Name _______________ Number ____
Response to Literature Rubric
Content
Organizational
Structure
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Ideas/Evidence
Exceptional
Advanced
Proficiency
Proficiency
6 (100%)
5 (95%)
Clearly has all
Clearly has all
required content
required
content
Written
Written above
significantly
above grade level
grade level
Essay effectively
organized in
logical pattern
(may be
different than
taught)
Highly relevant
ideas that
connect to real
life
Essay
organized in
logical pattern,
including
within each
paragraph
Relevant ideas
that require
critical
thinking
Effective
arguments
supported by
strong evidence
Arguments
supported by
strong
evidence
Convincingly
communicates
opinion about
the book
Clearly
communicates
opinion about
the book with
strong reasons
Advanced,
interesting
language
Varied,
appropriate
language
Developing
Proficient
Proficiency
4 (85%)
3 (75%)
Has all required Does not have
content
all required
content
Limited
Proficiency
2 (65%)
Missing many
parts of the
required
content
Minimal
Proficiency
1 (55%)
Has little of
the required
content
Essay follows
organization
taught correctly
Some
organization,
but not all
clear
Relevant ideas
Some relevant
ideas
Confusing
ideas
Ideas lacks
logic
Argument(s)
supported by
ineffective
evidence
Vague and
confusing
argument(s)
No
argument(s)
Gives an
opinion, but
reasons
backing it up
are not strong
Vaguely gives
an opinion and
reasons
Fails to give an
opinion or
support for it
Grade-level,
repetitive
language
Limited
language
Inaccurate
language
Arguments
supported by
evidence
Gives
reasonable
opinion and
reasons to back
it up
Grade-level
appropriate
language
Incorrectly
organized
essay
Little or no
evidence of
organization in
essay
Sentence
Structure
Conventions
(Punctuation,
Capitalization,
Paragraphing,
Verb Tenses,
Verb/ Subject
Agreement)
Introduction
Background
Thesis
Blueprint
Exceptional
Proficiency
6 (100%)
Uses a variety of
well-crafted, above
grade level
sentence
structures; uses
transitions and
conjunctions to
connect ideas
Uses and spells
above grade
level words
correctly
Advanced
Proficiency
5 (95%)
Uses well-crafted
sentence
structures; uses
transitions and
conjunctions to
connect ideas; no
errors
No errors in
above gradelevel
conventions
Essay is easy
to read
Uses above
grade level
words
correctly but
some may be
misspelled or
misused
Minimal,
infrequent
errors in above
grade-level
conventions
Essay is easy
to read
Developing
Proficiency
3 (75%)
Correct use of
simple or
repetitive
sentences
Limited
Proficiency
2 (65%)
Some fragments
or run- on
sentences with
some simple
sentences
Minimal
Proficiency
1 (55%)
Many fragments
and run-on
sentences
High
frequency and
grade level
words used
and spelled
with no errors
Some errors in
use and
spelling of
high frequency
and grade level
words
Frequent errors
in use of high
frequency and
grade-level
words
Severe spelling
and grammar
errors
Minimal,
infrequent
errors in grade
level
conventions
Some errors in
conventions
Frequent errors Severe errors in
in conventions
conventions
Proficient
4 (85%)
Uses a variety of
sentence structures
with minimal,
infrequent errors
Errors do not
affect
readability
Errors
minimally
affect
readability
Missing Content (highlighted below)
Body Paragraphs
topic sentence
introduction to the quote
a quote from the book
3 sentence explanation of the quote
Errors affect
readability
Errors severely
affect
readability
Conclusion
Re-state the thesis
Either summarize, convince, challenge,
or connect
Exceptional
Proficiency
Content
Organizational
Structure
Ideas/Evidence
Sentence
Structure
Conventions
(Punctuation,
Capitalization,
Paragraphing,
Verb Tenses,
Verb/ Subject
Agreement)
Clearly has all
required content
Written
significantly
above grade level
Content effectively
organized in logical
pattern
Highly relevant
ideas that
connect to real
life
Effective
arguments
supported by
strong evidence
a transition sentence to next paragraph
Developing
Advanced
Proficient
Proficiency
Proficiency
Limited
Proficiency
Missing many
parts of the
required
content
Minimal
Proficiency
Has little of
the required
content
Clearly has all Has all required Does not have
required
content, some
all required
content
may not be
content
obvious
Written above
grade level
Content organized Content in essay
Some organized
Incorrectly
Little or no
in logical pattern
adequately
content
organized content evidence of
organized
organized content
Relevant ideas Mostly relevant Some relevant Confusing
Ideas lacks
ideas
ideas
ideas
logic
Arguments
supported by
Arguments
Argument(s)
Vague and
No
strong
supported by
supported by
confusing
argument(s)
evidence
evidence
ineffective
argument(s)
Fails to give an
evidence
Strong reasons Reasonable
Vaguely gives
opinion or
Reasons
opinion and
an opinion and
support for it
reasons
backing it up
reasons
are not strong
Uses a variety of
Uses well-crafted
Uses a variety of
Correct use of
Some fragments
Many fragments
well-crafted, above
sentence
sentence structures simple or
or run- on
and run-on
grade level sentence structures; uses
with minimal,
repetitive
sentences with
sentences
structures; uses
transitions and
infrequent errors
sentences
some simple
transitions and
conjunctions to
sentences
conjunctions to
connect ideas; no
connect ideas
errors
Uses and spells Uses above
High frequency Some errors in Frequent errors Severe spelling
above grade
grade level
and grade level
use and
in use of high
and grammar
level words
words
words used and
spelling of
frequency and
errors
correctly
correctly, some
spelled with no
high
grade-level
Severe errors in
may be
error
frequency and
words
No errors in
conventions
misspelled
grade level
above grade Minimal,
Frequent errors
words
Minimal errors
level
infrequent
in conventions
Some errors in
conventions
in above
errors in grade
Exceptional
Proficiency
Advanced
Proficiency
grade-level
conventions
Proficient
level
conventions
Developing
Proficiency
conventions
Limited
Proficiency
Minimal
Proficiency