Creating Rubrics
Build reusable grading rubrics with criteria and levels
Rubrics are templates that break a grade into specific criteria. Instead of giving one holistic score, you grade against multiple criteria — clarity, evidence, style, etc. — each with its own point value.
Why use rubrics?
- Consistency — You grade the same way every time
- Transparency — Students see exactly what you're looking for
- Defensibility — When students question a grade, you can point to specific criteria
- Faster grading — Less second-guessing, more structure
Creating a Rubric
- Go to Settings → Rubrics in the sidebar
- Click + New Rubric
In the dialog:
Name your rubric
e.g. "Essay Grading Rubric" or "Lab Report Evaluation"
Add a description (optional)
When to use this rubric, e.g. "For all argumentative essays in English 101"
Add criteria
Each criterion has a title, description, and max points. Start with 3-5 criteria.
Save
Click Create Rubric. It's now available to attach to any assignment.
Example Rubric
Here's a rubric for a short essay:
| Criterion | Max Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis & Argument | 25 | Clear, arguable thesis; logical progression |
| Use of Evidence | 25 | Relevant sources, proper integration |
| Analysis | 25 | Goes beyond summary; original thinking |
| Grammar & Style | 25 | Clear prose, correct mechanics |
Total: 100 points
Attaching a Rubric to an Assignment
When editing an assignment lesson, scroll to the Grading section. You'll see a dropdown:
- No rubric — manual scoring (default)
- Essay Grading Rubric (100 pts)
- Lab Report Evaluation (50 pts)
- ... (all your saved rubrics)
Select a rubric to use it. Save the assignment.
If the rubric's total points don't match the assignment's max score, students may be confused. Usually, set the assignment max score to match the rubric total.
Editing a Rubric
Go to Settings → Rubrics → click Edit on any rubric card.
You can change the name, description, and criteria. When you save:
- New criteria are added
- Existing criteria are replaced
- Removed criteria are deleted
Editing a rubric affects all assignments using it. If you want to preserve the old version, create a new rubric instead.
Deleting a Rubric
Click the trash icon on a rubric card. You can only delete rubrics that aren't attached to any assignment. If a rubric is in use, detach it from the assignment first.
Rubric Design Tips
Start simple
3-4 criteria is usually enough. More than 6 becomes hard to grade fairly.
Make criteria independent
Each criterion should measure something different. If two criteria always move together, merge them.
Use clear descriptions
"Well-written" is vague. "Uses complete sentences, correct grammar, and varied sentence structure" is specific.
Match point values to importance
If thesis is more important than formatting, give it more points. Don't make everything weighted equally unless it really is.
Test on your own work
Before using a rubric on students, try grading one of your own samples. If you can't give yourself a clear score, the rubric needs clearer criteria.
Best Practices
- Share rubrics in advance. Put the rubric in the assignment instructions so students know what they're being graded on.
- Use the same rubric across assignments. If you reuse one rubric for multiple essays, students learn your expectations.
- Don't make rubrics too detailed. 4-6 criteria with 3-5 levels each is a sweet spot. More than that and it becomes overwhelming.
- Update rubrics based on experience. If you notice a criterion is always full marks, it's probably not measuring anything useful.