Rubrics

Rubrics, based on the six traits of effective writing, provide an effective tool for assessing papers and provide a common language for talking about writing.

You'll find here five Excel-based rubrics derived from the traits-based rubrics in the Write Source series.

Note: To use these rubrics, you need to have Excel installed on your computer.

There is a separate rubric for each major form of writing:

	Narrative
	Expository
	Persuasive
	Response to Literature
	Research Report

How to Use the Rubrics

Each rubric is available in the following grading scales: 6-point, 5-point, 4-point OR letter grade. Each scale appears on a different worksheet in the rubric workbook.

The process of rating writing is simple:

1. Click on the grading system you want to use.

2. Fill in the assignment name and student name. Delete the row of any trait you do not wish to assess.

3. For each trait, read the performance description, decide which score best fits the writing, and type the score in the "Points Earned" column.

4. Provide comments as appropriate.

5. The overall score will be automatically calculated in the grade fields.

6. The final step is to print two copies—one for the student and one for your records.

 

Note: Even though the templates are colorful, they are designed to print nicely in black and white. Instead of printing a copy for yourself, you can save a copy on your computer in a folder named after the assignment.

 

See Also:

Forms of Writing

Assessment

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