1. The Rubric

2. Teachers grade with a rubric for the following reasons: To ensure that there is a standard way of grading So students know why they got their grade So students know how they can improve So students in different classes get grades in a similar way So different essays can be graded in a similar way

3. Task Response This is the part of the rubric that relates to the content of the essay. Task response has to do with how on-topic the essay is and how well-supported statements are.

4. Task Response: Good Sufficiently addresses all parts of the assessment Presents a well-developed essay with relevant, extended and supported ideas  You need to support with examples and related information Excellent and original ideas and topic  “Original” means that you have said something new about the topic

5. Task Response: Poor Barely responds to the assessment Does not express a thesis May attempt to present one or two ideas but there is no development Misunderstanding of task  That is, the student didn’t really understand what he/she was supposed to write about

6. Coherence/Cohesion Coherence/cohesion relates to the flow of the essay and how everything flows and fits together. Here, organization is important.

7. Coherence/Cohesion: Good sequences information and ideas logically manages all aspects of cohesion well uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately

8. Coherence/Cohesion: Poor Does not organise ideas logically May use a very limited range of cohesive devices, and those used may not indicate a logical relationship between ideas has very little control of organisational features

9. Lexical Resources The term “lexical resources” refers to the vocabulary that is being used and whether it is being used effectively.

10. Lexical Resources: Good uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings  Vocabulary is used in a fluent and accurate way skillfully uses uncommon lexical items but occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation  Uncommon words are used appropriately rare errors in spelling and/or word formation

11. Lexical Resources: Poor uses only a very limited range of words and expressions with very limited control of word formation and/or spelling errors may severely distort the message

12. Grammatical Range Grammatical range refers to the grammar and structures used in the essay.

13. Grammatical Range: Good uses a wide range of structures the majority of sentences are error-free makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies

14. Think, Pair, Share What is one important reason to use a rubric for grading papers? In your own words, what does task response mean? What does it mean if an essay is coherent? What are lexical resources? What does it mean if an essay shows good grammatical range?