Reporting Category
Row A
Thesis (0–1 points)

Scoring Criteria
0 points
For any of the following:

There is no defensible thesis.
The intended thesis restates the prompt.
The intended thesis provides a summary of the issue with no apparent or coherent claim.
There is a thesis, but it does not respond to the prompt.
1 point
Responds to the prompt with a defensible thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Responses that do not earn this point:

Only restate the prompt.
Fail to address the rhetorical choices the writer of the passage makes.
Describe or repeat the passage rather than making a claim that requires a defense.
Responses that earn this point:

Respond to the prompt rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt and clearly articulate a defensible thesis about the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in the United States.
Examples that do not earn this point:

Restate the prompt

“In 2017, then First Lady Michelle Obama delivered her final speech as First Lady at an event honoring school counselors.”
Make a claim, but do not address the writer’s rhetorical choices

“In her 2017 speech to school counselors, Michelle Obama set high expectations for her audience, the young people of America.”
Repeat provided information from the passage

“Michelle Obama claims in her speech that ‘our glorious diversity’ is what ‘makes us who we are.’”
Examples that earn this point:
Present a defensible thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices

“Michelle Obama uses a friendly tone, inspirational diction, and examples from her own family to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in America.”
“In her last speech as First Lady, Michelle Obama adopts the persona of a mentor or parental figure, using second person pronouns and giving direct advice, to inspire her audience of young people to ‘rise to their best possible selves.’”
“In her inspirational 2017 speech, First Lady Michelle Obama provides multiple examples of her own family to exhort the young people in her audience with a call to action to take their place as positive and productive members of American society.”
Additional Notes:

The thesis may be more than one sentence, provided the sentences are in close proximity.
The thesis may be anywhere within the response.
For a thesis to be defensible, the passage must include at least minimal evidence that could be used to support that thesis; however, the student need not cite that evidence to earn the thesis point.
The thesis may establish a line of reasoning that structures the essay, but it needn’t do so to earn the thesis point.
A thesis that meets the criteria can be awarded the point whether or not the rest of the response successfully supports that line of reasoning.

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Reporting Category
Row B
Evidence AND Commentary (0–4 points)

Scoring Criteria
0 points
Simply restates thesis (if present), repeats provided information, or offers information irrelevant to the prompt.

1 point
EVIDENCE:
Provides evidence that is mostly general.

AND

COMMENTARY:
Summarizes the evidence but does not explain how the evidence supports the student’s argument.

2 points
EVIDENCE:
Provides some specific, relevant evidence.

AND

COMMENTARY:
Explains how some of the evidence relates to the student’s argument, but no line of reasoning is established, or the line of reasoning is faulty.

3 points
EVIDENCE:
Provides specific evidence to support all claims in a line of reasoning.

AND

COMMENTARY:
Explains how some of the evidence supports a line of reasoning.

AND

Explains how at least one rhetorical choice in the passage contributes to the writer’s argument, purpose, or message.

4 points
EVIDENCE:
Provides specific evidence to support all claims in a line of reasoning.

AND

COMMENTARY:
Consistently explains how the evidence supports a line of reasoning.

AND

Explains how multiple rhetorical choices in the passage contribute to the writer’s argument, purpose, or message.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Typical responses that earn 0 points:

Are incoherent or do not address the prompt.
May be just opinion with no textual references or references that are irrelevant.
Typical responses that earn 1 point:

Tend to focus on summary or description of a passage rather than specific details or techniques.
Mention rhetorical choices with little or no explanation.
Typical responses that earn 2 points:

Consist of a mix of specific evidence and broad generalities.
May contain some simplistic, inaccurate, or repetitive explanations that don’t strengthen the argument.
May make one point well but either do not make multiple supporting claims or do not adequately support more than one claim.
Do not explain the connections or progression between the student’s claims, so a line of reasoning is not clearly established.
Typical responses that earn 3 points:

Uniformly offer evidence to support claims.
Focus on the importance of specific words and details from the passage to build an argument.
Organize an argument as a line of reasoning composed of multiple supporting claims.
Commentary may fail to integrate some evidence or fail to support a key claim.
Typical responses that earn 4 points:

Uniformly offer evidence to support claims.
Focus on the importance of specific words and details from the passage to build an argument.
Organize and support an argument as a line of reasoning composed of multiple supporting claims, each with adequate evidence that is clearly explained.
Explain how the writer’s use of rhetorical choices contributes to the student’s interpretation of the passage.
Additional Notes:

Writing that suffers from grammatical and/or mechanical errors that interfere with communication cannot earn the fourth point in this row.
To earn the fourth point in this row, the response may observe multiple instances of the same rhetorical choice if each instance further contributes to the argument, purpose, or message of the passage.

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Reporting Category
Row C
Sophistication (0–1 points)

Scoring Criteria
0 points
Does not meet the criteria for one point.

1 point
Demonstrates sophistication of thought and/or a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Responses that do not earn this point:

Attempt to contextualize the text, but such attempts consist predominantly of sweeping generalizations (“In a world where…” OR “Since the beginning of time…”).
Only hint at or suggest other arguments (“While some may argue that…” OR “Some people say…”).
Examine individual rhetorical choices but do not examine the relationships among different choices throughout the text.
Oversimplify complexities in the text.
Use complicated or complex sentences or language that is ineffective because it does not enhance their analysis.
Responses that earn this point may demonstrate sophistication of thought and/or a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation by doing any of the following:

Explaining the significance or relevance of the writer’s rhetorical choices (given the rhetorical situation).
Explaining a purpose or function of the passage’s complexities or tensions.
Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.
Additional Notes:

This point should be awarded only if the sophistication of thought or complex understanding is part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.