Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Writing Rubrics My district recently had a practice run of the writing portion of the new state testing (4th grade). To assess the students, we used the rubrics that the state will be using. The problem is that what the state is calling an analytical rubric seems to function much more closely to a holistic rubric. To receive a level 4, the student must have all components (strong introduction, conclusion, etc.). The dilemma comes when the student has a strong introduction with a weak conclusion. Apparently, you are unable to give in between scores, such as a 3.5. How do you address assigning a score to a student who has some strong components, while others are weak or non-existent? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I think a possible solution is to create a rubric that takes into consideration the holistic aspect of the essay and the analytical side of it so that students can practice mastering both aspects when it comes down to writing their essays. Giving students a passing example will give them an idea of what wtitting skills they need to prepare to have and aim for.