A rubric is a grid: what you are judging down the side, how well it was done across the top, and a short description in every cell. The hard part is writing cells that a student could read and use. This page gives you the grid. Add or remove criteria, add or remove performance levels, weight the criteria that matter most, and the page works out the maximum score. Nothing you type leaves your browser and nothing is saved, so print or save a PDF before closing the tab.
Build a rubric
Loading a starting point replaces what is in the table.
Score: ________ / Comments: ______________________________________
How to use it
Start close to what you need
Pick the preset nearest your task, or the blank grid. Then rewrite every cell. The presets are scaffolding, not a standard.
Set levels and weights
Points for each level are editable. A weight of 2 counts a criterion twice as much as a weight of 1.
Describe, do not label
"Good" and "weak" tell a student nothing. Write what you would see in the work at that level.
Print for students
Hand it out with the assignment, not after. The buttons for removing rows are left off the printed page.
Writing cells students can use
Describe observable features and keep the wording parallel across a row, so that moving one cell to the right changes one thing. Avoid cells that are only the one before with "somewhat" added; they are hard to score and harder to explain. Keep four or five criteria for a typical task. Past that the rubric becomes a checklist nobody reads. If a criterion cannot be told apart from a neighbour, merge them. Tie each criterion to a clear goal, which how to write learning objectives walks through.
A rubric also changes how you grade. If your gradebook reports levels rather than percentages, see standards-based grading, and for building the test that sits alongside a rubric-scored task, how to build a unit assessment.
How it compares with ClassSense
ClassSense does not build custom rubrics, so this grid is a separate job. ClassSense takes a unit you upload and builds skill packs and practice for students, and practice inside the app is multiple choice, so it is not a place for rubric-scored writing or projects. The auto-grading page covers what it does mark. If you generate a Worksheet or Assessment in Create Content you get a .docx you can edit, and you could add a scoring guide to it in Word. Use this page for the writing and projects, and ClassSense for the practice that can be marked automatically. Your first 30 days are free, no card.
Common questions
Can I save the rubric and reuse it?
Not on this page, because nothing is stored. Print and choose Save as PDF, or copy the cells into your own document. For a rubric you will reuse, keep the PDF.
How does the maximum score work?
Each criterion contributes its weight multiplied by the points of the top level. The page adds those up as you edit. It is plain arithmetic, so it follows whatever points you type.
How many criteria and levels can I have?
Up to twelve criteria and six levels. Most classroom rubrics work well with four or five criteria and three or four levels.
Does it grade for me?
No. It is a printable grid. You score the work yourself and write the total in the space at the bottom.