Scene Staging Essay Grading Criteria

A 53- to 60-Point Essay (3.5-4.0, A Range)

• Has a substantive thesis and essay fully addresses how staging elements support a specific interpretation of the scene; the thesis is defendable, clearly explained, and supported in the body of the essay
• Shows substantial depth, fullness and complexity of thought
• Expresses ideas clearly and commands the reader’s attention
• Demonstrates clear, unified and coherent organization
• Is fully developed and detailed with arguments supported by persuasive reasoning and references to text; there is an appropriate balance between describing staging details and connecting those details to an interpretation of the scene
• Has a sophisticated style (remarkable variety of sentence pattern, smooth transitions between ideas, superior control of diction)
• Has few, if any, minor errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 38- to 52-Point Essay (2.5-3.4, B Range)

• Has a clear thesis and essay addresses how staging elements support a specific interpretation of the scene, but may not do so completely; the thesis may be clear and well-argued, but could use additional support or development
• Shows some depth and complexity of thought
• Expresses ideas clearly
• Demonstrates effective organization
• Is well developed with sensible reasoning and appropriate references to text; however, some of the discussion may detract from the thesis and some ideas might not be fully explored
• Demonstrates balance between description and analysis of staging details for the most part, but balance may be weak in places
• Has an effective style (some variety of sentence patterns, transitions between ideas, accurate diction)
• Has few errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 23- to 37-Point Essay (1.5-2.4, C Range)

• Has a thesis that may not be entirely clear and essay does not fully addresses how staging elements support a specific interpretation of the scene
• Shows insufficient awareness of the complexity of the text; may treat the scene or staging details simplistically or repetitively
• Communicates ideas clearly for the most part, but may have some lapses in clarity
• Has a recognizable organizational pattern, but the relation among parts is not consistently clear enough to provide a coherent focus
• Is unevenly developed; writer may offer sufficient reasoning or references to text for some of the ideas but not for others
• Demonstrates some balance between describing and analyzing staging details
• Has an adequate style (limited variation in sentence patterns, transitions between most ideas, diction accurate for the most part)
• Has some errors in grammar, usage or mechanics, but demonstrates basic control of these areas

An 11- to 22-Point Essay (.7-1.4, D Range)

• Has an unclear thesis; essay discusses the topic and meets basic length requirements, but does not address in any meaningful fashion how staging elements support a specific interpretation of the scene
• Lacks focus or demonstrates confused, stereotyped or simplistic thinking; writer may demonstrate no overall conception of the text
• May not communicate ideas clearly
• Is ineffectively organized, with no clear relationship between the parts of the essay
• May not provide adequate or appropriate reasoning to support claims, or may provide details without explaining the claim those details illustrate
• Demonstrates little relationship between evidence and the thesis
• Has stylistic weaknesses (no variety of sentence patterns, few transitions, imprecise diction)
• Has occasional major errors in grammar, usage or mechanics or frequent minor errors that interfere in the reader's understanding of the essay

A 0- to 21-Point Essay (0-.6, F Range)

• Has no thesis or has an incomprehensible thesis that does not engage the topic
• May be deliberately off-topic and demonstrate no understanding of the issues addressed by the scene
• Does not communicate ideas clearly
• Lacks coherent organization
• Shows no development of ideas; may simply summarize text
• Has an incoherent style (difficulties with sentence structure, pattern of diction errors)
• Has pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage and mechanics that renders the essay unreadable
• Represents another writer’s work as the author’s own