ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR OIB AMERICAN OPTION WRITTEN EXAMINATION: THE COMMENTARY Category

Understanding the Text

Below Level
- 0.5 or more at the discretion of the examiner Denotative understanding seriously flawed. Little awareness of levels of meaning or of how meaning is affected by tone and voice. A paraphrase or superficial commentary with little or no textual basis. No attempt at analysis. Appreciation of literary features absent or fanciful.

Level 0
Adequate denotative understanding. Fanciful attempt to find meaning on another level. Little, or erroneous, sense of voice and tone. A paraphrase or superficial commentary with some textual basis. Little or fuzzy analysis. Some notion of genre, narrator/ persona, or other literary feature but no apparent ability to relate these to meaning. Weak or mechanical structure. Little development. Some ordering of ideas but logical flow is broken. Prose can be read and its meaning is apparent even if hampered by weak control (or French interference).

Level 1 + 0.5
Good denotative understanding with plausible attempt at deeper meaning. Some sense of voice and tone. Satisfactory analysis of major textual features. Use of text is pertinent but limited or a mix of pertinent and impertinent. A clear sense of literary features. Discussion may be awkward or relation to meaning hit and miss. Evidence of organic structure and development. Sequence of ideas is always logical even if transitions are sometimes awkwardly handled. Prose conveys the writers ideas well. Notions of good English usage are evident if sometimes inconsistently applied. Word choice and register may be erratic.

Level 2 + 1.0
Good attempt to probe meaning based on sure understanding of voice and levels of meaning. Good analysis supports commentary throughout. Use of the text is full and pertinent. A good sense of the text as literature. Clear discussion of style and good ability to relate it to meaning. Solid coherent structure and a clear sense of development. Ideas are presented in logical order with clear transitions. Prose is clear and coherent. Lapses in usage are minor and do not impede understanding or thought flow. Care and consistency is shown in word choice and register.

Level 3 +1.5
A sound interpretation that bespeaks a sure understanding at all levels and some degree of enjoyment. Insightful analysis. Probes well beyond an initial reading of the text. Textual usage is creative and telling. Very good appreciation of literary features evident throughout. Some command of the tools of literary criticism. Discussion clearly directed at meaning. Carefully planned coherent commentary structure. Clear development throughout and very good flow of ideas. Evidence of strong writing skills. Lapses are of a kind that one is sure would be corrected in a next proofreading. Very good use of vocabulary and register.

Level 4 +2.0
A cogent reading of the text. Evidence of a taste for difficulty and a love of active reading. Excellent analysis. Discussion always surpasses expectations. Textual usage as in Level 3 but includes nuance and a sense of liberty. Excellent sense of literary qualities throughout. Sure command of the tools of literary criticism. Discussion is detailed and poignant. Elegant management of commentary structure. Persuasive development. Commentary forms a seamless whole Articulate and fluid. A delight to read. Excellent and effective use of vocabulary and register.

Analysis & Use of the Text

Appreciation of Literary Features

Organization

Linear commentary with no development. No logical sequence of ideas in evidence. Meaning often cannot be surmised. The commentary is difficult to read.

Expression

Totals