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Short Answer Response Rubric (Grades 6-12)
This is for short constructed responses: one paragraph, three to eight sentences, answering a question about a text or a problem. It works in ELA, science, and social studies because it grades the reasoning move rather than the content. Four criteria at 5 points each make it fast enough to use on a stack of 120 exit tickets.
- Grades 6-12
- Subject Cross-curricular
- 20 points
- 4 criteria
- Free to copy, print and adapt
| Criterion | Exceeds | Meets | Approaching | Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers the Question Asked5 points | 5 ptsThe first sentence directly answers the prompt and uses the prompt's own key words (if asked 'why did X happen,' the sentence begins with a because-style claim). | 4 ptsThe response answers the question somewhere in the paragraph and addresses all parts of a multi-part prompt. | 3 ptsAnswers one part of a two-part prompt, or answers a related question rather than the one asked (summarizes the passage when asked to explain a character's motive). | 0-2 ptsRestates or copies the prompt, or writes about the topic without ever making a statement that could be the answer. |
| Text Evidence5 points | 5 ptsIncludes a quoted phrase or specific detail from the text or data, punctuated with quotation marks and tied to a line, paragraph, or figure the reader can find. | 4 ptsIncludes at least one detail clearly drawn from the source, quoted or accurately paraphrased, that supports the answer given. | 3 ptsReferences the source vaguely ('it said in the story') without naming the detail, or quotes a line that does not support the answer. | 0-2 ptsContains no detail from the source; the response rests entirely on personal opinion or prior knowledge. |
| Reasoning That Connects Evidence to the Answer5 points | 5 ptsAt least two sentences explain what the quoted detail shows and why that leads to the stated answer, using words like 'this shows,' 'because,' or 'which means.' | 4 ptsOne sentence after the evidence explains how it supports the answer, and the link is accurate. | 3 ptsThe explanation repeats the quotation in different words instead of saying what it proves. | 0-2 ptsThe paragraph ends at the evidence, or the explanation contradicts the quotation used. |
| Clarity and Conventions5 points | 5 ptsEvery sentence is complete and readable on the first pass; pronouns clearly point to named people or things; no more than one surface error. | 4 ptsComplete sentences with minor spelling or punctuation errors that do not change the meaning. | 3 ptsContains a run-on or fragment, or an unclear 'it'/'they' that forces the reader to guess the referent. | 0-2 ptsMissing sentence boundaries or word omissions make at least one sentence impossible to read as written. |
Total: 20 points across 4 criteria.
How to use it
- Give students the four criterion names as a checklist before they write: answer, evidence, reasoning, clean sentences. Scores rise the first week without any reteaching of content.
- If you want a 10-point version, score only Answer and Reasoning at 5 points each and check evidence pass/fail; ranges stay the same.
- Do not deduct twice for the same problem. A response with no evidence already loses those 5 points, so do not also lower Reasoning below Approaching for it.
- In science and social studies, swap 'text evidence' for 'data or source evidence' and require a figure or document number; the level descriptors still work unchanged.
What students most often get wrong
- Spending three of five sentences restating the question, which leaves no room for reasoning.
- Quoting a long passage and letting it stand as the whole answer with no sentence explaining what it shows.
- Answering only the first half of a two-part prompt, usually because they stopped reading the question at the first verb.
Grade with this rubric, without retyping it
Scorae applies a rubric to student work in Google Docs, Canvas, Blackboard and Moodle, and drafts criterion-by-criterion feedback. You review and decide every grade — nothing is submitted for you. Student work is never stored.
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