YES!

Magazine National Student Writing Competition

Evaluation Rubric

Basic guidelines:
• Must respond to the article and writing prompt provided by YES!
• Must reference the article. Personal examples and insights encouraged.
• No more than 600 words.
• Must be original, unpublished work.

In addition, we are evaluating essays for:

• Grammar
• Organization
• Strong style and personal voice
• Originality and clarity of content and ideas

How to use the rubric:

Please use this rubric as a measure of what we will be looking for when
selecting winning essays. This rubric should provide guidelines, not an
unreasonable or rigid standard.

You have probably encountered a rubric before, but here’s a quick guide to
using this one:
• Along the left side of the rubric grid are the criteria for evaluating students’
essays.
• Along the top of the grid, we have scores from 4 (outstanding) to 1 (poor).
• For each criterion, match the essay with the description that best fits it and
assign a score.
• Once you have scored the essay on all the criteria, take the average of
those seven numbers. That is the score for the essay.
 YES! Magazine National Student Writing Competition Rubric

4 3 2 1
There is one
Main idea is Main idea is not
clear, well-
somewhat clear, clear. There is a
focused topic. Main idea is
but there is need seemingly
Main idea is clear, but the
Focus on topic for more random
supported by general.
supporting collection of
detailed
evidence. information.
information.
Details are Details are
placed in a placed in a Some details are
There is no clear
logical order and logical order, but not in a logical
introduction of
the way they are the way they are or expected
the main topic or
Organization presented presented order, and this
structure of the
effectively keeps sometimes make distracts the
paper.
the reader’s the writing less reader.
interest. interesting.
Formulates a
thought- Writer takes a Fails to take a
Writer’s position
provoking, well- clear position on clear position, or
is evident,
Originality and developed, and an issue, though writer
though it is
strength of ideas fairly original it is not contradicts
vague.
position on an developed fully. herself.
issue.
Offers only
Offers adequate general reasons
Provides specific Provides less
– though or evidence or
reasons and/or than adequate or
perhaps vague or none, or offers
evidence that contradictory
Evidence and/or incomplete – evidence
demonstrate reasons or
reasoning supporting contradictory to
understanding evidence to
reasons and/or the writer’s
and insight. support position.
evidence thesis or main
idea.
Command of
conventions Weak control of
Correct use of Use of grammar
exhibited. grammar and
Command of grammar and and conventions
Creative word conventions.
grammar and conventions (for interferes with
choice and Errors
conventions the most part). understanding.
varied sentence distracting.
structure.
Writing attracts Writing fails to
Technically well
Author’s voice reader’s interest. engage the
written;
is strong and Author’s voice reader. Does not
however,
Voice engaging. Draws shows demonstrate
author’s voice is
reader in. engagement with writer’s interest
weak.
the topic. in topic.
Adapted from Rubric for Editorial – Commentary Essay from LAEP.org and the 6+1 Traits of Writing Rubric from
Readwritethink.org