1. © 2015 The College Board The Redesigned SAT Essay Writing Oakland Schools

2. © 2015 The College Board Essay – NOT Optional in Michigan 2 Unlike many standardized direct-writing assessments, the redesigned SAT Essay will not elicit students’ subjective opinions. Instead of simply emulating the form of evidence used by asking students to draw on their own experiences or imaginations, the Essay will require students to make purposeful, substantive use of textual evidence in a way that can be objectively evaluated. The Essay task will remain consistent for all administrations of the redesigned SAT; only the passage on which students base their responses will change.

3. © 2015 The College Board SAT ESSAY: What the Essay Graders Evaluate 3 Reading Comprehension of the source text Understanding of central ideas, important details, and their interrelationship Accuracy in representation of the source text (i.e., no errors of fact or interpretation introduced) Use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both) to demonstrate understanding of the source text Analysis Analysis of the source text and understanding of the analytical task Evaluation of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or features chosen by the student Support for claims or points made in the response Focus on features of the text most relevant to addressing the task Writing Use of a central claim Use of effective organization and progression of ideas Use of varied sentence structures Employment of precise word choice Maintenance of a consistent, appropriate style and tone Command of the conventions of standard written English

4. Common Prompt As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses Evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims. Reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence. Stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed. [Source Text Will Appear Here] Write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience that [author’s claim]. In your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features listed above 9or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [his/her] argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant aspects of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author’s] claims, but rather explain how the author builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience.

5. © 2015 The College Board Readers recognize moves of argument AND consider WHY the author wrote the text this way. ► To whom is the author making this claim? Who’s the intended audience. ► Where was this article published— who’s the audience? How might that impact what types of evidence and word choice are important? ► Why does the author use phrases like naive belief and cause and effect when addressing naysayers? Rhetorical Reading Requires Going Beyond Basic Argument Trait I.D.

6. Building Rhetorical Reading Skills 6 Readers learn to look for rhetorical purpose by noticing the moves that writers make with... EVIDENCE facts, statistics, or survey data observed details (something the author saw, heard, tasted, smelled or felt) personal experiences or stories from other people expert testimony or authoritative opinions interviews conducted by the author of the passage scholarly research (studies from academic journals) allusions to fiction, poetry, drama popular sources (newspapers and magazines)

7. Building Rhetorical Reading Skills 7 REASONING define compare contrast divide classify (group) identifies cause and effect uses analogies STYLE word choice and tone (diction) word order and sentence length (syntax) use of rhetorical questions use of headings or sections climactic order of ideas use of figurative language Readers learn to look for rhetorical purpose by noticing the moves that writers make with...

8. Rhetorical Purposes 8 Readers notice the moves that writers make to clarify... PERSUAUSIVE STRATEGIES/RHETORICAL GOALS:  building credibility (ethos) so readers believe the author  getting the audience involved emotionally (pathos) with words or images that make them laugh, cry, feel angry, feel connected, etc.  building a strong case through facts, statistics, research, expert testimony, (logos)  establishing shared beliefs or knowledge (common ground)  being clear about the assumptions the author is making (warrants)  acknowledging those who would disagree with his/her point (counterarguments)  emphasizing a point through repetition

9. Essay Scoring 9 Every SAT Essay will be read by two readers. Each reader will award 1 to 4 points each in reading, analysis, and writing. The readers’ scores will be combined for a total of 2 to 8 points in each of the three categories.

10. Essay Scoring Rubric Score Point ReadingAnalysisWriting 4 Advanced: The response demonstrates thorough comprehension of the source text. The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and of most important details and how they interrelate, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the text. The response makes skillful use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating a complete understanding of the source text. Advanced: The response offers an insightful analysis of the source text and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the analytical task. The response offers a thorough, well- considered evaluation of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing. The response contains relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for claim(s) or point(s) made. The response focuses consistently on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task. Advanced: The response is cohesive and demonstrates a highly effective use and command of language. The response includes a precise central claim. The response includes a skillful introduction and conclusion. The response demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay. The response has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone. The response shows a strong command of the conventions of standard written English and is free or virtually free of errors.