistent with
critical thinking
Approaches Expectation
Does not Meet Expectation
o Shows partial understanding of the o Is unclear, inconsistent, or does not
assignment
match the assignment
o Attempts a thesis, but it is unclear or o Has no thesis
too basic and may not emerge until o Does not maintain focus
late in paper
o Loses focus occasionally
o Selects a limited number of topics or o Is missing key topics; may have
ones that are not the most effective
topics that do not support thesis
o Attempts to develop topics but lacks o Does not develop topics with
relevant details
reasons, facts, examples
o Offers only some analysis or has
o Makes no attempt to go beyond the
lapses in critical thinking
obvious
Provides illuminating background
information/definitions
Provides audience with necessary
background information/definitions
Provides a limited amount of
background information/ definitions
o Structures content to enhance
meaning from engaging intro to
profound conclusion
o Connects ideas smoothly and
eloquently
o Structures content logically from a
clear introduction to a satisfying
conclusion
o Connects ideas logically
o Provides some structure including a o Does not provide enough logical
partially developed introduction/
structure for meaning; introduction/
conclusion
conclusion lacking key elements
o Connects ideas inconsistently/
o Does not connect ideas
unclearly/ awkwardly
o Has compelling voice recognizing o Shows some recognition of audience o Does not consider audience, but
audience and enhancing message
and uses appropriate tone
conveys information acceptably
o Uses rich, precise language
o Uses accurate, concise language
o Uses general, sometimes inaccurate
o Varies sentence beginnings,
o Sometimes varies sentence
language; may be too wordy
structure, and length to enhance
beginnings, structure, and length
o Rarely varies sentence patterns
meaning and sound
Conventions
Spelling & Grammar o Produces essentially error-free
work
Formatting
o Follows all requirements; format
enhances meaning
o Produces work with a few minor
errors, but not enough to interfere
with meaning
o Uses appropriate format
Does not provide necessary
background info/definitions
o Does not consider audience; may
use inappropriate tone or one that
interferes with message
o Uses general, sometimes
repetitious, or inaccurate language
o Does not vary sentence patterns
o Makes some errors that interfere with o Makes numerous errors that
meaning
interfere with meaning
o Uses mostly appropriate format
o Does not use appropriate format