Writer’s Notebook Assessment Rubric
Draft 1/5/2012
Grade / 90 - 100 / 80 - 89 / 70 - 79 / 60 - 69 / 50 - 59Volume / · 90-100% of assigned entries
· 2 pages minimum per entry (home and school) / · 80-90% of assigned entries
· Most entries are at least 2 pages long / · 70 – 80% of assigned entries
· Some entries are two pages long / · 60-70% of assigned entries
· Most entries are less than two pages / · Less than 60% of assigned entries
· Almost all entries are one page long
Quality / · Entries are thoughtful and reflective, revealing original ideas and insights.
· Many entries show evidence of strategy use. / · Entries are generally thoughtful and reflective.
· May reflect a narrower repertoire of strategies. / · Some entries are thoughtful and reflective.
· Little evidence of strategy use or reflection. / · Entries may resemble diary entries or bed-to-bed (aka list or highlight) stories.
· No evidence of strategy use / · Entries are too short or messy to evaluate for quality
Organization and Structure / · All entries include dates, whether done at home or in school, and titles.
· Frequent evidence of personal writing goals and plans. / · Many entries include dates, whether done at home or in school, and titles.
· Some evidence of personal writing goals and plans. / · Some entries include dates, whether done at home or in school, and titles.
· Little evidence of personal writing goals and plans. / · Few entries include dates, whether done at home or in school, and titles.
· No evidence of personal writing goals and plans. / · No entries include dates, whether done at home or in school, and titles.
· No evidence of personal writing goals and plans.
Frequently Asked Questions:
· What if some of our students’ writing is in their readers’ notebooks (for example, during the unit on literary essay)?
Whether the writing is in their readers’ or writers’ notebooks, writing done during writing instruction should still be considered in the writers’ notebook grade.
· What are bed-to-bed (aka list or highlight) stories?
These are stories in which the writer lists many events, rather than focusing on the most important event(s) more deeply. For example: “We went to Great Adventure. First we waited on line. Then we got on the roller coaster….Then we went home.”
· What does “evidence of personal writing goals and plans” look like?
There are many possibilities – here are some ideas:
o Self-assessment/ reflections on volume, strategy use, or other elements of writing in notebook
o Self-assessment/reflections on published pieces (what I did well, what I still need to work on)
o Plans for growth in volume, strategy use, genre, or other elements of writing
· Do we use this rubric for special education students?
The answer depends on the individual student’s IEP. If the student has accommodations and/or goals for writing, the rubric should be modified to reflect those.
· Do we use this rubric for honors students?
No, there is a modified version for honors students. It requires a higher volume of writing and also evaluates the use of correct grammar and spelling in writers’ notebook entries.