California State University, Chico • College of Business Writing Rubric- Guidelines for Assessment* Writing Trait Unacceptable in Market Communications Acceptable-Good Excellent Organization of Ideas and Content (OIC) Writing is not concise and has a tendency to ramble. No clear direction in the writing. Lack of focus and organization interfere with communication and understanding. If appropriate: Lacks a clear introduction and conclusion. Needs work F D- D D+ Writing could be a bit more concise. Focus and direction of writing is acceptable, but could use a little work. Organization doesn’t interfere with communication and understanding, but could use a bit more attention. If appropriate: Introduction and conclusion are acceptable, but could use a little work. C- C C+ B- B Writing is concise. Information is presented in a manner which makes it extremely easy for the reader to understand the points being made. Ideas are clearly stated. Focus and direction of the writing are extremely clear. If appropriate: Compelling introduction, informative body with details, and effective conclusion. B+ A- A Sentence Structure (SS) Poorly developed sentences. Sentences don’t express ideas well. Sentence structure is sometimes so poor that it makes reading and understanding difficult. Sentences are awkward, rambling and would sound strange if read out loud. Needs work. F D- D D+ Sentences usually flow well while at other times are awkward due to lack of conciseness, wordiness, or lack of appropriate structure. Overall, most sentences clearly express ideas. C- C C+ B- B Extremely well developed sentences. Sentences flow well. Sentences clearly express ideas. Sentences are concise. B+ A- A Paragraph Structure (PS) Sentences within a paragraph are unrelated. No clear direction within the paragraph. Connections between paragraphs are confusing. Needs work. F D- D D+ Similar to Superior, but a few paragraphs need improvements. Most sentences within a paragraph build upon or relate to a single issue. A few paragraphs lack good lead-in or transitional sentences. C- C C+ B- B Organization of paragraphs enhances readability. Sentences within paragraph all build upon or relate to a single issue. Logical flow. Good lead-in sentence for each paragraph. Good transition between paragraphs. B+ A- A Word Choice and Tone (WCT) Writer struggles to use appropriate vocabulary. Language is vague. Words are used incorrectly. Tone and word choice are inappropriate for intended audience. Inappropriate use of “casual language” and Writer uses familiar words well and occasionally makes more sophisticated word choices. Tone and word choice are.

1. California State University, Chico • College of Business
Writing Rubric- Guidelines for Assessment*
Writing Trait Unacceptable in
Market
Communications
Acceptable-Good Excellent
Organization of Ideas and
Content
(OIC)
Writing is not concise and
has a tendency to ramble.
No clear direction in the
writing. Lack of focus and
organization interfere with
communication and
understanding. If

2. appropriate: Lacks a clear
introduction and
conclusion. Needs work
F D- D D+
Writing could be a bit more
concise. Focus and
direction of writing is
acceptable, but could use a
little work. Organization
doesn’t interfere with
communication and
understanding, but could
use a bit more attention. If
appropriate: Introduction
and conclusion are
acceptable, but could use a
little work.

3. C- C C+ B- B
Writing is concise.
Information is presented in
a manner which makes it
extremely easy for the
reader to understand the
points being made. Ideas
are clearly stated. Focus
and direction of the writing
are extremely clear. If
appropriate: Compelling
introduction, informative
body with details, and
effective conclusion.
B+ A- A
Sentence Structure
(SS)

4. Poorly developed
sentences. Sentences don’t
express ideas well.
Sentence structure is
sometimes so poor that it
makes reading and
understanding difficult.
Sentences are awkward,
rambling and would sound
strange if read out loud.
Needs work.
F D- D D+
Sentences usually flow well
while at other times are
awkward due to lack of
conciseness, wordiness, or
lack of appropriate
structure. Overall, most

5. sentences clearly express
ideas.
C- C C+ B- B
Extremely well developed
sentences. Sentences flow
well. Sentences clearly
express ideas. Sentences
are concise.
B+ A- A
Paragraph Structure
(PS)
Sentences within a
paragraph are unrelated. No
clear direction within the
paragraph. Connections
between paragraphs are
confusing. Needs work.

6. F D- D D+
Similar to Superior, but a
few paragraphs need
improvements. Most
sentences within a
paragraph build upon or
relate to a single issue. A
few paragraphs lack good
lead-in or transitional
sentences.
C- C C+ B- B
Organization of paragraphs
enhances readability.
Sentences within paragraph
all build upon or relate to a
single issue. Logical flow.
Good lead-in sentence for

7. each paragraph. Good
transition between
paragraphs.
B+ A- A
Word Choice
and Tone
(WCT)
Writer struggles to use
appropriate vocabulary.
Language is vague. Words
are used incorrectly. Tone
and word choice are
inappropriate for intended
audience. Inappropriate use
of “casual language” and
Writer uses familiar words
well and occasionally
makes more sophisticated

8. word choices. Tone and
word choice are appropriate
for the intended audience.
Sophisticated and
appropriate use of
vocabulary. Word choice
adds to quality of the
writing and enhances
overall meaning. Tone and
word choice are appropriate
for the intended audience.
clichés. Needs work.
F D- D D+
C- C C+ B- B
B+ A- A
Grammar, Punctuation,

9. and Spelling
(GPS)
Writing contains numerous
and/or significant errors
which interfere with
comprehension and distract
from the message. For
example, three or more
errors on a page, or for
longer papers, more than
five errors in the whole
paper. Needs work. Needs
work.
F D- D D+
Writing contains a few
insignificant errors that
don’t interfere with

10. comprehension or distract
from the message. For
example, two minor errors
on a page, or for longer
papers, five or fewer minor
errors throughout the paper.
C- C C+ B- B
Writing is nearly error free.
For example, paper has no
more than one error on any
given page, or for longer
papers, no more than four
errors throughout paper.
B+ A- A
Professional Format and
Use of Conventions
(PF)

11. Document has numerous
and significant printing
and/or formatting problems.
Aesthetic qualities of the
paper would be an
embarrassment to an
organization. Doesn’t
follow basic formatting
conventions (e.g., citations
and documentation). Needs
work.
F D- D D+
Document is reasonably
neat and professional
looking. Document has a
few minor formatting or
convention problems (e.g.,

12. citations and
documentation).
C- C C+ B- B
Document is extremely neat
and professional looking.
Everything formatted
correctly. Proper use of any
necessary conventions (e.g.,
citations and
documentation). Paper’s
aesthetic qualities are what
one would expect from a
business professional.
B+ A- A
Professionalism The reader (e.g., instructor,
coworker, client, CEO) of
this document would view

13. it as unprofessionally
written.
F D- D D+
The reader (e.g., instructor,
coworker, client, CEO) of
this document would view
it to be adequate, but not
extremely professional.
C- C C+ B- B
The reader (e.g., instructor,
coworker, client, CEO) of
this document would view
it as extremely
professional.
B+ A- A
*Grading levels added for use in this class.

14. Discussion: Client Issues
Clinical mental health counselors, like doctors and lawyers,
practice in specialty areas. These areas are specific to client
issues or populations for which the counselor has had advanced
clinical training and experience. Often, counselors enter a
training program with an idea of the client issues or populations
for which they have a passion. These specialty areas include,
but are not limited to, drug and alcohol treatment, eating
disorders, trauma, crisis management, depression, and/or
anxiety. You might not know what area of counseling you’d like
to practice, and that’s OK! Feel free to pick a topic that is most
interesting to you at this point in your training.
For this Discussion, you will explore various client issues and
analyze a video concerning a client population or issue that
interests you. Your analysis, and the resulting dialogue with
your colleagues, will help you as you work to determine the
client issue or population with which you would like to
specialize.
To Prepare:
· Review Section 3, “Client Issues and Advocacy,” from the
Erford course text.
· In addition to the assigned reading (Chapter 8), select one
additional chapter from Section 3 to review and incorporate into
this discussion: Chapters 7, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
· Search the Walden Library using the link provided in this
week’s Learning Resources, and choose a video that
demonstrates a client population or client issue that interests
you. Think about why you selected this video. The video should
align with the chapter you have selected.
· Also, as you review the video, notice what the clinical mental
health counselor does during the session.
· After reviewing the video, reflect on anything that surprised
you in the video.
· Think about any insights you gained or conclusions you drew
about client issues and this population from the video and the

15. chapter, noting specifically if anything reinforced your desire to
work with this client issue or population.
By Day 3
Post the following:
· The title and a brief description of the video you selected.
· Explain why this client issue and/or population interests you.
· Explain any insights you gained or conclusions you drew
about working with that client issue or population.
· Finally, explain how this video and chapter may have
confirmed or challenged your interest in working with this
client issue or population, and explain why.
In addition to citing the video you selected, be sure to support
your postings and responses with specific citations to the
Learning Resources (chapter readings) and additional scholarly
resources as needed to support your perspectives.