Exemplary	Proficient	Developing	Beginning	Not Yet
Comprehension of Assignment (25% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 25 – 23 pts. The researched argument presents a convincing and insightful argument. The writer takes a position and supports it with carefully chosen and compelling evidence. Multiple appeals (character, logic, emotions, and timeliness) are incorporated.	Drop down menu: 22 – 20 pts. The researched argument presents a well-defined argument. The writer takes a position and supports it with sufficient evidence. Multiple appeals are considered.	Drop-down menu: 19 – 18 pts. The researched argument presents a minimally defined argument. The writer takes a position and attempts to support it, but the evidence is underdeveloped or incomplete. One or two appeals may be addressed but need to be reworked to be more effective.	Drop-down menu: 17 – 15 pts. The researched argument presents a weakly developed argument. The writer takes a position but offers minimal and/or inappropriate evidence to support its claim.	Drop-down menu: 14 – 0 pts. The researched argument presents an ineffective argument. The writer may fail to take a position or offer only poorly chosen evidence to support the claim.
Application of Course Knowledge and Content (15% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 15 – 14 pts. The writer addresses opposing arguments and offers strong rebuttals or concessions.	--	Drop-down menu: 12 – 11 pts. The writer mentions opposing arguments, but rebuttals or concessions are weak or absent.	--	Drop-down menu: 9 – 0 pts. Opposing arguments are not addressed.
Research Skills (20% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 20-18 pts. Four scholarly sources are used effectively through quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Drop down menu: 17-16 pts. Competent use of four scholarly sources is evident. Some errors exist in quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing.	Drop-down menu: 15-14 pts. Scholarly sources are used but most of the information appears to be borrowed from the Internet or questionable sources. Quotations, summaries, and/or paraphrases contain significant errors such as missing signal phrases or quotes that do no flow with the surrounding material.	Drop-down menu: 13-12 pts. Few credible sources are used. Little or no attempt is made to quote, paraphrase, or summarize. Quotes may appear to be “dropped into” the essay with no attempt to integrate them into the surrounding material.	Drop-down menu: 11 – 0 pts. Little or no evidence of research. Sources may be listed on the References page but not mentioned in text. Only Internet and/or questionable sources are used.
Citations (10% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 10-9 pts. In-text and Reference page citations are completely or mostly accurate.	Drop down menu: 8 pts. Citations are mostly correct but contain a few significant errors in line spacing, capitalization, or attributing authors.	Drop-down menu: 7 pts. Effort is made to use citations, but there are several errors which obstruct meaning or flow (such as listing the entire citation in the body of the text or using URLs as in-text citations).	Drop-down menu: 6 pts. Some effort is made to use citations, but they are vague or incomplete.	Drop-down menu: 5 – 0 pts. Little or no effort to cite sources correctly. Sources may be listed by URLs only. Few or no in-text citations.
Organization of Ideas (15% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 15-14 pts. Organization is coherent with appropriate transitions between and within paragraphs to create a cohesive whole.	Drop down menu: 13 pts. Organization is generally clear with transitions within and between paragraphs and an effective structure for the entire essay.	Drop-down menu: 12-11 pts. Organization is clear enough to follow, but the paper may contain ineffective transitions or digress from its structure.	Drop-down menu: 10 pts. Organization is unclear. There is some effort to connect ideas or structure the writing, but the ideas jump around. Transitions are weak or non-existent.	Drop-down menu: 9 – 0 pts. The essay lacks organization, making the writer’s ideas difficult to follow. Little effort is made to use transitions or structure the paper.
Writing Skills 10% of grade)	Drop-down menu: 10-9 pts. Word choice is precise, sentences are varied, and grammatical errors are rare or absent	Drop down menu: 8 pts. Word choice is appropriate and sentences are sometimes varied. Some errors in sentence structure, usage, and mechanics are present.	Drop-down menu: 7 pts. Word choice is imprecise and sentences may be poorly constructed or confusing. Errors in sentence structure, usage, and mechanics are present.	Drop-down menu: 6 pts. A pattern of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics significantly interferes with meaning.	Drop-down menu: 5 – 0 pts. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are pervasive and obstruct meaning.
Presentation (5% of grade)	Drop down menu: 5 pts Exceptional use of APA formatting (one-inch margins, double spaced, page numbers at top right, and title page).	Drop down menu: 4 pts Competent use of APA formatting. Errors are rare or absent.	Drop down menu: 3 pts. Some effort to use APA formatting. Some of the requirements are not followed, or some errors are evident.	Drop down menu: 2 pts. Marginal effort to use APA formatting. Most of the requirements are missing, or several errors are evident.	Drop down menu 1-0 pts Little or no effort to use APA formatting.

Total: 100 pts.