State writing rubrics
Louisiana Grades 3–10 5 official rubrics

Louisiana LEAP 2025 writing rubrics, in one place.

The five official Louisiana LEAP 2025 writing rubrics from the Louisiana Department of Education, covering the Literary Analysis Task (LAT), Research Simulation Task (RST), and Narrative Writing Task (NWT) across grades 3 through 10. Every score point, every construct, every descriptor extracted verbatim from the LDOE LEAP 2025 scoring rubrics and ready to use in your classroom.

Verified against louisianabelieves.com Last updated May 2026
01 About LEAP 2025

Louisiana's state writing assessment, rubric by rubric

LEAP 2025 is Louisiana's annual summative assessment program in English Language Arts and mathematics. The ELA writing portion uses constructed-response items across three task types, the Literary Analysis Task (LAT), the Research Simulation Task (RST), and the Narrative Writing Task (NWT).

LEAP 2025 uses analytic rubrics with two scored constructs. The Narrative Writing Task scores Written Expression and Knowledge of Language and Conventions. The Literary Analysis Task and Research Simulation Task share a single rubric per grade band that scores Reading Comprehension and Written Expression together as one construct, alongside Knowledge of Language and Conventions.

Grade 3 uses a tighter 0 to 3 scale on both constructs across all task types. Starting at Grades 4-5, the Expression construct (Written Expression on NWT or Reading Comprehension and Written Expression on LAT/RST) expands to a 0 to 4 scale on the LAT/RST rubric. The Grades 6-10 NWT and LAT/RST rubrics add a style criterion (tone is not assessed in Grade 6). Knowledge of Language and Conventions stays on a 0 to 3 scale across all grades and tasks.

02 The rubrics

The five Louisiana LEAP 2025 writing rubrics

Each LEAP rubric scores writing on two constructs, Written Expression (or Reading Comprehension and Written Expression on LAT/RST) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions. Grade 3 uses a 0 to 3 scale on both constructs. Grades 4-5 and 6-10 expand the Expression construct to a 0 to 4 scale while Conventions stays at 0 to 3.

Grade 3
Literary Analysis and Research Simulation
LEAP 2025 LAT and RST Rubric · Grade 3

Text-based analytical writing for the Literary Analysis Task (LAT) and Research Simulation Task (RST). Scored on Reading Comprehension and Written Expression (0 to 3) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3).

Reading Comprehension and Written ExpressionKnowledge of Language and Conventions
View full rubric PDF
Grades 4–5
Literary Analysis and Research Simulation
LEAP 2025 LAT and RST Rubric · Grades 4–5

Text-based analytical writing for the Literary Analysis Task (LAT) and Research Simulation Task (RST). Scored on Reading Comprehension and Written Expression (0 to 4) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3).

Reading Comprehension and Written ExpressionKnowledge of Language and Conventions
View full rubric PDF
Grades 4–5
Narrative Writing
LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric · Grades 4–5

Students write an elicited narrative story in response to a prompt. Scored on Written Expression (0 to 3) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3). The reading dimension is not scored for elicited narrative stories.

Written ExpressionKnowledge of Language and Conventions
View full rubric PDF
Grades 6–10
Literary Analysis and Research Simulation
LEAP 2025 LAT and RST Rubric · Grades 6–10

Text-based analytical writing for the Literary Analysis Task (LAT) and Research Simulation Task (RST). Scored on Reading Comprehension and Written Expression (0 to 4, which adds style) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3).

Reading Comprehension and Written ExpressionKnowledge of Language and Conventions
View full rubric PDF
Grades 6–10
Narrative Writing
LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric · Grades 6–10

Students write an elicited narrative story in response to a prompt. Scored on Written Expression (0 to 4, which adds style; tone is not assessed in Grade 6) and Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3).

Written ExpressionKnowledge of Language and Conventions
View full rubric PDF
03 Scoring

How LEAP 2025 scores writing

Every LEAP writing rubric scores responses on two analytic constructs. The first construct (Written Expression on NWT, or Reading Comprehension and Written Expression on LAT/RST) is the heavier of the two and carries the development, organization, and language-clarity descriptors. The second construct (Knowledge of Language and Conventions) is scored on a 0 to 3 scale across every grade band and task type.

01
Written Expression (Narrative Writing Task)

Scored 0 to 3 at Grades 4-5 and 0 to 4 at Grades 6-10. The Grades 6-10 NWT adds a style criterion (effective, mostly effective, somewhat effective, limited, inappropriate). The reading dimension is not scored for elicited narrative stories. LEAP does not administer a Grade 3 NWT.

02
Reading Comprehension and Written Expression (LAT/RST)

Scored 0 to 3 at Grade 3 and 0 to 4 at Grades 4-5 and 6-10. Combines comprehension of source ideas (stated explicitly and inferentially starting at Grades 4-5) with development of a claim or topic, organization, and language clarity. The Grades 6-10 rubric replaces the language-clarity descriptor with a style criterion.

03
Knowledge of Language and Conventions

Scored 0 to 3 across every grade band and task. Covers mechanics, grammar, and usage at an appropriate level of complexity for the grade. A 3 means a few minor errors but meaning is clear. A 0 means frequent and varied errors that impede understanding. The construct uses the same descriptor language across LAT, RST, and NWT.

Scale 2 constructs per rubric
Total possible 6 to 7 pts (varies by rubric)
Type Analytic
04 FAQ

Common questions about Louisiana LEAP 2025 writing

What is the LEAP writing rubric?
It is the official Louisiana Department of Education rubric for scoring constructed-response writing items on the LEAP 2025 English Language Arts assessment. LEAP uses three task types, the Literary Analysis Task (LAT), the Research Simulation Task (RST), and the Narrative Writing Task (NWT). LAT and RST share a single rubric per grade band. Each rubric scores two constructs.
How many points is each LEAP rubric worth?
It depends on grade band and task. The Grade 3 LAT/RST uses a 0 to 3 scale on both constructs, so the maximum is 6 points. The Grades 4-5 NWT uses 0 to 3 Written Expression plus 0 to 3 Conventions, also 6 points maximum. The Grades 4-5 LAT/RST and the Grades 6-10 LAT/RST and NWT all expand the Expression construct to 0 to 4 while Conventions stays at 0 to 3, for a maximum of 7 points per rubric.
Is the reading dimension scored on the Narrative Writing Task?
No. The LDOE rubric explicitly notes that the reading dimension is not scored for elicited narrative stories. The Narrative Writing Task scores Written Expression and Knowledge of Language and Conventions only. The Literary Analysis Task and Research Simulation Task combine reading comprehension and written expression into a single construct.
Do LAT and RST use the same rubric?
Yes. LEAP publishes one combined LAT and RST rubric per grade band (Grade 3, Grades 4-5, and Grades 6-10). The descriptors apply identically to both task types. The two tasks differ in source material (LAT uses literary texts, RST uses informational texts), not in scoring.
Is this rubric the official version from LDOE?
Yes. The descriptor language on this page is extracted verbatim from the official Louisiana Department of Education LEAP 2025 Scoring Rubrics. We do not edit, paraphrase, or interpret the criteria.
Where can I find the source documents?
The official LEAP 2025 rubrics are published by the Louisiana Department of Education at louisianabelieves.com. The descriptors on this page are extracted from those documents and re-verified each spring.
Does EnlightenAI auto-score with these rubrics?
Yes. EnlightenAI's scoring engine uses the official LEAP rubrics. Teachers calibrate against a handful of their own scored samples before deploying to students, and per-construct feedback is generated automatically.

Score Louisiana LEAP 2025 writing in EnlightenAI

Train EnlightenAI on any of the five official LEAP 2025 writing rubrics and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-construct feedback, in a single class period.