Score Point 4
Exceeds

Score Point 3
Meets

Score Point 2
Approaching

Score Point 1
Not at Standard

Score Point .5
Little evidence

Purpose

-Shows insight into the characters' motivation and the significance of the events.
-Renders a particularly dramatic recreation of events.

-Maintains a clear topic and focus.
-Clearly establishes the background info (context).

 -Is appropriate to audience.
-Presents character(s)/narrator effectively.
_Reflects on the importance of events.

-Establishes adequate context.
-Presents the character/narrator ineffectively or vaguely.
-Focus is mostly consistent throughout the piece (few digressions or irrelevant scenes).

-Does not adequately reflect on the importance of the events.

- Context is unclear.
-Identifies characters/ narrator.
-Attempts a focus.

-Limited or no context present.
-May list characters/narrator
-No focus.

Organization

-Is organized in such a way as to engage and move the reader.
-Series of events are sequenced in a  powerful and gripping.
-Conclusion produces an emotional effect upon the reader.

-Establishes situation and point of view.
-Has an engaging beginning and moves through a series of events or details/ideas to a logical, satisfying ending.

-Uses effective transitions.
-Written in logical sequence.

-Vaguely establishes situation and point of view.

-Has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

-Presents conclusion in a stereotypical fashion.
-Uses weak and few transitions.

-Relies on straightforward "and then" chronology.
-Lacks effective beginning, middle, and/or ending.
- Presents sequence of events in a predictable way.

-Has major gaps in coherence.

Voice

-Uses lively and concrete language (e.g., similes, metaphors, etc.)
-Some language and images may invite readers to reflect on the significance of events.
-Sentence structure is varied and purposeful.

-Is appropriate and engaging to audience.
-Clear identity of narrator.
-Sentence structure is varied.
-Precise word choice--varied and imaginative
Language is powerful--use of strong verbs, sensory images, and figurative language.

-Appropriate to audience.

-Generally uses predictable language. (Unsophisticated word choice)
-Occasionally varies sentence structure.

-Some inappropriate word choice.
-Little variety of sentence structure or length.

-Little attention to word choice.
-Usually short, simple sentences.

Details

-Uses unique and insightful details

-Uses original and creative descriptive details to advance the series of events/plot/story line.
-Effective use of narrative strategies. (i.e. dialogue, anecdotes, snapshots)

*Meets all criteria listed in score point 3.

-Creates a believable world by showing what happened rather than telling.
-Shows character growth or change or comments on significance of experience.
-Relevant, concrete details enable readers to imagine the world of the story or experience.

-Relies on a narrow range of strategies to develop ideas with some being

effective.
-Some details may be generic.

-Problems developing ideas.
-Lists rather than develops relevant detail. 

-Lacks details.
-No attempt at narrative strategies.