Presidential Degree free essay sample

One of the major goals of the government is to establish a more enlightened and humane correctional systems that will promote the reformation of offenders and thereby reduce the incidence of recidivism   the confinement of all offenders prisons and other institutions with rehabilitation programs constitutes an onerous drain on the financial resources of the country; and , there is a need to provide a less costly alternative to the imprisonment of offenders who are likely to respond to individualized, community-based treatment programs;, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree the following: Section 1. Title and Scope of the Decree. This Decree shall be known as the Probation Law of 1976. It shall apply to all offenders except those entitled to the benefits under the provisions of Presidential Decree numbered Six Hundred and three and similar laws. Section 2. Purpose. This Decree shall be interpreted so as to: (a) promote the correction and rehabilitation of an offender by providing him with individualized treatment; (b) provide an opportunity for the reformation of a penitent offender which might be less probable if he were to serve a prison sentence; and (c) prevent the commission of offenses. We will write a custom essay sample on Presidential Degree or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Section 3. Meaning of Terms. As used in this Decree, the following shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed thus: (a) Probation is a disposition under which a defendant, after conviction and sentence, is released subject to conditions imposed by the court and to the supervision of a probation officer. (b) Probationer means a person placed on probation. c) Probation Officer means one who investigates for the court a referral for probation or supervises a probationer or both. Section 4. Grant of Probation. Subject to the provisions of this Decree, the court may, after it shall have convicted and sentenced a defendant and upon application at any time of said defendant, suspend the execution of said sentence and place the defendant on probation for such period and upon such terms and conditions as it may deem best. Probation may be granted whether the sentence imposes a term of imprisonment or a fine only. An application for probation shall be filed with the trial cour t, with notice to the appellate court if an appeal has been taken from the sentence of conviction. The filing of the application shall be deemed a waver of the right to appeal, or the automatic withdrawal of a pending appeal. An order granting or denying probation shall not be appealable. Section 5. Post-sentence Investigation. No person shall be placed on probation except upon prior investigation by the probation officer and a determination by the court that the ends of justice and the best interest of the public as well as that of the defendant will be served thereby. Section 6. Form of Investigation Report. The investigation report to be submitted by the probation officer under Section 5 hereof shall be in the form prescribed by the Probation Administrator and approved by the Secretary of Justice. Section 7. Period for Submission of Investigation Report. The probation officer shall submit to the court the investigation report on a defendant not later than sixty days from receipt of the order of said court to conduct the investigation. The court shall resolve the petition for probation not later than five days after receipt of said report. Pending submission of the investigation report and the resolution of the petition, the defendant may be allowed on temporary liberty under his bail filed in the criminal case; Provided, That, in case where no bail was filed or that the defendant is incapable of filing one, the court may allow the release of the defendant on recognize the custody of a responsible member of the community who shall guarantee his appearance whenever required by the court. Section 8. Criteria for Placing an Offender on Probation. In determining whether an offender may be placed on probation, the court shall consider all information relative, to the character, antecedents, environment, mental and physical condition of the offender, and available institutional and community resources. Probation shall be denied if the court finds that: (a) the offender is in need of correctional treatment that can be provided most effectively by his commitment to an institution; or (b) there is undue risk that during the period of probation the offender will commit another crime; or (c) probation will depreciate the seriousness of the offense committed. Section 9. Disqualified Offenders. The benefits of this Decree shall not be extended o those: (a) sentenced to serve a maximum term of imprisonment of more than six years; (b) convicted of any offense against the security of the State; (c) who have previously been convicted by final judgment of an offense punished by imprisonment of not less than one month and one day and/or a fi ne of not less than Two Hundred Pesos; (d) who have been once on probation under the provisions of this Decree; and (e) who are already serving sentence at the time the substantive provisions of this Decree became applicable pursuant to Section 33 hereof. Section 10. Conditions of Probation. Every probation order issued by the court shall contain conditions requiring that the probationer shall: (a) present himself to the probation officer designated to undertake his supervision at such place as may be specified in the order within seventy-two hours from receipt of said order; (b) report to the probation officer at least once a month at such time and place as specified by said officer. The court may also require the probationer to: (a) cooperate with a program of supervision; (b) meet his family responsibilities; c) devote himself to a specific employment and not to change said employment without the prior written approval of the probation officer; (d) undergo medical, psychological or psychiatric examination and treatment and enter and remain in a specified institution, when required for that purpose; (e) pursue a prescribed secular study or vocational training; (f) attend or reside in a facility established for instruction, recreation or residence of persons on probatio n; (g) refrain from visiting houses of ill-repute; (h) abstain from drinking intoxicating beverages to excess; (i) permit to probation officer or an authorized social worker to visit his home and place or work; (j) reside at premises approved by it and not to change his residence without its prior written approval; or (k) satisfy any other condition related to the rehabilitation of the defendant and not unduly restrictive of his liberty or incompatible with his freedom of conscience. Section 11. Effectivity of Probation Order. A probation order shall take effect upon its issuance, at which time the court shall inform the offender of the consequences thereof and explain that upon his failure o comply with any of the conditions prescribed in the said order or his commission of another offense, he shall serve the penalty imposed for the offense under which he was placed on probation. Section 12. Modification of Condition of Probation. During the period of probation, the court may, upon application of either the probationer or the probation officer, revise or modify the conditions or period of probation. The court shall notify either the probationer or the probation officer of the filing such an application so as to give both parties an opportunity to be heard thereon. The court shall inform in writing the probation officer and the probationer of any change in the period or conditions of probation. Section 13. Control and Supervision of Probationer. The probationer and his probation program shall be under the control of the court who placed him on probation subject to actual supervision and visitation by a probation officer. Whenever a probationer is permitted to reside in a place under the jurisdiction of another court, control over him shall be transferred to the Executive Judge of the Court of First Instance of that place, and in such a case, a copy of the probation order, the investigation report and other pertinent records shall be furnished said Executive Judge. Thereafter, the Executive Judge to whom jurisdiction over the probationer is transferred shall have the power with respect to him that was previously possessed by the court which granted the probation. Section 14. Period of Probation. a) The period of probation of a defendant sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than one year shall not exceed two years, and in all other cases, said period shall not exceed six years. (b) When the sentence imposes a fine o nly and the offender is made to serve subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, the period of probation shall not be less than nor to be more than twice the total number of days of subsidiary imprisonment as computed at the rate established, in Article thirty-nine of the Revised Penal Code, as amended. Section 15. Arrest of Probationer; Subsequent Disposition. At any time during probation, the court may issue a warrant for the arrest of a probationer for violation of any of the conditions of probation. The probationer, once arrested and detained, shall immediately be brought before the court for a hearing, which may be informal and summary, of the violation charged. The defendant may be admitted to bail pending such hearing. In such a case, the provisions regarding release on bail of persons charged with a crime shall be applicable to probationers arrested under this provision. If the violation is established, the court may revoke or continue his probation and modify the conditions thereof. If revoked, the court shall order the probationer to serve the sentence originally imposed. An order revoking the grant of probation or modifying the terms and conditions thereof shall not be appealable. Section 16. Termination of Probation. After the period of probation and upon consideration of the report and recommendation of the probation officer, the court may order the final discharge of the probationer upon finding that he has fulfilled the terms and conditions of his probation and thereupon the case is deemed terminated. The final discharge of the probationer shall operate to restore to him all civil rights lost or suspend as a result of his conviction and to fully discharge his liability for any fine imposed as to the offense for which probation was granted. The probationer and the probation officer shall each be furnished with a copy of such order. Section 17. Confidentiality of Records. The investigation report and the supervision history of a probationer obtained under this Decree shall be privileged and shall not be disclosed directly or indirectly to anyone other than the Probation Administration or the court concerned, except that the court, in its discretion, may permit the probationer of his attorney to inspect the aforementioned documents or parts thereof whenever the best interest of the probationer make such disclosure desirable or helpful: Provided, Further, That, any government office or agency engaged in the correction or rehabilitation of offenders may, if necessary, obtain copies of said documents for its official use from the proper court or the Administration. Section 18. The Probation Administration. There is hereby created under the Department of Justice an agency to be known as the Probation Administration herein referred to as the Administration, which shall exercise general supervision over all probationers. The Administration shall have such staff, operating units and personnel as may be necessary for the proper execution of its functions. Section 19. Probation Administration. The Administration shall be headed by the Probation Administrator, hereinafter referred to as the Administrator, who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines. He shall hold office during good behavior and shall not be removed except for cause. The Administrator shall receive an annual salary of at least forty thousand pesos. His powers and duties shall be to: (a) act as the executive officer of the Administration; b) exercise supervision and control over all probation officers; (c) make annual reports to the Secretary of Justice, in such form as the latter may prescribe, concerning the op eration, administration and improvement of the probation system; (d) promulgate, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Justice, the necessary rules relative to the methods and procedures of the probation process; (e) recommend to the Secretary of Justice the appointment of the subordinate personnel of his Administration and other offices established in this Decree; and (f) generally, perform such duties and exercise such powers as may be necessary or incidental to achieve the objectives of this Decree. Section 20. Assistant Probation Administrator. There shall be an Assistant Probation Administrator who shall assist the Administrator perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the latter and as may be provided by law. In the absence of the Administrator, he shall act as head of the Administration. He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines and shall receive an annual salary of at least thirty-six thousand pesos. Section 21. Qualifications of the Administrator and Assistant Probation Administrator. To be eligible for Appointment as Administrator or Assistant Probation Administrator, a person must be at least thirty-five years of age, holder of a masters degree or its equivalent in either criminology, social work, corrections, penology, psychology, sociology, public administration, law, police science, police administration, or related fields, and should have at least five years of supervisory experience, or be a member of the Philippine Bar with at least seven years of supervisory experience. Section 22. Regional Office; Regional Probation Officer. The Administration shall have regional offices organized in accordance with the field service area patterns established under the Integrated Reorganization Plan. Such regional offices shall be headed by a Regional Probation Officer who shall be appointed by President of the Philippines in accordance with the Integrated Reorganization Plan and upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice. The Regional Probation Officer shall exercise supervision and control over all probation officer within his jurisdiction and such duties as may assigned to him by the Administrator. He shall have an annual salary of at least twenty-four thousand pesos. He shall, whenever necessary, be assisted by an Assistant Regional Probation Officer who shall also be appointed by the President of the Philippines, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, with an annual salary of at least twenty thousand pesos. Section 23. Provincial and City Probation Officers. There shall be at least one probation officer in each province and city who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Justice upon recommendation of the Administrator and in accordance with civil service law and rules. The Provincial or City Probation Officer shall receive an annual salary of at least eighteen thousand four hundred pesos. His duties shall be to: a) investigate all persons referred to him for investigation by the proper court or the Administrator; (b) instruct all probationers under his supervision of that of the probation aide on the terms and conditions of their probations; (c) keep himself informed of the conduct and condition of probationers under his charge and us e all suitable methods to bring about an improvement in their conduct and conditions; (d) maintain a detailed record of his work and submit such written reports as may be required by the Administration or the court having jurisdiction over the probationer under his supervision; (e) prepare a list of qualified residents of the province or city where he is assigned who are willing to act as probation aides; (f) supervise the training of probation aides and oversee the latters supervision of probationers; (g) exercise supervision and control over all field assistants, probation aides and other personnel; and (h) perform such duties as may be assigned by the court or the Administration. Section 24. Miscellaneous Powers of Provincial and City Probation Officers. Provincial or City Probation Officers shall have the authority within their territorial jurisdiction to administer oaths and acknowledgments and to take depositions in connection with their duties and functions under this Decree. They shall also have, with respect to probationers under their care, the powers of police officer. Section 25. Qualifications of Regional, Assistant Regional, Provincial, and City Probation Officers. No person shall be appointed Regional or Assistant Regional or Provincial or City Probation Officer unless he possesses at least a bachelors degree with a major in social work, sociology, psychology, criminology, penology, corrections, police science, administration, or related fields and has at least three years of experience in work requiring any of the abovementioned disciplines, or is a member of the Philippine Bar with at least three years of supervisory experience. Whenever practicable, the Provincial or City Probation Officer shall be appointed from among qualified residents of the province or city where he will be assigned to work. Section 26. Organization. Within twelve months from the approval of this Decree, the Secretary of Justice shall organize the administrative structure of the Administration and the other agencies created herein. During said period, he shall also determine the staffing patterns of the regional, provincial and city probation offices with the end in view of achieving maximum efficiency and economy in the operations of the probation system. Section 27. Field Assistants, Subordinate Personnel, Provincial or City Probation Officers shall be assisted by such field assistants and subordinate personnel as may be necessary to enable them to carry out their duties effectively. Section 28. Probation Aides. To assist the Provincial or City Probation Officers in the supervision of probationers, the Probation Administrator may appoint citizens of good repute and probity to act as probation aides. Probation Aides shall not receive any regular compensation for services except for reasonable travel allowance. They shall hold office for such period as may be determined by the Probation Administrator. Their qualifications and maximum case loads shall be provided in the rules promulgated pursuant to this Decree. Section 29. Violation of Confidential Nature of Probation Records. The penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months and one day to six years and a fine ranging from hundred to six thousand pesos shall be imposed upon any person who violates Section 17 hereof. Section 30. Appropriations. There is hereby authorized the appropriation of the sum of Six Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos or so much as may be necessary, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the purposes of this Decree. Thereafter, the amount of at least Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos or so much as may be necessary shall be included in the annual appropriations of the national government. Section 31. Repealing Clause. All provisions of existing laws, orders and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Section 32. Separability of Provisions. If any part, section or provision of this Decree shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, no other parts, sections or provisions hereof shall be affected thereby. Section 33. Effectivity. This Decree shall take effect upon its approval: Provided, However, That, the application of its substantive provisions concerning the grant of probation shall only take effect twelve months after the certification by the Secretary of Justice to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that the administrative structure of the Probation Administration and of the other agencies has been organized.

The New Enhanced ACT Writing Test (2016) Complete Guide

The New Enhanced ACT Writing Test (2016) Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that the ACT Writing Test changed dramatically in Fall 2015? You might not, because people haven't talked about it much, but it changed the ACT and possibly standardized testing in general. It's scored based on all of the old ACT's criteria, but also on a number of new concepts. We've written the most comprehensive guide available on the new ACT Writing section. Keep reading to find out how you can prepare for and ace this new test. Because there's a lot to cover, we've divided this article into 3 sections, each exploring a major change in the new ACT Writing assignment: Part 1: Expanded Prompts Part 2: More Open-Ended Assignment Part 3: Redesigned Scoring Criteria Before we dive into this, it's useful to understand why they're changing the ACT Essay section, because this will help you write a better essay. Why Is the Writing Section Changing? One of colleges' biggest complaints about high school graduates is that their writing isn't academic or complex enough. Because the ACT is trying to position itself not only as a college entrance exam but also as a state-mandated graduation benchmark, it's always trying to stay relevant to the modern education system, and the Enhanced ACT Writing Test is a big part of that. ACT, Inc. gives a number of reasons for the changes to the essay assignment. The simplest explanation they give is that it "will allow students to more fully demonstrate their analytical writing ability." Edward R. Colby, a spokesman for ACT, has also commented on the increased complexity of the Enhanced ACT Writing assignment: â€Å"It won’t be ‘this side or that side,’† Mr. Colby said. â€Å"The question will ask students for multiple perspectives and support. It will be a more-complex prompt than what we’re delivering now.† But the real motivations behind the redesigned ACT Writing test are related to broader changes in education. Until recently, each state decided what to teach its students, and many students were graduating from high school totally unprepared for college. So in 2010, the National Governors Association released the Common Core standards in English and math. Forty-four of the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards Initiative. The Grades 11-12 Common Core Writing Standards include references to three very specific types of writing: "Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence." "Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content." "Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences." As you'll be able to see in the scoring criteria later in the article, these three modes of writing correlate directly to the newly-added columns of writing modes in the ACT's new Writing Competencies Model. Will the Enhanced ACT Writing Test Matter More to Colleges? We don't yet know whether these changes will make the writing test more relevant to colleges, most of which don't require applicants to submit writing scores. But some of those colleges are big, and over 50 percent of high-school seniors are still writing essays when they take the ACT. Ultimately, colleges won't change their policies until the 2015 new ACT Writing test has been administered a few times, to see what the scores end up reflecting. For example, the old ACT essay is generally considered to be a somewhat skewed measure of students' writing ability. It can't test, as the Enhanced ACT Essay claims to, "insight/deeper understanding through thoughtful consideration." The closest it comes to testing "insight" is whether the examples logically support the point being made. It appears, though, that the new version is trying to capture more of the depth and meaning of an essay than has been attempted by standardized tests so far. PART I: Expanded Prompts While ACT, Inc. has only released a few sample prompts for the Enhanced ACT Writing section, we can learn a lot from them. The prompts are longer, more complicated, and cover a broader range of topics than the old prompts did. The topic of the old prompts mostly covered high school and education. They gave a paragraph on the topic and asked only that you "take a position" and support it. Old Prompt Style and Topic Here's the old style of prompt (this is all of it): Rather than concentrating on doing one thing at a time, high school students often divide their attention among several activities, such as watching television and using the computer while doing homework. Some educators believe multitasking is a bad practice when doing homework because they think dividing attention between multiple tasks negatively affects the quality of students' work. Other educators do not believe multitasking is a bad practice when doing homework because they think students accomplish more during their limited free time as a result of multitasking. In your opinion, is it too distracting for high school students to divide their attention among several activities when they are doing homework? In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position. As we discuss in our blog post about current ACT Writing prompts, and as is reflected in the prompt above, the old ACT prompts were all about topics related to high schoolers and high school education. And as you'll read next, that is no longer true with the introduction of the Enhanced ACT Writing Test. New Prompt Style and Topics The redesigned ACT Writing prompts are much more complex. They start with a passage about the same length as the old one, shown below. Notice that the prompt does not ask a specific question about the information. The prompt topic below, about the mechanization of the workforce, is a broad and often controversial issue in modern society. As you can see, it has nothing to do with high school or education. Note: in the prompt below, released by the ACT, the emphasis (in italics) of certain key phrases has been added by the editor. Intelligent Machines Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives. Since this is one of five prompts the ACT has released, we don't know anything about the range of topics they'll be covering. But we can draw some basic conclusions about their scope and structure. The Anatomy of the New ACT Writing Prompt Let's break down the new prompt, sentence by sentence. Sentence 1: General statement about "intelligent, automated machines" providing "goods and services" Sentences 2-4: Three specific examples of robots replacing human workers Sentence 5: Core question, "what is lost when we replace humans with machines?" Sentence 6: Instruction, "[Examine] the implications and meaning of [intelligent machines'] presence in our lives." As you can see, the instruction in Sentence 6 is phrased somewhat abstractly- it just says the topic is "worth examining." But since this is an essay prompt, we know that that sentence is actually telling us what it wants us to do. But that's not all! Added Perspectives, a.k.a. Points of View In addition to the large text prompt above, the Enhanced ACT Writing test gives you three different perspectives on the issue in thepassage: Perspective One What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Let's simplify the three perspectives: 1) Mechanization is related to and a symbol of perceived modern cultural disintegration (It's bad). 2) The efficiency of mechanization can only benefit humanity (It's good because it's efficient). 3) Mechanization is good because it tests our ideas about humanity (It's good because it challenges us). There's no way to know what the perspectives will be on future redesigned ACT Writing prompts, but it's safe to say that at least one will be positive and at least one will be negative. We'll explain what you're supposed to do with these perspectives below. PART II: More Open-Ended Assignment After the ACT presents you with this heap of information, it finally gives some specific instructions on what it wants you to do. Revised Expanded Instructions and Hints Here's the new 2015 ACT Writing Essay Task. It's safe to assume that this will be the same in every subsequent ACT Writing test. Essay Task Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. In your essay, be sure to: clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples organize your ideas clearly and logically communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, or wholly different. There are a few new important things to note here: you now must not only choose a perspective on the issue (which, to make your life easier, should be one of those given), but also must discuss the relationship between the perspective you choose and at least one of the others. This is significantly more challenging than the amount of analysis you were expected to do in the old ACT Writing test. We'll get more deeply into this in a moment. New: Focus on Planning But wait! There's more! On a second page, the Enhanced ACT Writing Test gives space for planning your essay, and reminders of some things to consider including: Planning Your Essay Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored. Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish to consider the following as you think critically about the task: Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider? Why might they be persuasive to others, or why might they fail to persuade? Your own knowledge experience and values What is your perspective on this issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? How will you support your perspective in your essay? You can see, given the instructions, that there are a lot of elements to consider. It's a lot more open-ended than the old ACT essay. How Has the Assignment Changed? In the old ACT essay, you had 2 jobs: take a position on the topic (and defend it), and address (and disqualify) the opposing perspective to your own. In the Enhanced ACT Writing, you have still have 2 analytical jobs, but the specifics of the jobs have changed. You still have to take a position on the topic (and defend it), but,and this is the most novel part, you also have to discuss the relationship between the perspectives. The ACT gives you space in the essay booklet that's specifically for planning (to emphasize that planning is CRUCIAL to the assignment) and contains ideas for brainstorming support. Unfortunately, the ideas they give are a bit obtuse. Let's translate them into simpler wording: "What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?" = how is each perspective right and wrong? "Why might they be persuasive to others, and how might they fail to persuade?" = why would people agree or disagree with each perspective? "What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?" = think about the perspective you choose and make sure it's easy to support (which, hopefully, you'd do automatically) "How will you support your perspective?" = the same thing you had to do on the old ACT essay: think of reasons and examples that show the validity of your argument PART III: Redesigned Scoring Criteria The old ACT Writing score criteria were in paragraph form, by score, and not broken down into categories. Let's take a look. The Old ACT Essay Scoring Criteria Score = 6 Essays within this score range demonstrate effective skill in responding to the task. The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a critical context for discussion. The essay addresses complexity by examining different perspectives on the issue, or by evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by fully responding to counterarguments to the writer's position. Development of ideas is ample, specific, and logical. Most ideas are fully elaborated. A clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear: the organization may be somewhat predictable or it may grow from the writer's purpose. Ideas are logically sequenced. Most transitions reflect the writer's logic and are usually integrated into the essay. The introduction and conclusion are effective, clear, and well developed. The essay shows a good command of language. Sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. There are few, if any, errors to distract the reader. By contrast, the ACT's new "writing competencies model" looks really complicated, but much of it is the same as the old ACT essay requirements. The major categories are still the same- "generate ideas" is the same as "takes a position and supports it" and so on. Let's look at each section; the items in blue boxes are the newly-introduced elements. However, it's not 100% accurate to say that all of these are newly introduced. After the new criteria, we break down what's actually new and how it fits into the simpler, older scoring model. The Redesigned 2015 ACT Essay Scoring Criteria Generate Ideas Develop Ideas Sustain Ideas Organize Ideas Communicate Ideas There's a lot to digest here, so we've created a condensed version of the old ACT scoring criteria on the left and the new additions from the blue boxes above on the right. Old ACT Writing, Score of 6 New ACT Skill Name Enhanced ACT Writing adds... The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a critical context for discussion. The essay addresses complexity by examining different perspectives on the issue, or by evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by fully responding to counterarguments to the writer's position. Generate ideas (Judgment, Analysis, Narration and Reflection) multiple perspectives articulate insight/depth of understanding situated perspectives (context) Development of ideas is ample, specific, and logical. Most ideas are fully elaborated. Develop Ideas (Develop a Position, Support an Explanation, Give an Account) appeals to emotion/feeling identify and explore relevant underlying assumptions, ideas, or values arrive at insight/deeper understanding through thoughtful consideration A clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. Sustain ideas (Focus) Nothing New The organization of the essay is clear: the organization may be somewhat predictable or it may grow from the writer's purpose. Ideas are logically sequenced. Most transitions reflect the writer's logic and are usually integrated into the essay. The introduction and conclusion are effective, clear, and well developed. Organize ideas (Organization) Sequence narrative elements effectively The essay shows a good command of language. Sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. There are few, if any, errors to distract the reader. Communicate Ideas (Language Use) Use appropriate voice and tone Use narrative techniques Use descriptive vocabulary Why Are There 3 Columns of Criteria? The old ACT was entirely focused, in its instructions and scoring, on the Persuasive/Argumentative mode of writing. You were supposed to analyze the topic thoughtfully, which is part of the Analytical Expository mode, and you were encouraged to use examples, which requires the Reflective Narrative mode. But only the goals of the Persuasive/Argumentative mode were meant to count toward your score. Like many recent education changes, redesigned ACT Writing scoring is purposely in line with the Common Core state standards, which are meant to improve the U.S.'s competency in relation to the education systems of other countries, and to make sure all students graduate college-ready. These standards are considered more difficult than previous public school standards, and the changes are somewhat controversial in some circles. In any case, the ACT is now including this more complex (and accurate) view of writing competency in their new essay format. Let's get more in depth with these two new modes of writing. Analytical Expository Mode You've probably written plenty of expository papers for high school, but the redesigned ACT Writingis focusing more on the Analytical part of the description. While the old ACT essay (and the SAT essay) scored only the persuasive elements of the essay- whether your arguments logically supported your point- the new scoring system is meant to reward INSIGHT. This is actually a huge revelation for standardized testing, and is not something that can be scored by a computer. Reflective Narrative Mode Really, this could just be called Storytelling. It's supposed to cover any specific examples or personal stories you choose to use to support your thesis. It's the least important of the three modes, both in the ACT essay and in academic writing. We don't need to worry much about these criteria- just give your examples clearly, and try to include all the relevant details. In scoring essays at PrepScholar, we don't find that this is a common problem for students. Which ACT Writing Test Should I Take? Most people will probably tell you that the old ACT Writing test was easier than the Enhanced ACT Writing test, and that you should definitely choose it over the new test if you have a choice. But it's a bit more complicated than that: it may be more accurate to say that the old test is more formulaic, scoring only for logical structure rather than actual insight or ability to analyze multiple viewpoints. If you're the kind of student who writes great essays for English class, or who loves writing well, the redesigned ACT Writing test may be for you. It will take into account analytical skills that aren't part of the old essay, so if you write a really insightful essay for the old test, you won't be rewarded for it. On the redesigned ACT Writing test, you will. Personally, I've always been the kind of person who hates writing to a formula and who wants all my writing to be interesting and insightful. For that reason, I'd choose the new test. How Can I Study for the New ACT Writing Test? Well, since we only have a few prompts, we don't know yet what specific topics you should read up on. But we do know you'll be asked to write about multiple perspectives on common cultural debates, such as nuclear power or government-subsidized health insurance. So you can google "debate topics," choose a few that are appropriate for high schoolers, and prepare your own prompts: just find three different perspectives on the issue, and then use them to perform the Essay Task above. The ACT may be releasing more information before the redesigned Writing test is administered, so stay tuned to the PrepScholar blog to keep yourself in the know! What's Next? If you're researching this topic, you're probably looking to score a pretty high score. Read our guide to how to get a perfect ACT score, written by our 36 ACT scorer. Also, read our guide on how to get a perfect 12 on the ACT Writing section. What's a good ACT score for you? 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