Writing Competency Rubric

4 = Exemplary 2 = Intervention recommended
3 = Expected in college writing 1 = Intervention necessary

4
  • Responds to the assignment in an exemplary fashion.
  • Maintains a strong sense of purpose and organization throughout.
  • Provides relevant, specific, and convincing supporting details.
  • Uses correct, varied sentences with few, if any, errors in mechanics, grammar, syntax, or spelling.
  • Employs a rich vocabulary appropriate to the audience and task.
3
  • Follows directions adequately.
  • Is primarily presented in a purposeful and well-organized manner.
  • Contains mostly relevant supporting details.
  • Uses generally correct, ordinary sentence patterns; contains some errors in mechanics, grammar, syntax, or spelling that do not severely hinder reader understanding.
  • Employs competent, if sometimes lackluster, vocabulary.
2
  • Follows directions unevenly.
  • Strays in terms of purpose and organization to the point of distraction.
  • Makes very general statements or repeats ideas; lacks elaboration and explication where necessary.
  • Uses sentences that are poorly formed, repetitious in structure, lacking in transitions, and/or occasionally incoherent; contains serious errors in mechanics, grammar, syntax, or spelling.
  • Employs vocabulary that is vague, unclear, or inappropriate.
1
  • Responds barely to the assignment, if at all.
  • Drifts completely in terms of purpose and organization to the point of disarray.
  • Rambles disconnectedly from one cul-de-sac of ideas to the next.
  • Uses incomplete and/or incoherent sentences; exhibits incompetence in regards to mechanics, grammar, syntax, and/or spelling.
  • Employs vocabulary that is vague, unclear, or inappropriate to a completely unacceptable degree.

Area 1: Following Directions: Pertains to the student's ability to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

Area 2: Sufficient Content: Pertains to the student's ability to elaborate, apply terms correctly, provide supporting evidence, and document resources when necessary.

Area 3: Organization: Pertains to the effective use of paragraphing, as well as the provision of transitions and emphasis to convey the relationship between ideas.

Area 4: Sentence Structure and Mechanical Errors: Pertains to knowing and correctly applying the basic rules of grammar, punctuation, syntax, and spelling, and varying sentence structure when appropriate.

Area 5: Vocabulary Choices: Pertains to the rich and effective use of language.