Emergency NumbersPhone Book (Must be on-campus or have a valid network account)
Appendix B: Education Department Scoring Guide for Writing Performance
SCORING GUIDE: Writing Characteristics
Criteria:
LEVEL 3: Conveys message with clarity and precision. Provides variety in sentence structure. Supports main points with specific examples or evidence as required by the type of writing. Commits no major errors in mechanics. The vocabulary (word choice) style, content, and format clearly fit the purpose of the paper. The words chosen (vocabulary) suggest precise thinking.
LEVEL 2: Conveys message clearly. Provides little variety in sentence structure. Provides limited support for main points. Commits occasional errors in mechanics, such as a missing apostrophe in a plural possessive. The vocabulary, style, content, and format fit the purpose of the paper, although less precisely than does a “strong” paper. The words chosen are acceptable and generally appropriate, although they do not convey the author’s message with the power evident in a “strong” paper.
LEVEL 1: Conveys message vaguely. Relies on strings of simple declarative sentences, unvaried by subordination or amplification. Does not support main points with examples. Commits frequent errors in mechanics, such as use of a comma in place of a semicolon or period, uncorrected typos, and the use of “you’re” for “your.” The vocabulary, style, format, and content do not fit the purpose of the paper. The words chosen are inappropriate, reflecting imprecise thinking.
Observations:
This guide is adapted from Stephen Wilber's 23 May 1997 column in the Minneapolis Tribune: "Use a Simple Writing Test to Help Hire the Right Person." Members of the Education Department's Reading Committee modified the rubric to provide a stronger focus on the content of an essay.