What this rubric measures
The ISASP Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric, Grades 6–8 is the official scoring guide used to evaluate student writing on Iowa ISASP assessments. It is an Analytic rubric that scores responses across 4 distinct criteria, allowing teachers to give precise, targeted feedback on each area of writing.
All 4 scoring criteria
Click any criterion to expand its score level descriptors. The language below is taken verbatim from the official Iowa Department of Education ISASP scoring guide.
1 Prompt Task
The response demonstrates the following:
- Provides a context for the explanation. Topic(s) and purpose of explanation are clear from the start. Successfully uses ample relevant evidence from provided texts to support the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Topic(s) and purpose of explanation are clear. Appropriately uses some evidence from provided texts to support the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Topic(s) and purpose of explanation are apparent within the response as a whole. Evidence from provided texts is used but is limited, overused, or misrepresented.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Topic(s) and purpose of explanation are unclear or otherwise confusing. Attempts to use evidence from provided texts are unsuccessful (text sections are lifted exactly, misunderstood, or not relevant to the explanation they are used in support of).
The response demonstrates the following:
- Topic(s) and purpose of explanation are never indicated. No attempt is made to use evidence from provided texts to support the explanation.
Grades 6, 7, and 8 share nearly identical informative/explanatory descriptors. The Prompt Task trait is essentially identical across the band.
2 Development of Explanation
The response demonstrates the following:
- Explains topic(s) completely. Effectively uses ample specific and relevant facts, definitions, details, examples, and/or other appropriate information in the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Explains topic(s) adequately. Explanation includes some specific and relevant facts, definitions, details, examples, and/or other appropriate information.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Explains topic(s) to a limited extent or the explanation is developed unevenly. Explanation includes few or only general facts, details, and examples. Some information may be repetitious or may not be clearly relevant.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Explains topic(s) by providing some information but explanation is minimal and/or superficial, and parts may be repetitious or not relevant.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Development of topic(s) lacks explanation of ideas, only repeats ideas, or most ideas are not relevant. May demonstrate a lack of understanding of the purpose of explanatory writing.
3 Organization
The response demonstrates the following:
- Has a clear, well-developed introduction. Provides a logical concluding statement or section. Organizes ideas effectively, using clear and appropriate paragraphing throughout the response. Consistently uses effective and varied transition words, phrases, and clauses within and between text sections.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Has a clear, somewhat-developed introduction. Provides a clear concluding statement or section. Organizes ideas adequately, using appropriate paragraphing. Consistently uses simple and/or repetitive transitions within and between sections of text.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Provides a basic introduction and basic concluding statement or section. Groups related ideas together but the relationship among ideas may at times be unclear or parts of the explanation may seem out of place. Sometimes uses transitions.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Has minimal evidence of an introduction and/or a concluding statement or section. Groups a few related ideas together within the response but overall demonstrates weak paragraphing skills. Use of transitions is not controlled and may cause confusion.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Lacks an introduction and a concluding statement or section. Demonstrates no understanding of paragraphing (or response may be too short to assess). Transitions are not used.
4 Language Use
The response demonstrates the following:
- Uses precise and varied word choice. Employs topic-specific vocabulary successfully. Effectively varies sentence length and complexity. Establishes and maintains a style appropriate for the designated audience and purpose throughout the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Uses mostly specific and somewhat varied word choice. Occasionally employs topic-specific vocabulary successfully. Demonstrates adequate control of sentences with some variety in length and structure. Establishes a style appropriate for the designated audience and purpose and maintains it through most of the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Uses general word choice. Attempts to employ topic-specific vocabulary may be unsuccessful. Demonstrates a little variety in sentence structure, although there may be a few long, uncontrolled sentences. Demonstrates some understanding of style appropriate for the designated audience and purpose but fails to maintain it throughout the explanation.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Uses simple and/or repetitive word choice. Uses repetitive sentence structure and/or long, uncontrolled sentences. Style is not appropriate for the designated audience and/or purpose and is sometimes distracting.
The response demonstrates the following:
- Uses awkward, incorrect, and/or confusing word choice and sentence structure. Style is inappropriate for the designated audience and/or purpose and is distracting.
How to score with the ISASP Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric, Grades 6–8.
A practical guide for teachers and norming teams. How to apply each descriptor consistently, the pitfalls that hurt inter-rater reliability, and a workflow for calibrating with colleagues.
Four-trait analytic, scored independently
- Score each of the four traits (Prompt Task, Development, Organization, Language Use) on its own pass, then sum for the rubric total out of 20.
- Each trait uses the same 1 to 5 scale. A response can earn 5 on Development (rich specific facts) and 3 on Organization (weak paragraphing). Score independently.
- Start at the lowest score point and ask, does the response meet this descriptor? Move up only when it clearly meets the next level.
Informative-specific notes
- Topic-specific vocabulary is explicitly part of Language Use at this grade band. Reward responses that use precise domain terms from the source rather than general substitutes.
- Style appropriate for audience and purpose enters Language Use at Grade 6 and continues through high school. A response that drifts into colloquial first-person voice on an academic prompt typically caps at 3.
- The genre is explanation, not argument. Penalize responses that take a position rather than explain a topic. Those should be scored under the argument rubric, not this one.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Confusing topic-specific vocabulary with long words. A 7th-grader using 'photosynthesis' correctly hits the descriptor; a sprinkling of unrelated SAT words does not.
- Awarding 5 on Development to a response that lists many facts but does not explain how they connect to the topic. The descriptor requires effective use, not enumeration.
- Letting strong style halo weak explanation. Development and Language Use score independently.
Tips for norming with your team
- Anchor with 3 to 5 sample responses scored by your most experienced grader before the session.
- Score the first 5 silently, then compare. Discuss any trait where graders are more than one point apart.
- Re-norm halfway through a long batch. Drift is real, especially on the Language Use trait where style is hard to score consistently.
Notes for the ISASP Informative/Explanatory Rubric, Grades 6–8
The Grades 6, 7, and 8 ISASP informative/explanatory rubrics share nearly identical descriptor language. The four-trait structure is preserved from the elementary version, with the Language Use trait expanding to include 'style appropriate for the designated audience and purpose.'
Paragraphing replaces the elementary 'linking words' framing in Organization. At Grades 6-8, students are expected to organize ideas into clear paragraphs and use transitions both within and between sections of text.
Topic-specific vocabulary continues to be part of Language Use. The expectation is consistent across the band; what changes is the sophistication of the source texts and the prompts.
All four traits are scored on the same 1 to 5 scale. The maximum total per rubric is 20 points.
See this rubric in action.
EnlightenAI scores student writing on this exact rubric, with per-criterion feedback that mirrors how you grade by hand. The sample response below shows how the rubric applies to a real piece of student writing, scored against every criterion.
How Iowa is powering itself with wind and sun
When most people think about Iowa, they picture cornfields, not power plants. But over the last twenty years, Iowa has become one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the United States, generating more than half of its electricity from wind turbines and adding new solar projects each year. The article describes how this shift has changed the way the state powers homes, schools, and businesses.
Wind energy leads the state
According to the article, wind turbines now produce close to 60 percent of all electricity generated in Iowa, more than any other state. The state is home to more than 5,000 turbines spread across rural counties, many of them built on land that farmers still use for growing crops and grazing livestock. Farmers receive lease payments from the energy companies, which the article says have brought millions of dollars into rural communities. The turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity through a generator, which is then sent into the regional power grid.
Solar energy is growing too
Solar energy is a smaller share of Iowa's mix, but the article explains it is growing quickly. Photovoltaic panels installed on school roofs, business properties, and the new solar farms in eastern Iowa have added several hundred megawatts of capacity in just the past five years. The article describes a school district in Cedar Rapids that cut its electricity bill by 30 percent after installing solar panels, freeing money for classroom materials. Unlike wind, solar can be deployed at much smaller scales, which makes it accessible to individual families and small businesses.
Why renewable energy matters in Iowa
The article explains that renewable energy helps Iowa in three ways. First, it reduces the state’s reliance on coal and natural gas, which are shipped in from other states. Second, it creates new jobs in turbine maintenance, panel installation, and grid management. Third, it lowers the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, which affects Iowa farms through stronger storms and longer droughts. Together, these benefits make renewable energy both an economic and environmental investment.
Conclusion
Iowa’s shift to wind and solar power is one of the largest energy transformations in the country, and the article shows that it has changed rural economies, school budgets, and the state’s carbon footprint. As technology continues to improve, Iowa is positioned to remain a leader in renewable energy for decades to come.
Clear topic, ample evidence from the source
Topic ("how Iowa is using renewable energy today") is established in the intro. Evidence is drawn directly from the article (60 percent wind, 5,000 turbines, Cedar Rapids school example, the three-benefits framework). Earns full credit on Prompt Task.
Specific facts well integrated and explained
Each paragraph uses specific numbers (5,000 turbines, 30 percent reduction, 60 percent of electricity) and explains how they fit the topic. Topic-specific vocabulary (kinetic energy, photovoltaic, megawatts, grid) is used correctly. Earns full credit on Development.
Clear paragraphing, transitions adequate
Intro defines the topic, body paragraphs handle wind, solar, and benefits in logical order, conclusion ties back to the opening framing. Transitions ("According to the article," "Unlike wind") are clear but functional.
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About the ISASP Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric, Grades 6–8
What is the ISASP Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric for Grades 6 to 8?
How is the Grades 6-8 informative rubric different from the Grades 4-5 version?
How do the Grade 6, 7, and 8 informative rubrics differ from each other?
How does the informative rubric handle topic-specific vocabulary?
Is this rubric the official version from the Iowa Department of Education?
Where can I find the source document?
Can EnlightenAI score student writing using this rubric?
Use this rubric in EnlightenAI
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