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Writing Rubrics

On our other pages we have provided sample writing rubrics to evaluate and grade your students work. Here is a simple process for you to develop your own.

What is the goal of the writing assignment?

If there is a new skill being introduced or practiced, that goal should be incorporated into your rubric. If the purpose is to demonstrate the students' aquisition of knowledge on an assigned subject, that should also be reflected. Stating the purpose of the assignment facilitates the development of your rubrics.

How much weight should be given to writing mechanics?

Mechanics contribute between 20% to 50% of the students' score. As a general rule of thumb, I usually use 30% to 33.33% depending on which rubric I am using. Writing intensive college courses often grade mechanics as 50% of the grade. Therefore, your college bound student needs to be able to produce mechanically correct term papers.

Plan the Criteria for Your Writing Rubric

The writing rubric will assess each of the criteria you choose. I often use 10 criteria for weekly writing assignments and creative writing; and reserve the 15 criteria (ten for content and 5 for mechanics) for the annual research paper. Examples of both types of rubrics can be found here.

Here are some of the criteria I have used in different rubrics. This is not an exhaustive list, and you may have other points. To individualize your own rubrics, you may choose ten that best fit your needs. Grading Criteria:

List the goal/purpose of the assignment
The points are organized
Introductory paragraph introduces the topic
Original ideas are presented
Paragraph development with topic sentences
Clear Phrases (avoid awkward or hard to read sentences)
Interesting sentences capture the reader's attention
A concluding paragraph summarizes the paper
Thesis statement is present
Bibliography with a minimum of X resources
Variety in sentence structure
Correct documentation of sources
Use of transitions between paragraphs
Pictures and tables
Neatness, professional appearance, use of fonts
Footnotes or endnotes
Use of quotations
Level of vocabulary used
Complete sentences with no fragments or run-ons
Punctuation
Spelling
Completed on time

Have the student read the list of criteria out loud

This helps the student focus on the goals of the assignment. In addition to reading the criteria before starting to write, they should also review it before submitting their paper. Consider having them grade themselves on each criteria.

Before grading, read the paper through yourself one time.

Since content is the most important, focus on it first. Ask yourself: "What is this paper communicating?"

With the first reading, focus on the main points and the organization of ideas. Was the meaning clear? Were the main points well organized?

If the main points are not organized, a student in middle school or high school needs to re-write it. Disorganized writing cannot convey anything. The student needs to be taught how to organize points. This is not a difficult skill to teach, but it does take some practice for the student to master it. But without that skill, his or her writing will never improve.

Assign Points

Starting with organization, and for each of the other criteria on your evaluation tool, you need to assign up to ten points. See this page for discussion on how to assign points. Since each criteria gets up to ten points, the final grade with be on a 100 point scale.

Return from Writing Rubrics to the Writing Main Page.