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Ohio State Test Writing Student Checklist
A one-page student checklist for the extended response on Ohio's State Tests in ELA: the three domains on the current 10-point rubric and what each one asks for.
For students · Grades 3–8 · ELA II · 1 page · PDF
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How to use it: How Ohio's State Tests Score Writing: A Guide for Ohio Teachers
What's on the sheet
How each extended response is scored
| Domain | Points |
|---|---|
| Purpose, Focus and Organization | 0–4 |
| Evidence and Elaboration | 0–4 |
| Conventions | 0–2 |
| Total | 10 |
Where the points are
8 of the 10 points are for your ideas, structure and evidence. Only 2 are for conventions.
A clean essay with no evidence scores poorly. Explain your evidence.
Grades 3–5 write informative/explanatory or opinion responses; grades 6 through ELA II write informative/explanatory or argument responses. In grades 6 and up you write two extended responses, one in each part of the test.
Purpose, Focus and Organization (0–4)
- My thesis answers the prompt, and I keep it all the way through.
- My ideas follow a logical order, with transitions between them.
- I have an introduction and a conclusion.
- Argument, grade 7 and up: I addressed an opposing claim.
Evidence and Elaboration (0–4)
- I used relevant evidence from the sources.
- It’s clear how each piece of evidence connects to my point.
- I elaborated with definitions, quotations or examples.
- My vocabulary is precise.
Conventions (0–2)
- I checked usage and sentence formation.
- I checked punctuation, capitalization and spelling.
My plan
My thesis
Best evidence + why it matters
Ohio plans a revised writing rubric starting in spring 2028; this checklist follows the current rubric. Student summary based on the Ohio's State Tests writing rubrics; not an official Ohio Department of Education and Workforce document.