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LouisianaEnglish Language

The Written Response

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do the two LEAP writing rubrics work, what does each dimension reward, and how do you write toward the top of each?

The LEAP writing rubric and scoring: how the two prose constructed-response rubrics work, the analytic rubric for the Literary Analysis and Research Simulation tasks (Reading Comprehension and Written Expression, holistic 0 to 4 times 4, plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions 0 to 3, up to 19) and the narrative rubric for the Narrative Writing Task (Written Expression 0 to 4 times 3, plus conventions 0 to 3, up to 15), the rule that an unscorable response earns 0, and how to write toward the top of each, for LEAP English I and II.
How the LEAP English I and II prose responses are scored: the analytic rubric (Reading Comprehension and Written Expression 0 to 4 times 4, plus conventions 0 to 3, up to 19) for the Literary Analysis and Research Simulation tasks, and the narrative rubric (Written Expression 0 to 4 times 3, plus conventions, up to 15). What each dimension rewards and how to write toward the top.
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How do you write a strong Literary Analysis Task essay that makes a claim about a literary text and develops it with specific evidence and analysis?

The Literary Analysis Task on LEAP English I and II: reading one or more literary texts, building an analytic claim about how the author develops theme, character, or structure, and writing an essay that supports the claim with specific text evidence and explanation, scored on the combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression dimension plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Literary Analysis Task essay on LEAP English I and II: reading the literary text or texts, making an analytic claim about how the author develops theme, character, or structure, and supporting it with specific evidence and explanation. Scored on combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression plus conventions.
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How do you write a strong Narrative Writing Task response that develops an original narrative connected to a stimulus text with effective technique?

The Narrative Writing Task on LEAP English I and II: reading a stimulus text and writing an original narrative connected to it (a continuation, a new point of view, or a narrative reflecting its theme), using effective narrative technique, a well-structured sequence of events, and precise detail, scored on the narrative Written Expression dimension plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Narrative Writing Task response on LEAP English I and II: reading a stimulus and writing an original narrative connected to it with effective technique, clear structure, and precise detail. Scored on the narrative Written Expression dimension (holistic 0 to 4, times 3) plus conventions, with its own rubric.
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How do you write a strong Research Simulation Task essay that synthesizes several sources into one evidence-based response?

The Research Simulation Task on LEAP English I and II: reading several related sources (often informational, sometimes with charts or other media), answering text-dependent questions, and writing an essay that analyzes or explains ideas across the sources using evidence from more than one, scored on combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Research Simulation Task essay on LEAP English I and II: reading several related sources, then writing an evidence-based essay that synthesizes ideas across them using evidence from more than one source. The Research Simulation Task is required for every student and scored on combined reading and writing plus conventions.
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What are the three prose constructed-response tasks on LEAP English, which two does a student do, and what does every text-based response have in common?

Understanding the written response tasks on LEAP English I and II: the three prose constructed-response (PCR) tasks (Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, Narrative Writing Task), the rule that every student does the Research Simulation Task plus either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task, and what all text-based responses share: a response built from the provided passages, not a free-topic essay.
An overview of the LEAP English I and II prose constructed-response tasks: the Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, and Narrative Writing Task, and the rule that every student does the Research Simulation Task plus one of the other two. What every text-based response shares and why none is a free-topic essay.
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How do you choose strong text evidence for a written response and explain it so it actually supports your claim?

Using text evidence in the written response: selecting relevant and specific evidence from the provided passages, integrating it smoothly (quoting or paraphrasing), and explaining how each piece supports the claim or controlling idea, with attention to drawing on more than one source on the Research Simulation Task, for the LEAP English I and II analytic prose constructed responses.
How to use text evidence in a LEAP English I or II written response: choosing relevant, specific evidence, integrating it by quoting or paraphrasing, and explaining how each piece supports the claim. The point-evidence-explanation habit drives the Reading Comprehension and Written Expression score on the analytic tasks.
9 min answer →