| Criteria | 20 Points | 19 Points | 18 Points | 17 Points | 16 Points | 15 Points | 14 Points | 13 Points | 12 Points | 11 Points | 10 Points | 9 Points | 8 Points | 7 Points | 6 Points | 5 Points | 4 Points | 3 Points | 2 Points | 1 Point | 0 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis Statement | Clear, strong thesis that clearly states the argument and is insightful. | Clear thesis that states the argument and is mostly insightful. | Thesis states the argument but lacks some clarity or insight. | Thesis is present but somewhat unclear or lacks insight. | Thesis is present but unclear and lacks insight. | Thesis is vague and does not clearly state the argument. | Thesis is very vague and lacks clarity. | Thesis is unclear and does not state the argument. | Thesis is extremely unclear and lacks focus. | Thesis is present but does not relate to the argument. | Thesis is present but is off-topic. | Thesis is present but lacks any relevance. | Thesis is present but completely unfocused. | Thesis is present but does not make sense. | Thesis is barely present and lacks meaning. | Thesis is barely present and is irrelevant. | Thesis is barely present and is off-topic. | Thesis is barely present and lacks clarity. | Thesis is barely present and lacks focus. | No thesis statement present. | |
| Organization | Essay is logically organized with clear transitions and a strong flow. | Essay is well-organized with clear transitions and good flow. | Essay is organized with transitions and a good flow. | Essay is mostly organized with some transitions and flow. | Essay is somewhat organized with limited transitions and flow. | Essay lacks organization but has some transitions. | Essay lacks organization and transitions are unclear. | Essay is poorly organized with few transitions. | Essay is poorly organized and lacks transitions. | Essay is disorganized with minimal transitions. | Essay is disorganized and lacks transitions. | Essay is very disorganized with few transitions. | Essay is very disorganized and lacks transitions. | Essay is extremely disorganized with no transitions. | Essay is extremely disorganized and lacks any flow. | Essay is barely organized with no transitions. | Essay is barely organized and lacks flow. | Essay is barely organized with minimal flow. | Essay is barely organized and lacks coherence. | Essay is not organized at all. | |
| Argument Development | Argument is well-developed with strong evidence and reasoning. | Argument is well-developed with good evidence and reasoning. | Argument is developed with adequate evidence and reasoning. | Argument is mostly developed with some evidence and reasoning. | Argument is somewhat developed with limited evidence and reasoning. | Argument lacks development but has some evidence. | Argument lacks development and evidence is unclear. | Argument is poorly developed with few evidence. | Argument is poorly developed and lacks evidence. | Argument is minimally developed with little evidence. | Argument is minimally developed and lacks evidence. | Argument is very poorly developed with little evidence. | Argument is very poorly developed and lacks evidence. | Argument is extremely poorly developed with no evidence. | Argument is extremely poorly developed and lacks reasoning. | Argument is barely developed with no evidence. | Argument is barely developed and lacks reasoning. | Argument is barely developed with minimal reasoning. | Argument is barely developed and lacks coherence. | No argument development present. | |
| Language and Style | Language is clear, engaging, and appropriate for the audience. | Language is clear, mostly engaging, and appropriate for the audience. | Language is clear and appropriate for the audience. | Language is mostly clear and appropriate for the audience. | Language is somewhat clear and appropriate for the audience. | Language lacks clarity but is somewhat appropriate. | Language lacks clarity and is somewhat inappropriate. | Language is unclear and somewhat inappropriate. | Language is unclear and inappropriate. | Language is very unclear and somewhat inappropriate. | Language is very unclear and inappropriate. | Language is extremely unclear and somewhat inappropriate. | Language is extremely unclear and inappropriate. | Language is barely clear and somewhat inappropriate. | Language is barely clear and inappropriate. | Language is barely clear and extremely inappropriate. | Language is barely clear and lacks engagement. | Language is barely clear and lacks appropriateness. | Language is not clear at all. | No language or style present. | |
| Grammar and Mechanics | Virtually no errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Few errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Some errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Several errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Many errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling interfere somewhat with understanding. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling interfere with understanding. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling significantly interfere with understanding. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling make understanding difficult. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling make understanding very difficult. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling make understanding extremely difficult. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling make understanding nearly impossible. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling make understanding impossible. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling are pervasive. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling are very pervasive. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling are extremely pervasive. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling are overwhelmingly pervasive. | Errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling are completely pervasive. | No attempt at correct grammar or mechanics. |