Writing Assessment Idea: The Single-Standard Rubric

Assessing writing is always a challenge for any teacher. The age-old hurdle of time keeps teachers from creating an assignment that needs to be assessed and feedback provided in a timely fashion. Problem is we can't let time bar us from developing those literacy skills with our students. Rubrics also pose significant challenges as there is a debate about whether they encourage our student's best work or formulaic writing. Wherever you fall on that debate, providing guidance for student writing is extremely important. There are some writing assignments that work without guidance. But with formal writing, students need a guide of sorts. You'd be crazy not to give that guidance....like dress up as a clown for fun crazy!! ***My apologies to all clowns who may be reading this. Please don't hurt me

With that in mind, below is a simple template you can use and alter in anyway you choose. The Single Standard Rubric is open enough to push the high and low achievers. It provides guidance without the cookie-cutter feel of a traditional rubric. It gives you the flexibility to assess and provide feedback in case the writing doesn't fit neatly in a box. The rubric was one I adapted from English Teacher Aric Foster in Michigan. Please feel free to adapt this one to suit your needs.



Snag your copy here if you'd like one

This rubric can be added to or subtracted from based on your needs and based on the assignment. Again, the idea isn't about using this rubric for each writing assignment. Rather, it is a call for holding all students to the same standards, not allowing them to decide which numbers they want to strive for, giving the educator flexibility in assessing their work, while also providing students a chance for students to find their voice.

You could also digitize it. Why not provide feedback from one single Google Form that you can type directly into? The data is housed on a spreadsheet and you can share that sheet with your students. Or set up a mail merge to send a student an individual report on their feedback. Below is an example of this. If you'd like to snag a copy of it, it is found here.