Kentucky Writing Scoring Rubric: Narrative Writing
0
The writing:
 Lacks awareness
of audience,
context and
purpose.

Lacks awareness
of audience’s or
audience
engagement.
1
The writing:
 Attempts to establish a
general purpose, but the
context of the piece is
unclear. The writing
demonstrates limited focus
and audience awareness.

 Experiences and/or
events in the piece
lack significance.
Limited audience
engagement. Attempts to
employ techniques
(dialogue, descriptions,)
but attempts may be
ineffective.
2
Purpose & Focus
Purpose and Audience
3
4
The writing:
 Demonstrates some audience
awareness, but the context may be
unclear, and the writer
demonstrates some lapses in
focus.
The writing:
 Demonstrates audience
awareness by establishing a
context and maintaining a clear
and focused purpose
throughout the piece.
The writing:
 Demonstrates audience awareness
by skillfully establishing a context
and maintaining a clear, insightful,
and authentic focused purpose
throughout the piece.



Skillfully engages the audience by
employing a variety of techniques
(e.g. dialogue, description,
anecdote, rhetorical question,
surprising fact, quotations,) in a
way that enhances meaning.

Skillfully conveys the significance
and complexities of the experience,
either explicitly or implicitly,
whether real or imagined. Sustains
a distinctive voice and/or
appropriate tone.
 Somewhat conveys significance
of the experience, but does not
fully connect significance to the
readers. May relay heavily on
explicit or implicit details alone.
May demonstrate some voice
and/or appropriate tone.
 Attempts to convey the
significance of the
experience, but
significance may be
unclear. Does not
demonstrate voice or
appropriate tone.
0
Somewhat engages the audience
by employing some techniques
(e.g. dialogue, description,
anecdote, rhetorical question.)
1
Engages the audience by
adequately employing a variety
of techniques (e.g. dialogue,
description, anecdote,
rhetorical question.)
 Adequately conveys the
significance and complexities
of the experience, either
explicitly or implicitly, whether
real or imagined. Conveying
voice and/or appropriate tone
2
3
4
Idea Development
Provides specific and relevant support to elaborate and develop ideas; characteristics of mode
The writing:
 Lacks idea
development; may
provide random
details that do not
relate to
experience or
event.
The writing:
 Demonstrates limited idea
development. Details may
be related to the
experience but provides
limited thought, and lacks
insight.


Lacks examples or
sensory details,
leaving readers
unclear of
experience or
event.
 Lacks narrative
techniques and
development.
0
Uses limited or ineffective
sensory details or
examples, preventing
writer from effectively
recreating experience or
event.
 Attempts to use narrative
techniques to develop
ideas, experiences or
characters, but
development is limited.
1
The writing:
 Demonstrates some idea
development using some thought
and insight about the experience
or event.

Uses some examples and sensory
details to illustrate or recreate the
experience or event, may leave
significant examples or details
out.
 Uses some narrative techniques to
develop ideas, experiences,
events, or characters (dialogue,
pacing, description, etc.) May
leave audience wanting to know
more about the event,
experience(s), or characters.
2
The writing:
 Demonstrates adequate idea
development by providing a
thought and insight about the
experience or event.
The writing:
 Demonstrates depth of idea
development by providing a
thoughtful and insightful
explanation of the experience or
event.


Uses effective and adequate
examples and sensory details
(if appropriate,) illustrates and
recreates the experience or
event.
 Uses narrative techniques to
adequately develop ideas,
experiences, events or
characters (dialogue, pacing,
description, etc.)
3
Skillfully provides examples and
sensory details (if appropriate,) that
enhance meaning. Illustrates and
effectively recreates experience in
a manner that is relatable to the
audience.
 Skillfully uses narrative techniques
to develop ideas, experiences,
events or characters (dialogue,
pacing, description, etc.) in a way
that enhances meaning.
4
Kentucky Writing Scoring Rubric: Narrative Writing
STRUCTURE
Organization: unity and coherence; Sentences: structure and length
The writing:
 Demonstrates
random organization,


Lacks connections
within and between
paragraphs,
transitional elements,
and clarity.
The writing:
 Demonstrates ineffective or
weak organization.
Progression of ideas are not
logical, and event sequences
may be confusing to reader.

Demonstrates
incorrect sentence
structure throughout

Demonstrates limited ability
to maintain coherence within
and between paragraphs. Uses
limited or weak transitional
elements to manage the
sequence of events, or to
guide readers through the
text. Unable to clarify the
relationship of events.
The writing:
 Attempts to provide a logical
progression of ideas, and organize
event sequences for the reader, but
piece may contain lapses in coherence
The writing:
 Provides a logical progression of
ideas, and effectively organizes
event sequences that unfold
naturally for the reader.



Demonstrates some
ineffective or incorrect
sentence structure
1
0
Attempts to maintain coherence
within and between paragraphs, but
there are lapses in coherence. Uses
some transitional elements, words,
phrases, and clauses to manage the
sequence of events, but struggles to
guide readers through the text, and
clarify the relationship of events.
Demonstrates simple sentences; may
attempt more complex sentences but
lacks control of sentence structure

2
Maintains coherence within and
between paragraphs using
transitional elements. Uses
transitional words, phrases, and
clauses to manage the sequence of
events, guide readers through the
text, and clarify the relationship of
events.
The writing:
 Demonstrates careful and/or subtle
organization by providing a logical
progression of ideas, and organizing
event sequences that unfold naturally
for the reader.

Maintains careful coherence within and
between paragraphs using effective
transitional elements. Uses a variety of
transitional words, phrases, and clauses
to skillfully manage the sequence of
events, guide readers through the text,
and clarify the relationship of events.

Maintains control and variety of
sentence structure to enhance meaning.
Maintains control and variety of
sentence structure.
3
4
LANGUAGE & CONVENTIONS
Word choice, voice and tone, grammar, usage, and mechanics
The writing:
 Demonstrates incorrect or
ineffective word choice

The writing:
 Uses simplistic and/or imprecise
words and phrases to convey
experiences and events.
The writing:
 Uses accurate language, words,
and phrases to convey
experiences and events
precisely.
The writing:
 Uses precise, accurate, and rich
language, words, and phrases to
convey experiences and events
precisely.



Lacks appropriate voice
for audience and purpose
 Demonstrates lack of
control of grammar,
usage, and mechanics
Attempts to employ voice
appropriate for audience and
purpose, but may be inconsistent
Employs voice appropriate for
the audience and purpose
 Communicates effectively by
 Demonstrates some control of
grammar, usage, and mechanics
with some errors that do not
interfere with communication
demonstrating control of
grammar, usage, and
mechanics relative to length
and complexity
Skillfully employs voice
appropriate for the audience and
purpose
 Communicates effectively by
demonstrating control of grammar,
usage, and mechanics