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Exemplar Test ItemsWriting
2 ©2013 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.NOTE: This booklet is covered by Federal copyright laws that prohibit the reproduction of the test questions without the express, written permission of ACT, Inc.
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ACT AspireTM Writing AssessmentsItem Writing Framework
The Aspire Writing AssessmentsThe ACT Aspire Writing Assessments consist of 30-minute summative writing tasks for grades 3 through 8,plus early high school. They ask students at each grade level to respond in essay form to a single writingstimulus. The assessments are designed to provide a strong indication of whether students have the writingskills they will need to succeed as they begin work at their next grade level. Student responses are evaluatedaccording to analytic rubrics that assess the generation, development, organization, and communication ofideas in standard written English.
Taken as a whole, the ACT Aspire Writing Assessments are intended to describe an integrated continuum of writing ability that advances in skill and complexity grade by grade. This continuum culminates in the ACT®
Writing Test, which provides a measure of student readiness for the writing demands of college. The ACTAspire assessments cover Common Core State Standards that pertain to writing, as well as Career andCollege Readiness Standards derived from ACT research.
FoundationsThe ACT Aspire assessments represent an extension into earlier grades of the philosophy of writing andassessment found in established ACT high school writing tests—the ACT Writing Test and the ACTQualityCore® English writing assessments.
The ACT Writing Test was designed from extensive research identifying the essential skills needed for successin entry-level college writing. Data validate that test takers who perform adequately on the Writing Test arelikely to succeed in their first-year college composition courses. Thus our claim that the ACT Writing Test is areliable measure of a student’s readiness for college-level writing is supported with empirical evidence.
The ACT QualityCore end-of-course assessments are designed to help more high school students achievethe level of writing readiness they will need for college and career success. ACT QualityCore took shape fromthe ACT On Course for Success research project, which examined the curricula of high schools whosestudents excel despite socioeconomic challenges. We then built the ACT QualityCore assessments aroundthe high academic standards found in these schools, with the intention of helping more schools understandand incorporate into their classrooms the level of academic rigor needed for their students’ success. There arefour ACT QualityCore Writing Tests, one at each grade from 9 through 12. The demanding, 45-minute examsencourage critical thinking and accomplished composition in the modes of reflective narrative (grade 9),literary analysis (grade 10), persuasive writing (grade 11), and expository writing (grade 12).
The ACT Aspire Writing Assessments draw upon this rich research basis for their design, and reflect the sameprinciples of writing that are found in the ACT Writing Test and in the ACT QualityCore writing assessments.One key to ensuring this continuity is our Writing Competencies Model.
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ACT Writing Competencies ModelOur Writing Competencies Model (Appendix A) derives from the ACT Writing Test, the ACT QualityCoreEnglish writing assessments, and all of the research, standards, experience, and evidence these tests embody.It serves as the means by which we have extended our philosophy of writing and writing assessment into theACT Aspire tests.
The model provides a high-level description of the features of writing that we believe are essential to assess inorder to support our claims about student readiness. The ACT Aspire tasks and rubrics are derived from theCompetencies Model in that that they reflect, in a grade-appropriate way, the portrait of competent writingbroadly depicted there.
One key assertion that emerges from the model is that ideas are the underlying currency of the competentwriting students need to be able to produce in their academic careers and future work-lives. As reflected in the model, competent student writing entails generating, developing, sustaining, organizing, andcommunicating ideas. This model of writing has basic similarities to other widely accepted models, includingthe Six + 1 model (Culham 2003) that has been adapted by the National Writing Project (Swain andLeMahieu 2012). The ACT model also finds many parallels with the 2011 writing framework used by theNational Assessment of Education Progress (Persky 2012)1.
Generating Ideas. Regardless of the topic or content of a piece of writing, the writer must think of somethingto say about her subject. That “something” consists of ideas that arise through the writer’s invention, inresponse to a rhetorical situation that prompts her to explain, to persuade, or to give a narrative account. The quality of the ideas generated by the writer can be judged according to how acutely they address therhetorical situation, and by how productive they are of judgment, analysis, or reflection.
Competent writers understand the rhetorical situation—the issue or question they are invited to respond to;the purpose for which they are writing; the audience for their work—and they generate ideas that are pertinentand fitting given the situation. Writers with greater levels of ability generate ideas in consideration of theimplications and complications surrounding their topic, the values that underlie particular positions or actions,or the multiple perspectives that complicate an issue. It does not matter whether the focus of the student’sideas is grand or mundane, familiar or highly original; rather, what matters most is the degree to which thestudent’s ideas lead to astute judgment, insightful analysis, or meaningful reflection.
Developing Ideas. A writer makes his ideas clear to his reader by explaining and exploring them, discussingtheir implications, or illustrating them through example. In developing his ideas, the competent writer drawsgeneral principles from specific, detailed discussion. As readers, we discover how apt and productive thewriter’s ideas are through his development of them. Development is the means by which a writer supports histhesis, arrives at insights into his topic, or conveys the meaning and significance of his narrative.
Sustaining Ideas. For a piece of writing to succeed in its purpose, it must keep its ideas in focus. Acompetent writer is judicious in the ideas she presents in her essay, and will make productive use of all ofthem. Her reader will grasp the relationships among the ideas in her essay and will understand her purposethroughout. From beginning to end, her essay will comprise a sustained treatment of relevant ideas.
Organizing Ideas. A competent piece of writing is skillfully organized. Its ideas are presented in a sequencethat makes clear their relationship to one another and that guides the reader through the essay in a purposefulway. A writer must organize her ideas successfully in order to build a logical argument, provide a clearexplanation, or relay a coherent sequence of events. More skillful writers organize ideas in ways that createunity in the essay and that enhance purpose: for example, an argumentative essay that persuades through themomentum it achieves in sequencing logical inferences; an expository essay that arrives at insight throughprogressively finer distinctions; a narrative essay that braids the author’s reflection throughout its telling of astory. Organizational choices are integral to effective writing.
1Regarding the 2011 NAEP Writing Assessment framework, Hilary Persky writes, “Although the draft guides in the framework are similarto the previous guides in their holistic nature and emphasis on development, organization, and language use, they do focus more on howwell students cope with ideas, not just in terms of clarity and level of detail, but also in terms of level of insight and approach. Further, theguides explicitly state that the three broad domains of writing be assessed in terms of how well a specific purpose and audience areaddressed; this includes the interesting addition in the language domain of voice and tone.” (Persky 2012, p. 81).
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Communicating Ideas. At the minimum competent writing must make use of the conventions of grammar,syntax, word usage, and mechanics. Better writers vary their sentence structures, use more precisevocabulary, and generally demonstrate greater command of language to enhance their readers’ understandingand express nuanced ideas.
Competent writers are also intentional about the style and tone of their writing, aware of how the rhetoricalsituation shapes readers’ expectations of what is appropriate and effective. Style and tone are used by skilledwriters to enhance their purpose and ethos. Persuasive writing, for example, may call upon pathos as well aslogos; expository writing may build ethos through a measured, dispassionate tone of voice; and the skillful useof narrative techniques may greatly enhance a recounting of events. Good writers make thoughtful choicesabout style and tone in light of their writing aims.
The Writing Competencies Model identifies these ideas-centered features of competent writing across themodes of Persuasive/Argumentative, Analytical Expository, and Reflective Narrative writing.
ModesWriting instruction and assessment has tended toward a “rhetorical” approach over the last few decades,emphasizing the need to provide students with a context and audience for their work (see Britton et al, 1975).Three primary modes of writing have emerged from this approach, broadly identified as Argumentative,Expository, and Narrative. These general modes are used in the Common Core State Standards, in the NAEPassessments, in classroom instruction, and in many other places as a way to categorize and differentiatewriting skills.
Often these modes are taken as genres, with their own inviolate conventions and boundaries. From thisperspective, student writers learn the techniques of the argumentative genre and employ them whenever theyare asked to write in the argumentative mode; likewise for exposition and narrative writing.
In our view, however, the modes are best perceived as purposes rather than genres: a writer may make use of any combination of writing skills to achieve her purpose. Thus, while appeals to reason or values areassociated with persuasive writing, for example, they should not be confined to that mode. Good expositorywriting necessarily calls upon the skills of argumentation to make and bolster a case for the value of itsexplanation. Likewise, argumentative writing can use narrative techniques in making its persuasive appeals,and strong narratives often rely on the expository techniques of description and distinction.
Thus, while the ACT Aspire Writing Assessments at each grade level are associated with eitherArgumentative, Expository, or Narrative modes, these labels are best understood as writing purposes, in thefulfillment of which students may employ any of the writing skills at their disposal. In fact, in our view, becominga competent writer necessarily entails learning to make wise and effective decisions about which techniquesto use in order to achieve a writing purpose. In this sense, then, the identification of an ACT Aspire item asNarrative, Argumentative, or Expository serves primarily to bring into relief a particular purpose for writing, butdoes not dictate or circumscribe the approach and techniques the student may bring to the assignment.
Further, ACT Aspire expands the mode labels to reflect the opportunities the assessments afford fordemonstrating advanced skills and thinking. The Narrative mode becomes Reflective Narrative in ACT Aspire,signally that an ability to think critically about the meaning of a recounted event is an essential dimension ofnarrative writing competence. Similarly, the ACT Aspire Analytical Expository mode reflects the expectationthat competent explanation entails analysis in the service of depth of understanding and insight. ThePersuasive/Argumentative label recognizes that good rhetorical skills include not just logos but also pathosand ethos.
The Reflective Narrative mode appears at grades 3 and 6. The assessments at grades 4, 7, and early highschool are in the Analytical Expository mode. The grade 5 and grade 8 assessments are in the Persuasive/Argumentative mode. The ACT Aspire assessments are designed to give students at every grade level anopportunity to display the higher order thinking skills needed for meaningful reflection, analytical explanation,and persuasive argument. The means for evaluating students’ abilities to display these skills are built into theACT Aspire rubrics.
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RubricsThe ACT Aspire Rubrics embody the principles and philosophy discussed to this point. Each grade level hasits own rubric, but there is a great deal of continuity as one moves across grades and modes. Each comprisesfour domains. The first, whether labeled “Reflective Narrative,” “Analysis,” or “Argument,” corresponds to theGenerate Ideas competency found in the Writing Competencies Model. In this domain we evaluate howacutely the student’s ideas address the rhetorical situation, and how productive they are of meaningfulreflection, explanatory analysis, or persuasive force.
The “Development,” “Organization,” and “Language” domains correspond to the similarly named competenciesin the Writing Competencies Model. The Sustaining Ideas competency, which describes a student’s ability tofocus her ideas on the given assignment and sustain a treatment of them throughout her essay, is folded intoeach of the four rubric domains. That is, the rubrics do not allow for a separate “Sustaining Ideas” score;rather, the student’s ability to sustain ideas is demonstrated in his ability to keep his ideas focused on theprompt topic; to develop those ideas without veering off into digressive or non-essential territory; to organizehis ideas in a focused, purposeful way; and to use language with precision and control so as to conveymeaning with clarity.
At each grade level, and in each domain, a score of 4 is associated with “adequacy,” indicating that a studentwho achieves this score is on track for succeeding as she enters the next grade level. At grades 6 and above,the rubrics differentiate among six performance levels; this allows for two degrees of differentiation above“adequate.” A score of 5 at these grades indicates an advancing level of skill in identify and addressing thecomplexities of the topic; in exploring ideas and using detailed discussions to draw out and support largerobservations; in organizing with intention, aware of the effects of the sequencing of ideas; and in using strong,vivid language and effective style. A score of 6 indicates a more advanced ability in each of these areas.
The 5-point rubrics for grades 3 through 5 allow for only one degree of performance above adequate. Finerdistinctions above adequate in the lower grades are not evident in the students’ responses. Nevertheless,even third graders can demonstrate higher order thinking skills by reflecting in a meaningful way on their ownexperiences, or those of others. The 5-point ACT Aspire rubric provides a means for recognizing that ability.
The rubrics are analytic in that they delineate four dimensions of writing. However, they are designed forholistic scoring within each domain. That is, the performance level descriptors within each rubric domain arenot intended to function as independent features separately assessed; rather, they are interdependentelements that collectively describe what we mean by generating, developing, organizing, or communicatingideas at each performance level, in each grade. Evaluating a student’s performance in the language domain,for example, is not a matter of determining the presence or absence of each specific feature of language foundin the rubric description—style and tone; grammar, usage, and mechanics. Rather, it is a matter of using thoseelements collectively to form a holistic evaluation of the student’s ability to her communicate ideas. In thissense, then, we evaluate student writing in ACT Aspire via holistic scoring within analytic domains.
Task TemplatesThe ACT Aspire writing tasks are built from task templates that have been designed to elicit the writingcompetencies discussed above. Through these templates we strive to generate writing prompts that givestudents with a wide range of abilities a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate their best writing. Thus, thetemplates call for writing topics that are accessible in language and concept to a large majority of students ata given grade level; that are free from cultural bias; and that do not require of students any preexistingspecialized or background knowledge. At the same time, each template is designed to provide an opportunityfor students to think critically if they can, and to demonstrate the upper range of their composition skills.
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ACT Aspire Writing
Early High School Analytical Expository Writing
It is wise to weigh our options carefully before making decisions, but waiting too long to decidecan lead to missed opportunities. Write an essay in which you explain both the value and thechallenge of carefully considering our options before deciding. Be sure to support your analysiswith reasons and examples.
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Analytic Rubric 12-17-12 Analysis Development Organization Language Use Score: 6 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate effective skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer generates an analysis that critically engages with the expository writing task. The response presents a complex analysis by critically addressing (a) implications and complications of the issue and/or (b) underlying values.
Ideas are thoroughly explained, with skillful use of supporting reasons and specific details. The writer’s claims and specific support are well integrated.
The response exhibits a purposeful organizational strategy. Connections between and within paragraphs consistently clarify the relationships among ideas. A logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer’s argument.
The response demonstrates the ability to effectively convey meaning with clarity. Word choice is precise. Sentence structures are varied and clear. Voice and tone are appropriate for the analytical purpose and are maintained throughout the response. While a few errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding.
Score: 5 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate capable skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer generates an analysis that capably engages with the expository writing task. The response presents a somewhat complex analysis by discussing (a) implications and complications of the issue and/or (b) underlying values.
Ideas are capably explained, with purposeful use of supporting reasons and specific details. The writer’s claims and specific support are sometimes integrated.
The response exhibits a clear organizational strategy. Connections between and within paragraphs clarify the relationships among ideas. A logical sequencing of ideas contributes to the effectiveness of the writer’s argument.
The response demonstrates the ability to capably convey meaning with clarity. Word choice is sometimes precise. Sentence structures are often varied and clear. Voice and tone are appropriate for the analytical purpose and are maintained throughout most of the response. While errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding.
Score: 4 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate adequate skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer generates an analysis that adequately responds to the expository writing task. The response presents a clear but mostly simple analysis that may only recognize (a) implications and complications of the issue and/or (b) underlying values.
Ideas are adequately explained, with satisfactory use of supporting reasons and specific details.
The response exhibits a clear but simple organizational structure. Connections between and within paragraphs clarify the relationships among ideas. Ideas are logically grouped.
The response demonstrates the ability to adequately convey meaning. Word choice is usually clear. Sentence structures are occasionally varied and usually clear. Voice and tone are appropriate for the analytical purpose, but may be inconsistently maintained. While errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present, they rarely impede understanding.
Score: 3 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate some developing skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer generates a somewhat appropriate analysis in response to the expository writing task. The response may present analysis that is simplistic and somewhat imprecise.
Explanations of ideas are limited, but include some use of supporting reasons and relevant details.
The response exhibits some evidence of organizational structure. Connections between and within paragraphs sometimes clarify the relationships among ideas. Some ideas are logically grouped.
The response demonstrates some developing ability to convey meaning. Word choice is general and occasionally imprecise. Sentence structures show little variety and are sometimes unclear. Voice and tone are somewhat appropriate for the analytical purpose but are inconsistently maintained. Distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present, and they sometimes impede understanding.
Score: 2 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate weak or inconsistent skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer generates an unclear or incomplete analysis in response to the expository writing task. The response demonstrates an unclear or partial understanding of the expository writing task.
Explanations of ideas are unclear or incomplete, with little use of supporting reasons or relevant details.
The response exhibits only a little evidence of organizational structure. Connections between and within paragraphs are often missing or poorly formed. Few ideas are logically grouped.
The response demonstrates a weak ability to convey meaning. Word choice is rudimentary and frequently imprecise. Sentence structures are often unclear. Voice and tone may not be appropriate for the analytical purpose. Distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present, and they impede understanding.
Score: 1 Responses at this scorepoint demonstrate little or no skill in writing an analytical essay
The writer does not generate an analysis that responds to the expository writing task. The response demonstrates little or no understanding of the expository writing task.
Ideas lack explanation, with virtually no use of supporting reasons or relevant details.
The response exhibits no evidence of organizational structure. Connections between and within paragraphs are rare. Ideas are not logically grouped.
The response demonstrates little or no ability to convey meaning. Word choice is imprecise and difficult to comprehend. Voice and tone are not appropriate for the analytical purpose. Sentence structures are mostly unclear. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are pervasive and significantly impede understanding.
Score: 0 Unscorable The response is blank, voided, off-topic, illegible, or not written in English.
ACT Aspire Grade 10 Analytical Expository Writing
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Grade 8 Persuasive/Argumentative Writing
Kim loves learning to speak French. In addition to her French class, she takes lessons after school.Kim does well in these after-school lessons, but they don’t leave her much time to do homeworkfor her other classes. Kim wants to keep taking the extra French lessons, but she doesn’t want todo poorly in her other classes.
Should Kim keep taking extra French language lessons?
• Yes–It is wise to focus on excelling in one area.
• No–It is better to be a well-rounded student.
Consider the positions above as you think about this question. Now, take a position on thisquestion, and write a persuasive essay in which you argue for your position. Be sure to use details and examples to support your reasons.
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ACT Aspire Grade 8 Argumentative Writing Analytic Rubric
A
rgum
ent
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
6
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
effe
ctiv
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
pers
uasi
ve e
ssay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
argu
men
t th
at c
ritic
ally
eng
ages
with
the
pers
uasi
ve w
ritin
g ta
sk. T
he
resp
onse
pre
sent
s a c
ompl
ex
argu
men
t by
criti
cally
add
ress
ing:
(a
) im
plic
atio
ns a
nd
com
plic
atio
ns o
f the
issu
e,
(b) c
ount
erar
gum
ents
to th
e w
riter
’s p
ositi
on, a
nd/o
r (c
) und
erly
ing
valu
es.
Idea
s are
thor
ough
ly
expl
aine
d, w
ith sk
illfu
l use
of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
sp
ecifi
c de
tails
. The
writ
er’s
cl
aim
s and
spec
ific
supp
ort
are
wel
l int
egra
ted.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a
purp
osef
ul o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
rate
gy.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n an
d w
ithin
pa
ragr
aphs
con
sist
ently
cla
rify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
idea
s. A
logi
cal p
rogr
essi
on o
f ide
as
incr
ease
s the
eff
ectiv
enes
s of
the
writ
er’s
arg
umen
t.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
effe
ctiv
ely
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is p
reci
se. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es
are
varie
d an
d cl
ear.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re
appr
opria
te fo
r the
per
suas
ive
purp
ose
and
are
mai
ntai
ned
thro
ugho
ut th
e re
spon
se.
Whi
le a
few
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
m
echa
nics
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 5
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ca
pabl
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
argu
men
t th
at c
apab
ly e
ngag
es w
ith th
e pe
rsua
sive
writ
ing
task
. The
re
spon
se p
rese
nts a
som
ewha
t co
mpl
ex a
rgum
ent b
y di
scus
sing
: (a
) im
plic
atio
ns a
nd
com
plic
atio
ns o
f the
issu
e,
(b) c
ount
erar
gum
ents
to th
e w
riter
’s p
ositi
on, a
nd/o
r (c
) und
erly
ing
valu
es.
Idea
s are
cap
ably
exp
lain
ed,
with
pur
pose
ful u
se o
f su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
spec
ific
deta
ils. T
he w
riter
’s
clai
ms a
nd sp
ecifi
c su
ppor
t ar
e so
met
imes
inte
grat
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
or
gani
zatio
nal s
trate
gy.
Con
nect
ions
bet
wee
n an
d w
ithin
par
agra
phs c
larif
y th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g id
eas.
A
logi
cal s
eque
ncin
g of
idea
s co
ntrib
utes
to th
e ef
fect
iven
ess
of th
e w
riter
’s a
rgum
ent.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
capa
bly
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y. W
ord
choi
ce is
som
etim
es p
reci
se. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re o
ften
varie
d an
d cl
ear.
Voi
ce
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for t
he p
ersu
asiv
e pu
rpos
e an
d ar
e m
aint
aine
d th
roug
hout
m
ost o
f the
resp
onse
. Whi
le e
rror
s in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not i
mpe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
argu
men
t th
at a
dequ
atel
y re
spon
ds to
the
pers
uasi
ve w
ritin
g ta
sk. T
he
resp
onse
pre
sent
s a c
lear
but
m
ostly
sim
ple
argu
men
t tha
t may
on
ly re
cogn
ize:
(a
) im
plic
atio
ns a
nd
com
plic
atio
ns o
f the
issu
e,
(b) c
ount
erar
gum
ents
to th
e w
riter
’s p
ositi
on, a
nd/o
r (c
) und
erly
ing
valu
es.
Idea
s are
ade
quat
ely
expl
aine
d, w
ith sa
tisfa
ctor
y us
e of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s an
d sp
ecifi
c de
tails
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
bu
t sim
ple
orga
niza
tiona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n an
d w
ithin
pa
ragr
aphs
cla
rify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
idea
s. Id
eas a
re lo
gica
lly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
adeq
uate
ly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
us
ually
cle
ar. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re
occa
sion
ally
var
ied
and
usua
lly c
lear
. Voi
ce
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for t
he p
ersu
asiv
e pu
rpos
e, b
ut m
ay b
e in
cons
iste
ntly
m
aint
aine
d. W
hile
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar,
usag
e, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pre
sent
, the
y ra
rely
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
11
ACT Aspire Grade 8 Argumentative Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 3
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
so
me
deve
lopi
ng
skill
in w
ritin
g a
pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a so
mew
hat
appr
opria
te a
rgum
ent i
n re
spon
se
to th
e pe
rsua
sive
writ
ing
task
. Th
e re
spon
se p
rese
nts a
n ar
gum
ent t
hat i
s sim
ple
and
som
ewha
t im
prec
ise.
Idea
s are
inef
fect
ivel
y ex
plai
ned,
with
som
e us
e of
su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
rele
vant
det
ails
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
nal
stru
ctur
e. C
onne
ctio
ns
betw
een
and
with
in
para
grap
hs so
met
imes
cla
rify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
idea
s. So
me
idea
s are
logi
cally
gr
oupe
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
conv
ey m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
gen
eral
an
d oc
casi
onal
ly im
prec
ise.
Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
show
littl
e va
riety
and
are
in
cons
iste
ntly
cle
ar. V
oice
and
tone
are
so
mew
hat a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
per
suas
ive
purp
ose
but a
re in
cons
iste
ntly
mai
ntai
ned.
D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd
mec
hani
cs a
re p
rese
nt, a
nd th
ey so
met
imes
im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
Sc
ore:
2
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
wea
k or
in
cons
iste
nt sk
ill
in w
ritin
g a
pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er’s
arg
umen
t may
be
uncl
ear o
r inc
ompl
ete
as a
re
spon
se to
the
pers
uasi
ve w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s an
unc
lear
or p
artia
l un
ders
tand
ing
of th
e ar
gum
enta
tive
writ
ing
task
.
Expl
anat
ions
of i
deas
are
un
clea
r or i
ncom
plet
e, w
ith
little
use
of s
uppo
rting
re
ason
s or r
elev
ant d
etai
ls.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
evi
denc
e of
or
gani
zatio
nal s
truct
ure.
C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
and
with
in p
arag
raph
s are
ofte
n m
issi
ng o
r poo
rly fo
rmed
. Few
id
eas a
re lo
gica
lly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty to
co
nvey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
rudi
men
tary
and
freq
uent
ly im
prec
ise.
Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
ofte
n un
clea
r. V
oice
an
d to
ne m
ay n
ot b
e ap
prop
riate
for t
he
pers
uasi
ve p
urpo
se. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pre
sent
, an
d th
ey im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
a
pers
uasi
ve e
ssay
The
writ
er m
ay ta
ke a
pos
ition
, bu
t doe
s not
gen
erat
e an
arg
umen
t th
at re
spon
ds to
the
pers
uasi
ve
writ
ing
task
.
Idea
s lac
k ex
plan
atio
n, w
ith
virtu
ally
no
use
of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s or
rele
vant
det
ails
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n an
d w
ithin
pa
ragr
aphs
are
rare
. Id
eas a
re
not l
ogic
ally
gro
uped
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
impr
ecis
e an
d di
ffic
ult t
o co
mpr
ehen
d.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re n
ot a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
pe
rsua
sive
pur
pose
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
are
m
ostly
unc
lear
. Err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, an
d m
echa
nics
are
per
vasi
ve a
nd
sign
ifica
ntly
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 0
U
nsco
rabl
e
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
12
Grade 7 Analytical Expository Writing
You are going to write an essay to explain how an invention can have an effect on our lives.
Think about one invention that influences the way you live. What is this invention and how does itaffect your life? Write an essay to explain how this invention influences your life, and discuss howinventions can change the way people live. Be sure to use reasons and details in your explanation.
13
ACT Aspire Grade 7 Expository Writing Analytic Rubric
A
naly
sis
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
6
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
effe
ctiv
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g an
ex
posi
tory
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
anal
ysis
that
eff
ectiv
ely
enga
ges w
ith th
e ex
posi
tory
w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
anal
ysis
ad
dres
ses t
he si
gnifi
canc
e of
th
e su
bjec
t by
esta
blis
hing
ric
h co
nnec
tions
bet
wee
n sp
ecifi
c de
tails
and
gen
eral
pr
inci
ples
, and
add
ress
es
impl
icat
ions
, com
plic
atio
ns
or u
nder
lyin
g va
lues
.
Idea
s are
thor
ough
ly
expl
aine
d, w
ith sk
illfu
l use
of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
sp
ecifi
c de
tails
. The
writ
er’s
cl
aim
s and
spec
ific
supp
ort
are
bala
nced
and
inte
grat
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a
purp
osef
ul o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
rate
gy. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s con
sist
ently
cla
rify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
them
. A
logi
cal p
rogr
essi
on o
f ide
as
incr
ease
s the
eff
ectiv
enes
s of
the
writ
er’s
ana
lysi
s.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
effe
ctiv
ely
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is p
reci
se. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re v
arie
d an
d cl
ear.
Voi
ce a
nd
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for t
he e
xpos
itory
pu
rpos
e an
d ar
e m
aint
aine
d th
roug
hout
th
e re
spon
se. W
hile
a fe
w e
rror
s in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not i
mpe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
Scor
e: 5
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ca
pabl
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g an
ex
posi
tory
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
anal
ysis
that
cap
ably
eng
ages
w
ith th
e ex
posi
tory
writ
ing
task
. Th
e an
alys
is a
ddre
sses
th
e si
gnifi
canc
e of
the
subj
ect
by o
ffer
ing
thou
ghtfu
l co
nnec
tions
bet
wee
n sp
ecifi
c de
tails
and
gen
eral
prin
cipl
es,
and
disc
usse
s im
plic
atio
ns,
com
plic
atio
ns, o
r und
erly
ing
valu
es.
Idea
s are
succ
essf
ully
ex
plai
ned,
with
com
pete
nt
use
of su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
spec
ific
deta
ils. T
he w
riter
’s
clai
ms a
nd sp
ecifi
c su
ppor
t ar
e m
ostly
bal
ance
d an
d m
ay
be in
tegr
ated
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
or
gani
zatio
nal s
trate
gy.
Con
nect
ions
bet
wee
n id
eas
clar
ify th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g th
em. A
logi
cal s
eque
ncin
g of
id
eas c
ontri
bute
s to
the
effe
ctiv
enes
s of t
he w
riter
’s
anal
ysis
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
capa
bly
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is so
met
imes
pre
cise
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
cle
ar a
nd o
ften
varie
d. V
oice
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for
the
expo
sito
ry p
urpo
se a
nd a
re m
aint
aine
d th
roug
hout
mos
t of t
he re
spon
se. W
hile
er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
m
ay b
e pr
esen
t, th
ey d
o no
t im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g an
ex
posi
tory
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
anal
ysis
that
ade
quat
ely
resp
onds
to th
e ex
posi
tory
w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
anal
ysis
re
cogn
izes
the
sign
ifica
nce
of
the
subj
ect b
y of
ferin
g cl
ear
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d re
cogn
izes
impl
icat
ions
or
com
plic
atio
ns.
Idea
s are
ade
quat
ely
expl
aine
d, w
ith sa
tisfa
ctor
y us
e of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
sp
ecifi
c de
tails
. The
resp
onse
pr
ovid
es a
dequ
ate
supp
ort f
or
the
writ
er’s
cla
ims.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
bu
t sim
ple
orga
niza
tiona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n id
eas u
sual
ly c
larif
y th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g th
em.
Idea
s are
logi
cally
gro
uped
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
adeq
uate
ly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce
is u
sual
ly c
lear
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
are
oc
casi
onal
ly v
arie
d an
d us
ually
cle
ar.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
ex
posi
tory
pur
pose
, but
may
be
inco
nsis
tent
ly m
aint
aine
d. W
hile
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
they
rare
ly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
14
ACT Aspire Grade 7 Expository Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 3
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
so
me
deve
lopi
ng
skill
in w
ritin
g an
exp
osito
ry
essa
y
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a
som
ewha
t app
ropr
iate
an
alys
is in
resp
onse
to th
e ex
posi
tory
writ
ing
task
. Th
e an
alys
is o
ffer
s sim
plis
tic o
r im
prec
ise
conn
ectio
ns
betw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd
gene
ral p
rinci
ples
, and
may
on
ly p
artia
lly re
cogn
ize
impl
icat
ions
and
co
mpl
icat
ions
.
Idea
s are
inef
fect
ivel
y ex
plai
ned,
with
som
e us
e of
su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
deta
ils. T
he re
spon
se
prov
ides
onl
y so
me
supp
ort
for t
he w
riter
’s c
laim
s.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
nal
stru
ctur
e. C
onne
ctio
ns
betw
een
idea
s som
etim
es
clar
ify th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g th
em. S
ome
idea
s are
logi
cally
gr
oupe
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
gene
ral a
nd o
ccas
iona
lly im
prec
ise.
Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
show
littl
e va
riety
and
ar
e in
cons
iste
ntly
cle
ar. V
oice
and
tone
ar
e so
mew
hat a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
ex
posi
tory
pur
pose
but
are
inco
nsis
tent
ly
mai
ntai
ned.
Dis
tract
ing
erro
rs in
gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
and
they
som
etim
es im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 2
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
w
eak
or
inco
nsis
tent
skill
in
wri
ting
an
expo
sito
ry e
ssay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
uncl
ear o
r inc
ompl
ete
anal
ysis
in re
spon
se to
the
expo
sito
ry w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
anal
ysis
off
ers u
ncle
ar o
r in
com
plet
e co
nnec
tions
be
twee
n sp
ecifi
c de
tails
and
ge
nera
l prin
cipl
es.
Expl
anat
ions
of i
deas
are
br
ief,
uncl
ear o
r inc
ompl
ete,
w
ith li
ttle
use
of re
leva
nt
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s or d
etai
ls.
The
resp
onse
pro
vide
s m
inim
al o
r irr
elev
ant s
uppo
rt fo
r the
writ
er’s
cla
ims.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
evi
denc
e of
or
gani
zatio
nal s
truct
ure.
C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s are
of
ten
mis
sing
or p
oorly
fo
rmed
. Few
idea
s are
lo
gica
lly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
ru
dim
enta
ry a
nd fr
eque
ntly
impr
ecis
e.
Sent
ence
stru
ctur
es a
re o
ften
uncl
ear.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne m
ay n
ot b
e ap
prop
riate
for
the
expo
sito
ry p
urpo
se. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in
gra
mm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
and
they
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
an
expo
sito
ry e
ssay
The
writ
er d
oes n
ot g
ener
ate
an a
naly
sis t
hat r
espo
nds t
o th
e ex
posi
tory
writ
ing
task
. Th
e re
spon
se la
cks
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d de
mon
stra
tes l
ittle
or n
o un
ders
tand
ing
of th
e ta
sk.
Idea
s lac
k ex
plan
atio
n, w
ith
virtu
ally
no
use
of su
ppor
ting
reas
ons o
r det
ails
. The
re
spon
se p
rovi
des n
o m
eani
ngfu
l sup
port
for t
he
writ
er’s
cla
ims.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n id
eas a
re ra
re.
Idea
s ar
e no
t log
ical
ly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
impr
ecis
e an
d di
ffic
ult t
o co
mpr
ehen
d.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re n
ot a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
ex
posi
tory
pur
pose
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
ar
e m
ostly
unc
lear
. Err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar,
usag
e, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
per
vasi
ve a
nd
sign
ifica
ntly
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 0
U
nsco
rabl
e
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
15
Grade 6 Reflective Narrative Writing
You are going to write a reflective narrative.
As you get older, people expect more of you. Think about a new responsibility that you have taken on in the past year. What were some of the challenges you faced as you assumed this newresponsibility, and how did you deal with those difficulties? Write a story to show what it was like totake on a new responsibility, and reflect on what you learned from this experience. Be sure to usedescriptive details to show what this experience means to you.
16
ACT Aspire Grade 6 Reflective Narrative Writing Analytic Rubric
R
efle
ctiv
e N
arra
tive
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
6
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
effe
ctiv
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
writ
er e
ffec
tivel
y en
gage
s with
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
by
reco
untin
g a
mea
ning
ful
expe
rienc
e an
d th
ough
tfully
re
flect
ing
on it
s sig
nific
ance
.
The
expe
rienc
e is
eff
ectiv
ely
narr
ated
, with
skill
ful u
se o
f na
rrat
ive
tech
niqu
es (e
.g.,
dial
ogue
, des
crip
tive
deta
ils).
Idea
s are
wel
l exp
lain
ed.
Ref
lect
ion
on th
e ex
perie
nce
and
narr
atio
n of
the
expe
rienc
e ar
e m
ostly
in
tegr
ated
and
bal
ance
d.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a
purp
osef
ul o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
rate
gy. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he st
ory
are
clea
r and
pur
pose
ful.
A lo
gica
l pr
ogre
ssio
n of
idea
s inc
reas
es
the
effe
ctiv
enes
s of t
he
writ
er’s
nar
rativ
e.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
effe
ctiv
ely
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is so
met
imes
pre
cise
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
var
ied
and
clea
r. V
oice
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for t
he
narr
ativ
e pu
rpos
e an
d ar
e m
aint
aine
d th
roug
hout
the
resp
onse
. Whi
le a
few
er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
m
ay b
e pr
esen
t, th
ey d
o no
t im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 5
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ca
pabl
e sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
writ
er c
apab
ly e
ngag
es
with
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
by
reco
untin
g a
wel
l-cho
sen
expe
rienc
e an
d ca
pabl
y re
flect
ing
on it
s si
gnifi
canc
e.
The
expe
rienc
e is
cap
ably
na
rrat
ed, w
ith m
ostly
su
cces
sful
use
of n
arra
tive
tech
niqu
es (e
.g. d
ialo
gue,
de
scrip
tive
deta
ils).
Idea
s are
cl
early
exp
lain
ed. R
efle
ctio
n on
the
expe
rienc
e an
d na
rrat
ion
of th
e ex
perie
nce
may
be
inte
grat
ed a
nd
bala
nced
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
or
gani
zatio
nal s
trate
gy.
Con
nect
ions
bet
wee
n th
e el
emen
ts o
f the
stor
y ar
e cl
ear.
A lo
gica
l seq
uenc
ing
of id
eas
cont
ribut
es to
the
effe
ctiv
enes
s of
the
writ
er’s
nar
rativ
e.
Essa
y su
cces
sful
ly c
onne
cts
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
capa
bly
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is c
lear
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
ar
e cl
ear a
nd o
ften
varie
d. V
oice
and
tone
ar
e ap
prop
riate
for t
he n
arra
tive
purp
ose
and
are
mai
ntai
ned
thro
ugho
ut m
ost o
f the
re
spon
se. W
hile
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, an
d m
echa
nics
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not i
mpe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
writ
er a
dequ
atel
y re
spon
ds to
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
by
reco
untin
g an
app
ropr
iate
ex
perie
nce
and
refle
ctin
g on
its
sign
ifica
nce.
The
expe
rienc
e is
ade
quat
ely
narr
ated
, with
som
e sa
tisfa
ctor
y us
e of
nar
rativ
e te
chni
ques
(e.g
. dia
logu
e,
desc
riptiv
e de
tail)
. Ide
as a
re
adeq
uate
ly e
xpla
ined
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
bu
t sim
ple
orga
niza
tiona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n th
e el
emen
ts o
f the
st
ory
are
usua
lly c
lear
. Ide
as
are
logi
cally
gro
uped
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
adeq
uate
ly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce
is u
sual
ly c
lear
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
oc
casi
onal
ly v
arie
d an
d us
ually
cle
ar.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
na
rrat
ive
purp
ose,
but
may
be
inco
nsis
tent
ly m
aint
aine
d. W
hile
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
they
rare
ly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
17
ACT Aspire Grade 6 Reflective Narrative Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 3
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
so
me
deve
lopi
ng
skill
in w
ritin
g a
re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e es
say
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a
som
ewha
t app
ropr
iate
re
spon
se to
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
by
re
coun
ting
a so
mew
hat
appr
opria
te e
xper
ienc
e an
d re
flect
ing
on it
s sig
nific
ance
on
ly b
riefly
or w
ith li
mite
d su
cces
s.
The
expe
rienc
e is
par
tially
na
rrat
ed, w
ith o
nly
som
e us
e of
nar
rativ
e te
chni
ques
(e.g
. di
alog
ue, d
escr
iptiv
e de
tails
). Id
eas a
re o
nly
som
ewha
t ex
plai
ned.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
nal
stru
ctur
e. C
onne
ctio
ns
betw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he
stor
y ar
e so
mew
hat c
lear
. So
me
idea
s are
logi
cally
gr
oupe
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
gene
ral a
nd o
ccas
iona
lly im
prec
ise.
Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
show
littl
e va
riety
and
ar
e in
cons
iste
ntly
cle
ar. V
oice
and
tone
ar
e so
mew
hat a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
na
rrat
ive
purp
ose
but a
re in
cons
iste
ntly
m
aint
aine
d. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pr
esen
t, an
d th
ey so
met
imes
impe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
Sc
ore:
2
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
wea
k or
in
cons
iste
nt sk
ill
in w
ritin
g a
re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e es
say
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a
limite
d re
spon
se to
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
by
poor
ly c
hoos
ing
or
faili
ng to
est
ablis
h th
e re
leva
nce
of th
e ex
perie
nce.
R
efle
ctio
n on
its s
igni
fican
ce
is m
issi
ng o
r unc
lear
.
The
expe
rienc
e is
mos
tly
repo
rted
rath
er th
an n
arra
ted,
w
ith li
ttle
use
of n
arra
tive
tech
niqu
es (e
.g.,
dial
ogue
, de
scrip
tive
deta
il). I
deas
are
un
der-
expl
aine
d, o
r ex
plan
atio
ns m
ay b
e un
clea
r.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
evi
denc
e of
or
gani
zatio
nal s
truct
ure.
C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he st
ory
are
ofte
n m
issi
ng o
r poo
rly fo
rmed
. Few
id
eas a
re lo
gica
lly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
ru
dim
enta
ry a
nd v
ague
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
are
ofte
n un
clea
r. V
oice
and
to
ne m
ay n
ot b
e ap
prop
riate
for t
he
narr
ativ
e pu
rpos
e. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pr
esen
t, an
d th
ey im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
writ
er d
oes n
ot g
ener
ate
a na
rrat
ive
that
resp
onds
to
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
. If i
t rec
ount
s an
expe
rienc
e, th
ere
is n
o su
cces
sful
refle
ctio
n.
The
expe
rienc
e is
poo
rly
reco
unte
d, w
ith n
o us
e of
na
rrat
ive
tech
niqu
es (e
.g.,
dial
ogue
, des
crip
tive
deta
il).
Ref
lect
ive
idea
s are
abs
ent o
r ar
e no
t exp
lain
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n th
e el
emen
ts o
f the
st
ory
are
rare
. Id
eas a
re n
ot
logi
cally
gro
uped
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
impr
ecis
e, m
akin
g id
eas d
iffic
ult t
o co
mpr
ehen
d. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re
mos
tly u
ncle
ar. V
oice
and
tone
are
not
ap
prop
riate
for t
he n
arra
tive
purp
ose.
Er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
ar
e pe
rvas
ive
and
sign
ifica
ntly
impe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
Sc
ore:
0
Uns
cora
ble
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
18
Grade 5 Persuasive/Argumentative Writing
You are going to write an essay in which you express and support your opinion.
Your principal wants to invite a special guest to speak to all the students about the value of hardwork, and is trying to decide which person to bring in: a scientist or an athlete. Which speakerwould you pick to come to your school to talk about the value of hard work, and why?
Write an essay in which you give reasons for your choice and explain why your choice is betterthan the other option. Be sure to include details and examples to support your reasons.
19
ACT Aspire Grade 5 Argumentative Writing Analytic Rubric
A
rgum
ent
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
5
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
capa
ble
skill
in
wri
ting
a pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er c
apab
ly e
ngag
es
with
the
pers
uasi
ve w
ritin
g ta
sk b
y es
tabl
ishi
ng a
cle
ar
posi
tion
on th
e is
sue
and
gene
ratin
g th
ough
tful r
easo
ns
for t
hat p
ositi
on.
The
essa
y m
ay a
ddre
ss
coun
tera
rgum
ents
, im
plic
atio
ns o
r com
plic
atio
ns
of th
e is
sue.
Idea
s are
cap
ably
exp
lain
ed,
with
con
sist
ent a
nd e
ffec
tive
use
of su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
spec
ific
deta
ils. T
he w
riter
’s
clai
ms a
nd sp
ecifi
c su
ppor
t ar
e so
met
imes
inte
grat
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
be
ginn
ing,
mid
dle,
and
end
or
a cl
ear o
rgan
izat
iona
l stra
tegy
. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s cl
arify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
them
. Som
e se
quen
cing
of
idea
s con
tribu
tes t
o th
e cl
arity
of
the
writ
er’s
arg
umen
t.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
capa
bly
conv
ey m
eani
ng w
ith c
larit
y.
Wor
d ch
oice
is so
met
imes
pre
cise
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
cle
ar a
nd o
ften
varie
d. V
oice
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for
the
pers
uasi
ve p
urpo
se a
nd a
re m
aint
aine
d th
roug
hout
mos
t of t
he re
spon
se. W
hile
er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
m
ay b
e pr
esen
t, th
ey d
o no
t im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
pers
uasi
ve e
ssay
The
writ
er a
dequ
atel
y re
spon
ds to
the
pers
uasi
ve
writ
ing
task
by
esta
blis
hing
a
posi
tion
on th
e is
sue
and
gene
ratin
g ap
prop
riate
re
ason
s for
that
pos
ition
.
Idea
s are
ade
quat
ely
expl
aine
d, w
ith sa
tisfa
ctor
y us
e of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
sp
ecifi
c de
tails
.
The
resp
onse
con
tain
s di
scer
nibl
e be
ginn
ing,
mid
dle,
an
d en
d, w
ith a
cle
ar b
ut
sim
ple
orga
niza
tiona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n id
eas u
sual
ly c
larif
y th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g th
em.
Idea
s are
logi
cally
gro
uped
.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
adeq
uate
ly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce
is u
sual
ly c
lear
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
oc
casi
onal
ly v
arie
d an
d us
ually
cle
ar.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
pe
rsua
sive
pur
pose
, but
may
be
inco
nsis
tent
ly m
aint
aine
d. W
hile
err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
they
rare
ly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 3
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
so
me
deve
lopi
ng
skill
in w
ritin
g a
pers
uasi
ve e
ssay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a
som
ewha
t app
ropr
iate
re
spon
se to
the
pers
uasi
ve
writ
ing
task
by
taki
ng a
so
mew
hat c
lear
pos
ition
on
the
issu
e an
d/or
gen
erat
ing
som
ewha
t app
ropr
iate
or
sim
plis
tic re
ason
s for
that
po
sitio
n.
Idea
s are
inef
fect
ivel
y ex
plai
ned,
with
som
e us
e of
su
ppor
ting
reas
ons a
nd
rele
vant
det
ails
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
nal
stru
ctur
e. C
onne
ctio
ns
betw
een
idea
s som
etim
es
clar
ify th
e re
latio
nshi
ps a
mon
g th
em. S
ome
idea
s are
logi
cally
gr
oupe
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
gene
ral a
nd im
prec
ise.
Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
are
not
var
ied
and
are
ofte
n no
t cl
ear.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re so
mew
hat
appr
opria
te fo
r the
per
suas
ive
purp
ose
but
are
inco
nsis
tent
ly m
aint
aine
d. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
ar
e pr
esen
t, an
d th
ey so
met
imes
impe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
20
ACT Aspire Grade 5 Argumentative Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 2
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
w
eak
or
inco
nsis
tent
skill
in
wri
ting
a pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er’s
arg
umen
t may
be
unc
lear
or i
ncom
plet
e as
a
resp
onse
to th
e pe
rsua
sive
w
ritin
g ta
sk. T
he w
riter
’s
posi
tion
is v
ague
or u
ncle
ar,
and/
or th
e re
ason
s pro
vide
d fo
r tha
t pos
ition
are
not
ap
prop
riate
or c
lear
.
Idea
s are
onl
y br
iefly
or
uncl
early
exp
lain
ed, w
ith
little
use
of s
uppo
rting
re
ason
s or r
elev
ant d
etai
ls.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
evi
denc
e of
or
gani
zatio
nal s
truct
ure.
C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s are
of
ten
mis
sing
or p
oorly
fo
rmed
. Few
idea
s are
lo
gica
lly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
ru
dim
enta
ry a
nd v
ague
. Se
nten
ce
stru
ctur
es a
re o
ften
uncl
ear.
Voi
ce a
nd
tone
may
not
be
appr
opria
te fo
r the
pe
rsua
sive
pur
pose
. Dis
tract
ing
erro
rs in
gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
and
they
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
a pe
rsua
sive
ess
ay
The
writ
er d
oes n
ot g
ener
ate
an a
ppro
pria
te re
spon
se to
th
e pe
rsua
sive
writ
ing
task
, in
that
the
writ
er d
oes n
ot ta
ke a
cl
ear p
ositi
on o
n th
e is
sue
or
does
not
pro
vide
suff
icie
nt
reas
ons f
or th
e po
sitio
n.
Idea
s lac
k ex
plan
atio
n, w
ith
virtu
ally
no
use
of su
ppor
ting
reas
ons o
r rel
evan
t det
ails
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of o
rgan
izat
iona
l st
ruct
ure.
Con
nect
ions
be
twee
n id
eas a
re ra
re.
Idea
s ar
e no
t log
ical
ly g
roup
ed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
impr
ecis
e an
d di
ffic
ult t
o co
mpr
ehen
d.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re n
ot a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
pe
rsua
sive
pur
pose
. Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
ar
e m
ostly
unc
lear
. Err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar,
usag
e, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
per
vasi
ve a
nd
sign
ifica
ntly
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 0
U
nsco
rabl
e
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
21
Grade 4 Expository Writing
You are going to write an essay to explain the qualities of a good friend.
Think about your best friend. Think about what makes this person a good friend. Here are somequestions to help you think about your essay and plan it:
• Who is this person, and what do you like to do together?
• Why is this friend important to you?
• What makes this person your best friend? Why not someone else?
• What kinds of things do all good friends have in common?
Now, write an essay in which you describe your best friend and explain the qualities of a goodfriend. Be sure to include reasons and details that help your reader understand what makes thisperson a good friend and what qualities all good friends have.
22
ACT Aspire Grade 4 Expository Writing Analytic Rubric
A
naly
sis
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
5
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
capa
ble
skill
in
wri
ting
an
expo
sito
ry e
ssay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
anal
ysis
that
eng
ages
with
the
expo
sito
ry w
ritin
g ta
sk. T
he
anal
ysis
add
ress
es th
e si
gnifi
canc
e of
the
subj
ect b
y of
ferin
g th
ough
tful
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d di
scus
ses i
mpl
icat
ions
, co
mpl
icat
ions
, or u
nder
lyin
g va
lues
.
Idea
s are
succ
essf
ully
ex
plai
ned,
with
cap
able
us
e of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s an
d sp
ecifi
c de
tails
. The
w
riter
’s c
laim
s and
sp
ecifi
c su
ppor
t may
be
inte
grat
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
be
ginn
ing,
mid
dle,
and
end
, and
so
me
idea
s are
logi
cally
se
quen
ced.
Con
nect
ions
bet
wee
n id
eas c
larif
y th
e re
latio
nshi
ps
amon
g th
em.
Cap
able
use
of
trans
ition
s sig
nals
an
orde
r of
idea
s.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
clea
rly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
co
nsis
tent
ly a
ppro
pria
te. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re c
lear
and
may
be
varie
d.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
ex
posi
tory
pur
pose
and
are
mai
ntai
ned
thro
ugho
ut m
ost o
f the
resp
onse
. Whi
le
erro
rs in
gra
mm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not s
igni
fican
tly
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g an
ex
posi
tory
ess
ay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
anal
ysis
that
ade
quat
ely
resp
onds
to th
e ex
posi
tory
w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
anal
ysis
re
cogn
izes
the
sign
ifica
nce
of
the
subj
ect b
y of
ferin
g cl
ear
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d re
cogn
izes
impl
icat
ions
or
com
plic
atio
ns.
Idea
s are
ade
quat
ely
expl
aine
d, w
ith
satis
fact
ory
use
of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
sp
ecifi
c de
tails
. The
re
spon
se p
rovi
des
adeq
uate
supp
ort f
or th
e w
riter
’s c
laim
s.
The
resp
onse
con
tain
s a d
isce
rnib
le
begi
nnin
g, m
iddl
e, a
nd e
nd, a
nd
idea
s are
logi
cally
gro
uped
. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s so
met
imes
cla
rify
the
rela
tions
hips
am
ong
them
. Ade
quat
e us
e of
tra
nsiti
ons s
igna
ls a
n or
derly
st
ruct
ure
of id
eas.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
cle
arly
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
mos
tly a
ppro
pria
te.
Sent
ence
st
ruct
ures
are
mos
tly a
ccur
ate
and
clea
r. V
oice
and
tone
are
app
ropr
iate
for t
he
expo
sito
ry p
urpo
se, b
ut a
re
inco
nsis
tent
ly m
aint
aine
d. W
hile
err
ors
in g
ram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pr
esen
t, th
ey m
ostly
do
not i
mpe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
Sc
ore:
3
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
som
e de
velo
ping
sk
ill in
wri
ting
an e
xpos
itory
es
say
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
a
som
ewha
t app
ropr
iate
ana
lysi
s in
resp
onse
to th
e ex
posi
tory
w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
anal
ysis
of
fers
sim
plis
tic o
r im
prec
ise
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d m
ay o
nly
parti
ally
re
cogn
ize
impl
icat
ions
.
Idea
s are
inef
fect
ivel
y ex
plai
ned,
with
som
e us
e of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s and
de
tails
. The
resp
onse
pr
ovid
es o
nly
som
e su
ppor
t for
the
writ
er’s
cl
aim
s.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
n, a
nd so
me
idea
s are
logi
cally
gro
uped
. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s are
of
ten
mis
sing
or p
oorly
form
ed.
Som
e tra
nsiti
ons s
igna
l a d
ivis
ion
of id
eas.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s an
inco
nsis
tent
abi
lity
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng.
Wor
d ch
oice
is so
met
imes
vag
ue o
r in
accu
rate
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
ofte
n un
clea
r. V
oice
and
tone
are
in
cons
iste
ntly
app
ropr
iate
for t
he
expo
sito
ry p
urpo
se. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pr
esen
t, an
d th
ey re
gula
rly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
23
ACT Aspire Grade 4 Expository Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 2
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
w
eak
or
inco
nsis
tent
skill
in
wri
ting
an
expo
sito
ry e
ssay
The
writ
er g
ener
ates
an
uncl
ear o
r inc
ompl
ete
anal
ysis
in
resp
onse
to th
e ex
posi
tory
w
ritin
g ta
sk. T
he a
naly
sis
offe
rs u
ncle
ar o
r inc
ompl
ete
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
.
Expl
anat
ions
of i
deas
are
br
ief,
uncl
ear o
r in
com
plet
e, w
ith li
ttle
use
of re
leva
nt su
ppor
ting
reas
ons o
r det
ails
. The
re
spon
se p
rovi
des
min
imal
or i
rrel
evan
t su
ppor
t for
the
writ
er’s
cl
aim
s.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
n, a
nd m
ost
idea
s are
not
logi
cally
gro
uped
. Th
ere
are
very
few
con
nect
ions
be
twee
n id
eas.
Tra
nsiti
ons a
re
infr
eque
ntly
use
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
ofte
n va
gue
and
inac
cura
te.
Sent
ence
st
ruct
ures
are
unc
lear
. Voi
ce a
nd to
ne
may
not
be
appr
opria
te fo
r the
ex
posi
tory
pur
pose
. Dis
tract
ing
erro
rs in
gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
pres
ent,
and
they
freq
uent
ly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
an
expo
sito
ry e
ssay
The
writ
er d
oes n
ot g
ener
ate
an a
naly
sis t
hat r
espo
nds t
o th
e ex
posi
tory
writ
ing
task
. Th
e re
spon
se la
cks
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
spec
ific
deta
ils a
nd g
ener
al p
rinci
ples
, an
d de
mon
stra
tes l
ittle
or n
o un
ders
tand
ing
of th
e ta
sk
Idea
s lac
k ex
plan
atio
n,
with
virt
ually
no
use
of
supp
ortin
g re
ason
s or
deta
ils. T
he re
spon
se
prov
ides
no
disc
erni
ble
supp
ort f
or th
e w
riter
’s
clai
ms.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of
org
aniz
atio
n. T
here
are
no
conn
ectio
ns b
etw
een
idea
s. Tr
ansi
tions
are
not
use
d.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
con
sist
ently
inac
cura
te, m
akin
g id
eas
diff
icul
t to
com
preh
end.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne
are
not a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
exp
osito
ry
purp
ose.
Sen
tenc
e st
ruct
ures
are
in
accu
rate
and
har
d to
follo
w. E
rror
s in
gram
mar
, usa
ge, a
nd m
echa
nics
are
pe
rvas
ive
and
sign
ifica
ntly
impe
de
unde
rsta
ndin
g.
Sc
ore:
0
Uns
cora
ble
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
24
Grade 3 Reflective Narrative Writing
You are going to write a story about a time when you tried something new.
Think about how you felt when you tried something new, and what you learned about trying newthings. Here are some questions to help you think about your story and plan it:
• What did you try and did anyone help you?
• How did you feel while trying this thing?
• Did you ever want to give up?
• Will you try more new things in the future? Why or why not?
• How did this change the way you think about trying new things?
Now, write a story that describes a time when you tried something new. Your story should tell yourreader what you learned about trying new things.
25
ACT Aspire Grade 3 Reflective Narrative Writing Analytic Rubric
R
efle
ctiv
e N
arra
tive
Dev
elop
men
t O
rgan
izat
ion
Lang
uage
Use
Sc
ore:
5
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
capa
ble
skill
in
wri
ting
a re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e es
say
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a
clea
r und
erst
andi
ng o
f the
re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e ta
sk b
y re
coun
ting
a w
ell-c
hose
n ex
perie
nce
and
capa
bly
refle
ctin
g on
its m
eani
ng in
re
latio
n to
the
narr
ativ
e w
ritin
g ta
sk.
The
expe
rienc
e is
su
cces
sful
ly n
arra
ted,
with
us
e of
nar
rativ
e te
chni
ques
(e
.g.,
dial
ogue
, des
crip
tive
deta
il). I
deas
are
cle
arly
ex
plai
ned
and
they
may
be
inte
grat
ed w
ith th
e na
rrat
ion
of th
e ex
perie
nce.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
a c
lear
be
ginn
ing,
mid
dle,
and
end
, and
id
eas a
re lo
gica
lly se
quen
ced.
C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he st
ory
are
clea
r.
Cap
able
use
of t
rans
ition
s si
gnal
s a c
lear
ord
er o
f eve
nts.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s the
abi
lity
to
clea
rly c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
co
nsis
tent
ly a
ppro
pria
te. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re c
lear
and
may
be
varie
d.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
na
rrat
ive
purp
ose
and
are
mai
ntai
ned
thro
ugho
ut m
ost o
f the
resp
onse
. Whi
le
erro
rs in
gra
mm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs
may
be
pres
ent,
they
do
not s
igni
fican
tly
impe
de u
nder
stan
ding
.
Scor
e: 4
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
ad
equa
te sk
ill in
w
ritin
g a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a
mos
tly c
lear
und
erst
andi
ng o
f th
e re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e ta
sk
by re
coun
ting
an a
ppro
pria
te
expe
rienc
e an
d ad
equa
tely
re
flect
ing
on it
s mea
ning
in
rela
tion
to th
e na
rrat
ive
writ
ing
task
.
The
expe
rienc
e is
suff
icie
ntly
na
rrat
ed, w
ith so
me
use
of
narr
ativ
e te
chni
ques
(e.g
., di
alog
ue, d
escr
iptiv
e de
tail)
. Id
eas a
re u
sual
ly e
xpla
ined
.
The
resp
onse
con
tain
s a
disc
erni
ble
begi
nnin
g, m
iddl
e,
and
end,
and
idea
s are
logi
cally
gr
oupe
d. C
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he st
ory
are
only
som
etim
es c
lear
. Ade
quat
e us
e of
tran
sitio
ns si
gnal
s an
orde
r of e
vent
s.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s som
e ab
ility
to
cle
arly
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
mos
tly a
ppro
pria
te.
Sent
ence
st
ruct
ures
are
acc
urat
e an
d m
ostly
cle
ar.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne a
re a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
na
rrat
ive
purp
ose,
but
are
inco
nsis
tent
ly
mai
ntai
ned.
Whi
le e
rror
s in
gram
mar
, us
age,
and
mec
hani
cs a
re p
rese
nt, t
hey
mos
tly d
o no
t im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
Sc
ore:
3
Res
pons
es a
t th
is sc
ore-
poin
t de
mon
stra
te
som
e de
velo
ping
sk
ill in
wri
ting
a re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e es
say
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s so
me
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
the
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
task
by
reco
untin
g a
som
ewha
t ap
prop
riate
exp
erie
nce
and
refle
ctin
g on
the
expe
rienc
e w
ith li
mite
d su
cces
s.
The
expe
rienc
e is
par
tially
na
rrat
ed, a
nd m
ay sh
ow so
me
use
of n
arra
tive
tech
niqu
es
(e.g
., di
alog
ue, d
escr
iptiv
e de
tail)
. Ide
as a
re o
nly
som
ewha
t exp
lain
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
som
e ev
iden
ce o
f org
aniz
atio
n, a
nd
som
e id
eas a
re lo
gica
lly
grou
ped.
Con
nect
ions
bet
wee
n th
e el
emen
ts o
f the
stor
y ar
e of
ten
mis
sing
or p
oorly
form
ed.
Som
e tra
nsiti
ons s
igna
l an
orde
r of e
vent
s.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s an
inco
nsis
tent
abi
lity
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng.
Wor
d ch
oice
is so
met
imes
vag
ue o
r in
accu
rate
. Se
nten
ce st
ruct
ures
are
ofte
n un
clea
r. V
oice
and
tone
are
inco
nsis
tent
ly
appr
opria
te fo
r the
nar
rativ
e pu
rpos
e.
Dis
tract
ing
erro
rs in
gra
mm
ar, u
sage
, and
m
echa
nics
are
pre
sent
, and
they
regu
larly
im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
26
ACT Aspire Grade 3 Reflective Narrative Writing Analytic Rubric (continued)
Scor
e: 2
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
w
eak
or
inco
nsis
tent
skill
in
wri
ting
a
refle
ctiv
e na
rrat
ive
essa
y
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s an
unc
lear
und
erst
andi
ng o
f th
e re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e ta
sk
by re
coun
ting
a po
orly
ch
osen
or i
rrel
evan
t ex
perie
nce,
and
refle
ctio
n on
th
e ex
perie
nce
is u
ncle
ar o
r in
com
plet
e.
The
expe
rienc
e is
repo
rted
rath
er th
an n
arra
ted,
with
lit
tle u
se o
f nar
rativ
e te
chni
ques
(e.g
., di
alog
ue,
desc
riptiv
e de
tail)
. Ide
as a
re
only
brie
fly e
xpla
ined
, or
expl
anat
ions
are
unc
lear
.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
onl
y a
little
evi
denc
e of
org
aniz
atio
n,
and
mos
t ide
as a
re n
ot lo
gica
lly
grou
ped.
The
re a
re v
ery
few
co
nnec
tions
bet
wee
n th
e el
emen
ts o
f the
stor
y.
Tran
sitio
ns th
at si
gnal
an
orde
r of
eve
nts a
re in
freq
uent
ly u
sed.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s a w
eak
abili
ty
to c
onve
y m
eani
ng. W
ord
choi
ce is
ofte
n va
gue
and
inac
cura
te.
Sent
ence
st
ruct
ures
are
unc
lear
. Voi
ce a
nd to
ne
may
not
be
appr
opria
te fo
r the
nar
rativ
e pu
rpos
e. D
istra
ctin
g er
rors
in g
ram
mar
, us
age,
and
mec
hani
cs a
re p
rese
nt, a
nd
they
freq
uent
ly im
pede
und
erst
andi
ng.
Scor
e: 1
R
espo
nses
at
this
scor
e-po
int
dem
onst
rate
lit
tle o
r no
skill
in
wri
ting
a re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e es
say
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s lit
tle o
r no
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
th
e re
flect
ive
narr
ativ
e ta
sk.
It do
es n
ot re
coun
t a re
leva
nt
expe
rienc
e, o
r con
tain
s no
succ
essf
ul re
flect
ion
on th
e m
eani
ng o
f the
exp
erie
nce.
The
expe
rienc
e, if
one
is
reco
unte
d, is
repo
rted
with
out n
arra
tive
tech
niqu
es
and
may
con
tain
con
fusi
ng
gaps
in th
e or
der o
f eve
nts.
Ref
lect
ive
idea
s are
abs
ent o
r ar
e no
t exp
lain
ed.
The
resp
onse
exh
ibits
no
evid
ence
of o
rgan
izat
ion.
The
re
are
no c
onne
ctio
ns b
etw
een
the
elem
ents
of t
he st
ory.
The
re
spon
se la
cks t
rans
ition
s tha
t si
gnal
an
orde
r of e
vent
s.
The
resp
onse
dem
onst
rate
s litt
le o
r no
abili
ty to
con
vey
mea
ning
. Wor
d ch
oice
is
con
sist
ently
inac
cura
te, m
akin
g id
eas
diff
icul
t to
com
preh
end.
Voi
ce a
nd to
ne
are
not a
ppro
pria
te fo
r the
nar
rativ
e pu
rpos
e. S
ente
nce
stru
ctur
es a
re
inac
cura
te a
nd h
ard
to fo
llow
. Err
ors i
n gr
amm
ar, u
sage
, and
mec
hani
cs a
re
perv
asiv
e an
d si
gnifi
cant
ly im
pede
un
ders
tand
ing.
Scor
e: 0
U
nsco
rabl
e
The
resp
onse
is b
lank
, voi
ded,
off
-topi
c, il
legi
ble,
or n
ot w
ritte
n in
Eng
lish.
27
Mode:
Persuasive/Argum
entative
Analytical Exposito
ryReflective Narrative
Competencies:
Gen
erate ideas
Judg
men
tA
naly
sis
Nar
ratio
n an
d R
efle
ctio
n
• Evaluate an issue
–Recognize complexity
–Multiple perspectives
–Implications and complicating
factors
–Counterarguments
• Take a position
–Present a thesis
• Comprehend a subject/situation
–Recognize complexity
–Multiple perspectives
–Implications and complicating
factors
–Underlying assumptions, ideas,
or values
• Provide an explanation
–Articulate insight/depth of
understanding
• Select a relevant event, experience, or
situation to recount
–Recognize complexity
–Situated perspectives
–Implications and complicating
factors
–Multiple meanings
• Reflect on the meaning/significance
Develop
ideas
Dev
elop
a P
ositi
onS
uppo
rt a
n E
xpla
natio
nG
ive
an A
ccou
nt
• Support thesis using persuasive
–Evidence
–facts, experience, authority
–Reasoning/logic
–Appeals to emotion/feeling
• Move between general statements and
specific reasons, examples and details
• Identify and explain elements essential
for understanding
• Identify and explore relevant underlying
assumptions, ideas, or values
• Arrive at insight/deeper understanding
through well-reasoned discussion
• Describe event, experience, or situation
–Identify and convey elements essential
for understanding
–Select and convey relevant supporting
details
• Identify and convey connected abstract
ideas
• Arrive at insight/deeper understanding
through thoughtful consideration
Sustain ideas
Focu
sFo
cus
Focu
s
• Maintain focus on
–Elements of issue relevant to thesis
–Persuasive purpose and context
• Maintain focus on
–Elements of subject/situation essential
to understanding and analysis
–Expository purpose and context
• Maintain focus on
–Relevant event, experience, or situation
–Abstract ideas relevant to reflection
–Narrative purpose and context
ACT Aspire Writing Competencies Model
(con
tinue
d)
28
Mode:
Persuasive/Argum
entative
Analytical Exposito
ryReflective Narrative
Competencies:
Organize ideas
Org
aniz
atio
nO
rgan
izat
ion
Org
aniz
atio
n
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence ideas in progression
• Use transitions to clarify relationships
among ideas
• Provide an effective introduction
and conclusion
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence ideas in progression
• Use transitions to clarify relationships
among ideas
• Provide an effective introduction
and conclusion
• Group ideas logically
• Sequence narrative elements effectively
• Use transitions to clarify relationships
among ideas and narrative elements
• Provide an effective introduction
and conclusion
Com
mun
icate ideas
Lang
uage
Use
Lang
uage
Use
Lang
uage
Use
• Use a variety of sentence structures
• Employ conventions of standard
written English
• Use varied and precise vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
• Use a variety of sentence structures
• Employ conventions of standard
written English
• Use varied and precise vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
• Use narrative techniques
• Employ conventions of standard
written English
• Use descriptive vocabulary
• Use appropriate voice and tone
ACT Aspire Writing Competencies Model (continued)