• Content and Development
• Focus and Organization
• Effective Sentences
• Word Choice
• Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

For each trait, one of the following skill levels is reported to the student: advanced, competent, limited, or emerging.

As an example, here are the reports for the advanced level for each trait.

Content and Development

Advanced

• uses mostly meaningful and thoughtful ideas
• elaborates and supports most ideas with specific details, reasons, explanations, and/or examples

Focus and Organization

Advanced

• consistently addresses the prompt • shows strong awareness of audience
• displays a clear plan with a logical arrangement of ideas and effective use of transitions
• demonstrates strong unity and completeness

Effective Sentences

Advanced

• forms sentences correctly; errors in sentence formation are rare and minor
• demonstrates exceptional sentence quality by avoiding awkward sentences
• displays considerable variety in sentence types, lengths, structures, and beginnings
• displays considerable fluency

Word Choice

Advanced

• uses words that are especially appropriate to audience and purpose
• uses many words that are precise and accurate; may be vivid and imaginative
• may use figurative language and imagery skillfully

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

Advanced

• demonstrates consistent command of language conventions
• exhibits consistent command of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization