Research-Based Writing Rubric – Class Ready

Share the rubric with students before they begin drafting, since it specifies concrete expectations such as a three-paragraph structure with hook, thesis, and conclusion.

Use the Citing Reliable Sources row explicitly when teaching paraphrasing and plagiarism, since it distinguishes degrees of copied versus original wording.

Score the Research Process/Notes row during the drafting phase rather than only at final submission, since it assesses note-taking independence rather than the finished essay.

Assessment scoring — the teacher scores a student's research-based informative writing across five categories: conventions, organization, quality of information, source citation, and research notes.

Rubric-referenced feedback — the teacher uses written level descriptors (e.g., "3 paragraphs with clear main ideas" vs. "missing main idea") to explain a score to the student.