Expository Essay Rubric & Score Card

Rubric · Grades 8–12 · PDF · $3 or included with All-Access

This is the grading system I use for expository essays. Instead of writing the same comment 40 times, I mark a code in the margin (1 for a misspelled word, F for missing evidence and commentary) and students look it up. It works for grades 8-12 and fits STAAR ECR practice.

The teacher rubric has 10 numbered grammar and syntax codes and 10 lettered content codes, each with an explanation and examples. The student version says the same things in plain language so kids can fix their own drafts. The score card turns it into a grade: 8 grammar items at 5 points and 6 content items at 10 points, for 100 total.

The grading example shows a short student-style essay on social media and teenagers, marked line by line with codes, so you and your students can see the system in action before you use it.

What's included

• Teacher rubric: 10 grammar/syntax codes (1-10) and 10 content codes (A-J) with explanations and examples
• Student rubric: a plain-language grammar and content guide
• 100-point score card (40 grammar, 60 content)
• Printable score card slips to staple onto essays
• Sample essay graded line by line with codes

How teachers use it

• Mark essays with codes so feedback goes faster
• Hand out the student guide during drafting and peer review
• Walk through the graded example before the first big essay
• Use with STAAR ECR practice or any expository unit