Sample Project Rubric

Title of Report __________________________________

Author ________________________________________

Course Objectives To Be Evaluated

Broad competencies in the area of emphasis:
Interpretation of concepts, themes, methodologies and theories from the broad area of
emphasis.
Application of thought and reason while systematically exploring different options in
testing ideas and intuition against past results and assumptions.

Written communication skills

Critical thinking skills

Criteria Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Marginal (2) Unacceptable (1)
Even, balanced
information Information
Information Paper does not
CONTENT clearly and supports thesis
provides firm successfully
effectively at times.
support for identify thesis.
supports a Analysis is
thesis and Analysis is
central purpose basic or
displays vague or not
or thesis and general. Reader
evidence of a evident. Reader
displays a gains few
basic analysis is confused or
thoughtful, in- insights.
of a sufficiently may be
depth analysis
limited topic. misinformed.
of a sufficiently
Reader gains
limited topic.
some insights.
Reader gains
insights.
The writing is
The ideas are
The ideas are not arranged
arranged
ORGANIZATION arranged logically. The writing
logically to
logically to Frequently, lacks any
support the
support the ideas fail to semblance of
thesis. They
thesis. They are make sense logical
flow smoothly
usually clearly together. organization.
from one to
linked to each Reader can The reader
another and are
other. For the figure out what cannot identify a
clearly linked
most part, writer probably line of reasoning
to each other.
reader can intends but may and loses
Reader can
follow line of not be interest.
follow line of
reasoning. motivated to do
reasoning.
so.
The writing has
The writer's
a firm purpose,
purpose is The purpose is The purpose is
but may
PURPOSE readily not always generally
occasionally
apparent to the clear. unclear.
digress from
reader.
the purpose.

Compelling Although
evidence is occasional
USE OF given to References to references are References are
REFERENCES support claims support claims provided, the not cited to
and attribution are generally writer support claims.
is clear and present. overrelies on
fairly unsubstantiated
represented. statements. The
reader is
confused about
the source of
the ideas.

2
Criteria Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Marginal (2) Unacceptable (1)
The writing is The writing is
VOICE generally dull and
The writing is The writing has
engaging, but perfunctory.
compelling. It little personality.
occasionally Though the paper
hooks the reader The audience
pedantic. The may have some
and sustains quickly loses
communication interesting parts,
interest interest and stops
is generally readers find it
throughout. reading.
focused and difficult to
interesting. maintain interest.
The tone is
TONE consistently The tone is
The tone is not
professional and generally The tone is not
consistently
appropriate for professional. In professional. It is
professional or
the audience and general, it is inappropriate for
appropriate for
for the purpose appropriate for the audience and
the audience and
(e.g., letter, the audience and purpose.
purpose.
memo, proposal, purpose.
application,
research
summary, report,
scholarly
communication).
Sentences are
SENTENCE well phrased and
STRUCTURE Sentences are demonstrate Some sentences
Errors in sentence
well phrased and some variety in are awkwardly
structure are
varied in length length and constructed, and
frequent enough to
and structure. structure. The they represent an
represent a major
They flow flow from occasional
distraction to the
smoothly from sentence to distraction for
reader.
one to another. sentence is the reader.
generally
smooth.
WORD Many words are
Word choice is
CHOICE Word choice is used
Word choice is generally good.
merely adequate, inappropriately,
consistently The writer goes
and the range of confusing the
precise. beyond the
words is limited. reader. The writer
generic word to
Some words are may also use
find one more
used clichés and
precise and
inappropriately. colloquial
effective.
language.
There are
GRAMMAR, Errors are so
The writing is occasional
SPELLING, The writing has numerous that they
free or almost violations in the
MECHANICS, numerous errors, obscure the
free of errors. writing, but they
(i.e. Punctuation, and the reader is meaning of the
don't represent a
Italics, distracted by passage. The reader
Capitalization,
major distraction
them. is confused and
etc.) or obscure the
stops reading.
meaning.

3
Criteria Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Marginal (2) Unacceptable (1)

Consistently does
all or almost all of
Consistently does the following:
Consistently does
all or almost all of Offers biased
all or almost all Consistently does
the following: interpretations of
of the following: all or almost all
Misinterprets evidence,
Accurately of the following:
evidence, statements,
interprets Accurately
statements, graphics, questions,
evidence, interprets
graphics, information or the
statements, evidence,
questions. Fails points of view of
graphics, statements,
to identify strong, others. Fails to
questions, etc. graphics,
relevant counter- identify or hastily
Identifies salient questions.
arguments. dismisses srong,
arguments pro Identifies relevant
Ignores or relevant counter-
and con. arguments pro
superficially arguments. Ignores
Thoughtfully and con. Offers
evaluates obvious or superficially
analyzes and analyses and
alternative points evaluates obvious
CRITICAL evaluates major evaluations of
of view. Draws alternative points of
THINKING alternative points obvious
unwarranted or view. Argues using
of view. Draws alternative points
fallacious fallacious or
warranted, of view. Draws
conclusions. irrelevant reasons
judicious, non- warranted, non-
Justifies few and unwarranted
fallacious fallacious
results or claims. Does not
conclusions. conclusions.
procedures, justify results or
Justifies key Justifies some
seldom explains procedures nor
results and results or
reasons. explain reasons.
procedures, procedures,
Regardless of the Regardless of the
explains explains reasons.
evidence or evidence or reasons,
assumptions and Fair-mindedly
reasons, maintains maintains or
reasons. Fair- follows where
or defends views defends views based
mindedly follows evidence and
based on self- on self-interest or
where evidence reasons lead.
interest or preconceptions.
and reasons lead.
preconceptions. Exhibits close-
mindedness or
hostility to reason.

4
 POINTS MULTIPLIER SCORE
Content 2
Organization 1
Purpose 1
Use of references 1
Voice 1
Tone 1
Sentence Structure 1
Word Choice 1
Grammar, Spelling… 1
Critical Thinking 5
GRAND TOTAL

GRADING SCALE
A 54-60
B 48-53
C 42-47
D 36-41
F Less than 36

Written Communication Rubric. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Iowa State
University (2000). Retrieved February 16, 2004 from
http://www.educ.iastate.edu/elps/rubricwriting.htm

Facione, Peter A. and Facione, Noreen C. (1994) Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric. The
California Academic Press. Retrieved February 11, 2004 from
http://www.insightassessment.com/HCTSR.html