Paragraph Rubric Name: ______________________

Categories of Emerging Progressing Advancing Mastering

Performance:
Topic sentence The sentence is The sentence is The sentence is The sentence is
incomplete and complete, but does complete and complete and clearly
does not state the not state the main adequately states the states the main idea.
main idea. idea. main idea.

Supporting details Paragraph has few The main idea is The main idea is The main idea is fully
detail sentences to supported with some-what developed using
support the main general details. developed using specific details.
idea. mostly specific
details.

Concluding The sentence is The sentence is The sentence is The sentence is

sentence incomplete and complete, but does complete and complete and clearly
does not sum up not sum up the adequately sums up sums up the
the paragraph. paragraph. the paragraph. paragraph.

Organization of Ideas in the A few ideas in the Ideas in the Ideas flow in the
ideas paragraph are paragraph do not paragraph support paragraph and clearly
disorganized and do support the main the main idea, but support the main
not support the idea or are out of could be organized idea, creating
main idea, causing place, causing a more clearly. meaning.
a confusion of confusion of
meaning. meaning.

Sentences and Some sentences are Some sentences Sentences are All sentences are
grammar incomplete, choppy are incomplete or complete; simple and complete and
or run-on; run-on; simple complex sentences effective; complex
grammatical errors sentences are are used; few sentences are used;
affect readability. used; some grammatical errors. no grammatical
grammatical errors.
errors.

Vocabulary or Some inappropriate Words are basic; All words are used All words are used
word use vocabulary is used; some words are appropriately. appropriately; there
some words are used in the wrong is evidence
used in the wrong context. of some new
context. vocabulary being
used.

Conventions There are many There are some There are only a few There are no errors in
errors in spelling, errors in spelling, errors in spelling, spelling,
capitalization, capitalization, capitalization, and/or capitalization, and/ or
and/or punctuation. and/or punctuation. punctuation.
punctuation.