Rubrics must list essential elements that an essay, presentation or project must demonstrate to earn a high score. For example, essential criteria for judging a persuasive essay might include competence in these areas: thesis statement, organization, support, documentation, grammar and style. As Jonathan Mueller explains in his Authentic Assessment Toolbox, every rubric must have at least two criteria. Each criterion can have the same weight, or a teacher could weigh some elements more heavily. For example, in a persuasive essay, the support might have a weight of three and documentation a weight of two.
Every rubric must also have at least two levels of quality. Mueller suggests beginning with just a few levels, such as 1, 2, 3 (needs improvement, good, excellent), adding more as you refine each level. Descriptive terms, such as "never, sometimes and always," allow teachers to make basic value judgments. The total accumulation of points from each criterion and level of quality determines the score for an assignment.
In judging an arguable thesis statement, a teacher might describe an excellent thesis statement (3) as one that takes a stand, avoids personal reference and previews the reasons. A good (2) statement might be arguable but lack a preview; a poor statement (1) might lack controversy altogether. A rubric with descriptions tells students the exact expectations for the assignment, Mueller explains.
Most rubrics follow the analytic model, providing both essential criteria and levels of quality. In complex assignments, teachers often want to evaluate many criteria separately. As teachers use rubrics, they may wish to expand or redefine the criteria and add levels of quality so that the rubric more accurately reflects the final grade.
For simple assignments, holistic rubrics may work well. Teachers may wish to grade routine homework assignments with a quick evaluation of satisfactory or unsatisfactory. However, Mueller notes that some complex assignments, such as essay writing, may require more holistic grading. In grading a persuasive essay, criterion such as support and organization may overlap. Excessive errors in grammar will impact style. Combining related criteria may help in scoring these assignments.