Texas STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing Rubric | Grades 6-English II | Reading Language Arts

9 min read September 11, 2024

✨ Summary: Comprehensive guide to the Texas STAAR Writing Rubric for Grades 6-English II Argumentative/Opinion Writing. Detailed scoring criteria for development of ideas, organization, evidence, expression, and conventions.

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Texas STAAR Writing Rubrics for Grades 6–English II: Argumentative/Opinion Writing

Key Points

This rubric guides argumentative/opinion writing assessment for grades 6 through English II
It evaluates five key areas: Development and Organization of Ideas, Organization, Evidence, Expression of Ideas, and Conventions
It’s crucial for STAAR writing test preparation and improving secondary students’ argumentative writing skills

Full Rubric

Criteria	3 points (3)	2 points (2)	1 point (1)	0 points (0)
Development and Organization of Ideas	The argument/opinion is clearly identifiable. The focus is consistent throughout, creating a response that is unified and easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are identified and refuted.	An argument/opinion is presented, but it may not be clearly identifiable because it is not fully developed. The focus may not always be consistent and may not always be easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments may be identified but are not refuted.	An argument/opinion is present but not developed appropriately in response to the writing task. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are not identified.	The response lacks an introduction and conclusion. An organizational structure is not evident. Evidence is not provided or is irrelevant. The response reflects a lack of understanding of the writing purpose. The expression of ideas is unclear and/or incoherent.
Organization	A purposeful structure that includes an effective introduction and conclusion is evident. The organizational structure is appropriate and effectively supports the development of the argument/opinion. The sentences, paragraphs, or ideas are logically connected in purposeful and highly effective ways.	A purposeful structure that includes an introduction and conclusion is present. An organizational structure may be apparent, but it may not be consistent and may not always support the logical development of the argument/opinion. Sentence-to-sentence connections and clarity may be lacking.	An introduction or conclusion may be present. An organizational structure that supports logical development is not always evident or is not appropriate to the task.	The response lacks an introduction and conclusion. An organizational structure is not evident.
Evidence	The response includes relevant text-based evidence that is clearly explained and consistently supports and develops the argument/opinion. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from both texts. The response reflects a thorough understanding of the writing purpose.	The response may include some text-based evidence to support the argument/opinion, but it may be insufficiently explained, and/or some evidence may be irrelevant to the argument/opinion. For pairs, evidence is drawn from at least one of the texts. The response reflects partial understanding of the writing purpose.	Little text-based evidence is presented, or the evidence presented is mostly extraneous and/or repetitious. Explanation of any evidence presented is insufficient and may be only vaguely related to the writing task. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from only one text. The response reflects a limited understanding of the writing purpose.	Evidence is not provided or is irrelevant.
Expression of Ideas	The writer’s word choice is specific, purposeful, and enhances the response. Almost all sentences and phrases are effectively crafted to convey the writer’s ideas and contribute to the overall quality of the response and the clarity of the message.	The writer’s word choice may be general and imprecise and at times may not convey the writer’s ideas clearly. Sentences and phrases are at times ineffective and may interfere with the writer’s intended meaning and weaken the message.	The writer’s word choice is vague or limited and may impede the quality and clarity of the essay. Sentences and phrases are often ineffective, interfere with the writer’s intended meaning, and impact the strength and clarity of the message.	The expression of ideas is unclear and/or incoherent.
Conventions	N/A	Student writing demonstrates consistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has few errors, but those errors do not impact the clarity of the writing.	Student writing demonstrates inconsistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including limited use of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has several errors, but the reader can understand the writer’s thoughts.	Student writing demonstrates little to no command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including infrequent use of or no evidence of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has many errors, and these errors impact the clarity of the writing and the reader’s understanding of the writing.

Detailed Rubric Breakdown

Development and Organization of Ideas

Score	Criteria
3	The argument/opinion is clearly identifiable. The focus is consistent throughout, creating a response that is unified and easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are identified and refuted.
2	An argument/opinion is presented, but it may not be clearly identifiable because it is not fully developed. The focus may not always be consistent and may not always be easy to follow. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments may be identified but are not refuted.
1	An argument/opinion is present but not developed appropriately in response to the writing task. For grades 8 through EII, counterarguments are not identified.
0	The response lacks an introduction and conclusion. An organizational structure is not evident. Evidence is not provided or is irrelevant. The response reflects a lack of understanding of the writing purpose. The expression of ideas is unclear and/or incoherent.

Organization

Score	Criteria
3	A purposeful structure that includes an effective introduction and conclusion is evident. The organizational structure is appropriate and effectively supports the development of the argument/opinion. The sentences, paragraphs, or ideas are logically connected in purposeful and highly effective ways.
2	A purposeful structure that includes an introduction and conclusion is present. An organizational structure may be apparent, but it may not be consistent and may not always support the logical development of the argument/opinion. Sentence-to-sentence connections and clarity may be lacking.
1	An introduction or conclusion may be present. An organizational structure that supports logical development is not always evident or is not appropriate to the task.
0	The response lacks an introduction and conclusion. An organizational structure is not evident.

Evidence

Score	Criteria
3	The response includes relevant text-based evidence that is clearly explained and consistently supports and develops the argument/opinion. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from both texts. The response reflects a thorough understanding of the writing purpose.
2	The response may include some text-based evidence to support the argument/opinion, but it may be insufficiently explained, and/or some evidence may be irrelevant to the argument/opinion. For pairs, evidence is drawn from at least one of the texts. The response reflects partial understanding of the writing purpose.
1	Little text-based evidence is presented, or the evidence presented is mostly extraneous and/or repetitious. Explanation of any evidence presented is insufficient and may be only vaguely related to the writing task. For pairs in grades 6 through EII, evidence is drawn from only one text. The response reflects a limited understanding of the writing purpose.
0	Evidence is not provided or is irrelevant.

Expression of Ideas

Score	Criteria
3	The writer’s word choice is specific, purposeful, and enhances the response. Almost all sentences and phrases are effectively crafted to convey the writer’s ideas and contribute to the overall quality of the response and the clarity of the message.
2	The writer’s word choice may be general and imprecise and at times may not convey the writer’s ideas clearly. Sentences and phrases are at times ineffective and may interfere with the writer’s intended meaning and weaken the message.
1	The writer’s word choice is vague or limited and may impede the quality and clarity of the essay. Sentences and phrases are often ineffective, interfere with the writer’s intended meaning, and impact the strength and clarity of the message.
0	The expression of ideas is unclear and/or incoherent.

Conventions

Score	Criteria
2	Student writing demonstrates consistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has few errors, but those errors do not impact the clarity of the writing.
1	Student writing demonstrates inconsistent command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including limited use of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has several errors, but the reader can understand the writer’s thoughts.
0	Student writing demonstrates little to no command of grade-level-appropriate conventions, including infrequent use of or no evidence of correct: sentence construction, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling. The response has many errors, and these errors impact the clarity of the writing and the reader’s understanding of the writing.

Note: If a response receives a score point 0 in the Development and Organization of Ideas trait, the response will also earn 0 points in the Conventions trait.

How to Use This Rubric

For Teachers: Use this rubric to assess your students’ argumentative/opinion writing skills. It can help you identify areas where students excel and where they need improvement. Incorporate these criteria into your writing instruction to help students develop strong argumentative writing skills.
For Students: Familiarize yourself with this rubric to understand what’s expected in your argumentative/opinion writing. Use it as a checklist when revising your work to ensure you’ve covered all the important aspects of effective argumentative writing.
For Parents: Review this rubric to understand how your child’s argumentative/opinion writing is evaluated. Use it as a guide to support your child’s writing development at home.

Tips for Success in STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing

Clear Argument: Ensure your writing has a clear, well-developed argument or opinion that remains consistent throughout the essay.
Effective Organization: Use a logical organizational structure with a strong introduction and conclusion. Connect your ideas smoothly.
Relevant Evidence: Include specific, well-chosen evidence from the text to support your argument. Explain how this evidence relates to your main point.
Address Counterarguments: For grades 8 through English II, identify and refute counterarguments to strengthen your position.
Clear Expression: Use precise language and well-constructed sentences to clearly convey your ideas.
Conventions: Pay attention to sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling. Proofread your work carefully.
Audience Awareness: For grades 6-English II, some prompts may ask you to write a letter to a specific audience. Adjust your tone and style accordingly.

By focusing on these areas, students can improve their argumentative/opinion writing skills and perform better on the STAAR Writing test. Remember, practice makes perfect! Regular writing practice using this rubric as a guide can significantly enhance your performance.

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Elevate Your Students' Argumentative Writing with CoGrader!

Get Instant Feedback Using This Rubric

Texas STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing Rubric | Grades 6-English II | Reading Language Arts

Table of Contents 📒

Elevate Your Students' Argumentative Writing with CoGrader!

Texas STAAR Writing Rubrics for Grades 6–English II: Argumentative/Opinion Writing

Key Points

Full Rubric

Detailed Rubric Breakdown

Development and Organization of Ideas

Organization

Evidence

Expression of Ideas

Conventions

How to Use This Rubric

Tips for Success in STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing

Share this post

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