Standardized Responses to Student Writing

Fashion Institute of Technology

	Excellent	Good	Approaching Standards	Needs Improvement	Comments
Purpose	Writer presents an easily identifiable, focused, and original controlling idea or purpose.	Writer presents an identifiable and focused controlling idea or purpose.	Writer presents a wandering, vague, or unfocused controlling idea or purpose.	Writer fails to present a controlling idea or purpose.
Organization	The writing moves coherently, logically, and even creatively from an engaging beginning to a satisfying ending.	The writing moves coherently and logically from a satisfying beginning to a solid ending.	The writing moves awkwardly from a beginning to an ending that does not adequately represent the writing that precedes it.	The writing moves from an unappealing beginning to an ending that does not feel conclusive or relevant to the writing that precedes it.
Content	The writer utilizes pertinent examples, vivid details, evidence, and research (where appropriate) that support the main ideas.	The writer presents examples, details, evidence, and research (where appropriate) that support the main ideas.	The use of example, detail, evidence, and research (where appropriate) is evident but insufficient in supporting the main idea.	The writing is too general and lacks example, detail, evidence, and research (where appropriate) to support the main idea.
Language	The writing exhibits a solid command of word variety and a tone and diction appropriate for the topic and the intended audience.	The writing shows some degree of control over the tone and diction appropriate for the subject and the intended audience.	Tone and diction are often inconsistent and/or inappropriate for the intended audience.	Tone and diction are not appropriate for the subject or the intended audience.
Mechanics	Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and documentation (where appropriate) are nearly flawless.	Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and documentation (where appropriate) are mostly accurate.	Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and documentation (where appropriate) are not well executed and may, at times, obscure meaning.	Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and documentation (where appropriate) disrupt reading and often obscure meaning.

For information on the Academic Skills Center (A608b) and other resources to help improve your writing, go to www3.fitnyc.edu/writingresources.

This rubric for responding to student writing was created by FIT’s Strategic Planning Writing Skills Subcommittee, consisting of Charlotte Brown, Carole Deletiner, Michael Hyde, Barbara Janoff, Amy Lemmon, and Melanie Reim. 2005-2006.