Kansas's state writing assessment, rubric by rubric
KAP (Kansas Assessment Program) is the state's annual summative assessment, administered by the Kansas State Department of Education through the Career, Standards and Assessment Services division. The writing component uses the Multidisciplinary Performance Task (MDPT) format, in which students respond to source resources with one of three genres: Opinion (Grades 3-5)/Argument (Grades 6-8 and HS), Informative/Explanatory, or Narrative.
Kansas MDPT rubrics are analytic. Each trait is scored independently on a four-level performance scale, PL 1 (lowest) through PL 4 (highest). The number of traits grows with grade band: 4 traits at Grades 3-5, 5 traits at Grades 6-8 (with an additional sub-criterion inside Argument), and 6 traits at High School (adding Introduction and Conclusion, and an explicit alternate-argument distinction).
The PL 1 to 4 scale uses verbal performance descriptors rather than holistic-point bullets, so each trait reads as a contrast across four narrative bands. Domain-specific vocabulary is an explicit scored element starting at Grade 6, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the task (Science, Social Studies, or ELA contexts).
The three Kansas KAP opinion/argument writing rubrics
Kansas MDPT rubrics use four Performance Levels (PL 1 through PL 4) per trait. The trait count grows from 4 at Grades 3-5 to 6 at High School. Each rubric also exists in Informative/Explanatory and Narrative versions; we cover the opinion/argument strand here as the most commonly searched.
Students state and maintain an opinion supported by relevant evidence from one or more resources. Scored on four traits (Focus/Opinion, Evidence, Connections, Conventions) at PL 1 to 4.
Students state and maintain an argument supported by accurate evidence from two or more resources. Scored on four traits (Focus/Argument, Evidence, Argument, Conventions) at PL 1 to 4, with two sub-criteria inside Argument.
Students state and maintain an argument, distinguish it from alternate or opposing arguments, and support it with evidence from two or more resources. Scored on five traits (including Introduction and Conclusion) at PL 1 to 4.
How Assessment Program scores writing
Every Kansas KAP writing rubric scores responses on multiple analytic traits at Performance Levels (PL) 1 through 4. Each trait is scored independently against the narrative descriptors at each level. Trait count and the presence of sub-criteria grow with grade band; the scoring scale itself (PL 1 to 4) is constant.
PL 4 is the top, PL 1 the bottom. Each trait at each PL has a narrative descriptor; scorers identify the PL whose language best matches the response on that trait. There is no PL 0 in the rubric, but responses that are off topic or otherwise unscorable are designated outside the PL scale per KAP scoring rules.
Grades 3-5 have 4 traits. Grades 6-8 add a sub-criterion inside Argument for domain-specific vocabulary. High School adds an Introduction and Conclusion trait AND an alternate-argument distinction inside Focus/Argument. The Conventions trait is constant across all grade bands.
Starting at Grades 6-8, the Argument trait includes a separate scored element for consistent and accurate use of domain-specific words to develop and support the argument. This reflects the multidisciplinary task context (Science, Social Studies, ELA) and is one of the most commonly missed sub-criteria.
Common questions about Kansas Assessment Program writing
What is the KAP writing rubric?
How many points is the KAP writing rubric worth?
What is the MDPT?
How is the KAP rubric different from STAAR or OSTP?
When does KAP expect students to address alternate or opposing arguments?
Is this rubric the official version from KSDE?
Where can I find the source documents?
Does EnlightenAI auto-score with these rubrics?
Score Kansas KAP writing in EnlightenAI
Train EnlightenAI on any of the KAP MDPT writing rubrics and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-trait feedback, in a single class period.