Scoring Guidelines & Process

The first-round judge is you, the teacher. The essays you select from your Stock Market Game students and submit to the national InvestWrite competition will be scored in three rounds of judging by a panel of volunteers from the financial services industry.

 

Each essay is scored based on the following three criteria which are equally weighted. The level of expertise required in each of these areas progresses with student grade level. 

Rationale

The essay should be well organized and written in a manner that indicates there was a logical thought process involved in addressing the assignment. In the essay, the student should present a thoughtful progression of ideas and recommendations. Essays should draw clear connections between the student thinking and recommendations or conclusions. 

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Understanding the Subject Matter 

The judges will read the essay with the following questions in mind based on the student grade level. Does the student completely address the elements of the question and use appropriate terminology? Does the student exhibit knowledge regarding researching and planning an investment strategy? This aspect of scoring targets the students understanding of the basic concepts taught in the Stock Market Game.

 

​​Writing Style
This scoring element allows the student's creativity to be recognized. Judges ask if the essay is interesting and easy to read and if they were encouraged to continue reading to the conclusion of the essay. Students have an opportunity to exhibit the ability to communicate thoughts in an engaging and inviting manner. Writing style includes assessment of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This scoring element also offers students the chance to think beyond examples provided and make their essay unique by expression of their own interests and creativity.