Communications Rubric
Communications – The student will be able to use receptive and productive skills to interpret,
synthesize, and integrate ideas of others and their own to communicate.
Receptive Skills – The student will be able to:
Context
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing—2
Ineffective—1
Can identify the
following elements:
author's purpose,
assumptions,
organizational
patterns, tone,
audience, culture,
bias, and point of
view.
Can identify some
of the following
elements: purpose,
organizational
patterns, tone, and
audience. Uses the
same literal reading
techniques for all
types of written
materials regardless
of type or purpose.
Is unable to identify
purpose,
organizational
pattern, tone, or
audience. Has
difficulty using
literal reading
techniques for
written materials
regardless of type
or purpose.
Demonstrate
understanding of
context of material,
including cultural
framework,
audience, and
purpose of
communication.
Analyzes
communication for
the following
elements: author's
purpose,
assumptions,
organizational
patterns, tone,
language, audience,
culture, bias, and
point of view; can
explain how they
affect the message.
Main idea-significant
detail
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing—2
Ineffective—1
Determine the main
idea and significant
details.
Recognizes possible
implications of the
text beyond the
author’s explicit
message (e.g., might
recognize broader
issues at play or
pose challenges to
the author’s
message).
Recognizes the main
idea and significant
details and can
explain how the
details support the
message.
Approximates the
main idea and
recognizes some
significant details,
but understanding is
piecemeal.
Does not recognize
the main idea or
understand how
details contribute to
the message. Gross
mis-readings occur.
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing—2
Ineffective—1
Analysis and
Interpretation
Analyze and
interpret the parts
of a communication
to comprehend the
Independently uses
main idea,
supporting details
and organizational
patterns to guide
Sometimes uses
main idea,
supporting details
and organizational
patterns to guide
Rarely uses main
idea, supporting
details, and
organizational
Is unable to identify
or use features of
the communication
to guide
relationship
between them and
to deepen
understanding of
the meaning.
comprehension.
Evaluates the logic
and accuracy of
evidence in support
of the main idea.
Independently
applies critical
reading skills to
support acceptance
or rejection of
communication.
comprehension.
Identifies general
support for the
main idea. Applies
literal reading skills
to comprehend and
support acceptance
or rejection of
communication.
patterns to guide
comprehension.
Sometimes
identifies general
support or the main
idea, but
interpretation is
often guided more
by internal beliefs
than by using
evidence from the
communication.
comprehension.
Analysis and
interpretation is
often wildly
inaccurate.
Productive Skills – The student will be able to:
Audience and context
Use knowledge of
audience
expectations and
context to shape a
communication.
Controlling Idea
Create and develop
an effective
controlling idea using
appropriate details.
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing—2
Ineffective—1
Demonstrates sound
understanding of
audience and
context through
general to formal
language, content,
and style.
Communication is
appropriate but not
sophisticated.
Demonstrates
some
understanding of
audience and
context in using
generally
appropriate
language, content,
and style, but may
make inappropriate
departures into
informality or
stilted material.
Demonstrates little
to no understanding
of audience and
context in language,
content, or style.
Communication is
frequently marred
with inappropriate
choices or
demonstrates
ignorance of
context.
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing--2
Ineffective—1
Controlling idea is
compelling (precisely
stated, appropriately
repeated, memorable,
and strongly
supported.) It may
reflect a nuanced,
sophisticated
understanding of the
complexity of the
material. A variety of
Controlling idea is
clear and consistent
with the supporting
material. It may
reflect a solid but
predictable or unnuanced
understanding of the
material. Supporting
materials
(explanations,
Controlling idea is
partially
understandable but
is not memorable. It
may be located at
the end of the
communiqué or be
implicit. Supporting
materials
(explanations,
examples,
Demonstrates selfawareness in
responding to
audience
expectations and
context through
effective,
professional
language, content,
and style.
Communication is
sophisticated.
Controlling idea is
not present or does
not control the
support. Insufficient
supporting materials
(explanations,
examples,
illustrations,
statistics, analogies,
quotations from
relevant authorities)
types of supporting
materials
(explanations,
examples,
illustrations, statistics,
analogies, quotations
from relevant
authorities) make
appropriate reference
to information or
analysis that
significantly supports
the controlling idea or
establishes
credibility/authority
on the topic.
examples,
illustrations,
statistics, analogies,
quotations from
relevant authorities)
make appropriate
reference to
information or
analysis that
generally supports
the controlling idea
or establishes
credibility/authority
on the topic.
illustrations,
statistics, analogies,
quotations from
relevant authorities)
make appropriate
reference to
information or
analysis that partially
supports the
presentation or
establishes
credibility/authority
on the topic.
make reference to
information or
analysis that
minimally supports
the controlling idea
or establishes
credibility/authority
on the topic.
Capstone - 4
Acceptable - 3
Developing - 2
Ineffective - 1
Organizational pattern
(specific introduction
and conclusion,
sequenced material
within the body, and
transitions) is clearly
and consistently
observable and is
skillful, cohesive, and
integrative, perhaps
innovative.
Organizational
pattern (specific
introduction and
conclusion,
sequenced material
within the body, and
transitions) is solidly
and consistently
observable.
Organizational
pattern (specific
introduction and
conclusion,
sequenced material
within the body, and
transitions) is
intermittently
observable within
the presentation.
Some digression
occurs.
Organizational
pattern (specific
introduction and
conclusion,
sequenced material
within the body, and
transitions) is not
observable within
the presentation.
Capstone—4
Acceptable—3
Developing—2
Organizes,
synthesizes, and
integrates information
from sources to fully
achieve a specific
purpose, with clarity
and depth
Organizes and
synthesizes
information from
sources. Intended
purpose is achieved.
Communicates and
organizes
information from
sources. The
information is not yet
synthesized, so the
intended purpose is
not fully achieved.
Productive Skills – The student will be able to:
Organization
Organize material
coherently into a
meaningful whole.
Integration of
sources
Synthesize and
integrate ideas of
their own with those
of others.
Ineffective—1
Communicates
information from
sources. The
information is
fragmented and/or
used inappropriately
(misquoted, taken
out of context, or
incorrectly
paraphrased, etc.), so
the intended
purpose is not
achieved.