What is the main purpose of the assignment you’re grading? What are the students supposed to have learned by completing the assignment? How will you recognize a successful assignment? What makes a project stand out? What’s “good enough”?
Content components refer to the actual meat of the assignment and the quality of what the student produces. This includes things like: Style Engagement with course themes or objectives Argument or thesis Organization Creativity and voice Process components are the individual steps that a student must complete to perform the assignment. This refers to things like: Title page, name, and date Time or length requirements Formatting
Style Engagement with course themes or objectives Argument or thesis Organization Creativity and voice
Title page, name, and date Time or length requirements Formatting
A basic essay rubric, for example, might include five sections, weighted appropriate to their respective values: thesis or argument, organization or paragraphing, intro/conclusion, grammar/usage/spelling, sources/references/citations.
Within the larger or more basic categories on your rubric, you could get more specific if you wanted to. Within “Thesis or argument” you might assign particular point values to topic sentences, the thesis statement, claims and use of evidence, depending on your students’ grade level and the particular things you’re focusing on in your lesson plans.
Some teachers employ over-complicated point systems as a way of shifting the focus away from more traditional grading distinctions and the stigma associated with them. It’s your classroom, but know that this tends to be more confusing than helpful for students, reinforcing the impression that they’re being graded subjectively by a never-ending chain of different teachers’ whims. Consider sticking with the traditional 100 point scale, flawed as it may be.
Thesis and argument: _/40 Thesis statement: _/10 Topic sentences: _/10 Claims and evidence: _/20 Organization and paragraphs: _/30 Order of paragraphs: _/10 Flow: _/20 Introduction and conclusion: _/10 Intro previews topic: _/5 Conclusion summarizes argument: _/5 Proofreading: _/10 Punctuation: _/5 Grammar: _/5 Sources and Citations: _/10 Works Cited Page: _/5 In-Text Citations: _/5 Alternatively, you can equally divide the individual tasks into numerical values for assignments in which all components of the project are weighted equally. This would be less applicable for a written assignment but might be appropriate for a presentation or other creative project.
Alternatively, if you dislike the connotations with traditional letter grades, you can assign terms like “Outstanding” “Satisfactory” and “Unsatisfactory” to the different levels of points to communicate grades differently to your students.
A (100-90): The student’s work fulfills all criteria of the assignment creatively and exceptionally. This work exceeds the criteria of the assignment, showing the student took the extra initiative in originally and creatively forming content, organization, and style. B (89-80): The student’s work fulfills the basic criteria of the assignment. Work at this level is somewhat successful but could be improved in organization and style. C (79-70): The student’s work fulfills most of the criteria of the assignment. Though the content, organization, and style are somewhat mixed in quality and may require some revision. This work does not suggest a high level of originality and creativity from the student. D (69-60): Work either does not complete the requirements of the assignment or meets them quite inadequately. Work at this level requires a good deal of revision and is largely unsuccessful in content, organization, and style. F (Below 60): Work does not complete the requirements of the assignment. In general, students who put forth a genuine effort will not receive an F.
Place each objective or task in its own row, making the different possibilities for points at the top of each column. List the expectations for each quality level under each heading. The headings should be in order from the lowest quality to the highest quality or vice versa, depending on your preference.
You’re still the teacher. If students are united in wanting to assign 99 points to grammar, you can end the exercise without completing it. Use it as a teachable moment, though. Pick on students with bad spelling and ask if they’ll really want the bulk of their grade to come from sentence-level nitpicking. They’ll get the picture.
