Score Point 1 Inadequate Command	Score Point 2 Limited Command	Score Point 3 Adequate Command	Score Point 4 Strong Command
Content/ Organization	Has little or no focus on central idea or topic. Offers insufficient or unrelated details. May have an opening or closing. May have little or no conclusion/opinion Has little or no variety in sentence structure and word choice.	Attempts to focus on a central idea or topic. Lists related details but does not elaborate. May have an opening or closing. Attempts to form a conclusion/opinion. Has little variety in sentence structure and word choice.	Conveys a central idea or topic. Provides sufficient detail; may provide some elaboration. Has an opening or closing. Includes a conclusion/ opinion that is linked to central idea or topic. May use varied sentence structure and word choice.	Maintains clear focus on a central idea or topic. Elaborates details to support central idea. Has an opening or closing. Includes a clearly stated conclusion/ opinion that is linked to central idea or topic. Uses varied sentence structure and word choice.
Delivery (Spoken)	Exhibits little or no awareness of audience. Speaks too softly or loudly with little or no expression; gives no evidence of pacing or intonation.	Exhibits some awareness of audience through minimal or excessive eye contact or gestures. Speaks too softly or loudly with little or no expression; gives little evidence of pacing or intonation.	Attends to audience through eye contact and gestures. Speaks audibly with expression; attempts to use pacing and intonation.	Clearly attends to audience through good eye contact and gestures. Speaks audibly with expression; uses pacing and intonation effectively.
NR -- No response. Student refuses or is unable to complete the speaking task. OT -- Off Topic. The topic of the student's presentation is not linked to the speaking prompt. New Jersey State Department of Education View this page as a printable Adobe PDF file.