What this rubric measures
The LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric, Grades 4–5 is the official scoring guide used to evaluate student writing on Louisiana LEAP 2025 assessments. It is an Analytic rubric that scores responses across 2 distinct criteria, allowing teachers to give precise, targeted feedback on each area of writing.
All 2 scoring criteria
Click any criterion to expand its score level descriptors. The language below is taken verbatim from the official Louisiana Department of Education LEAP 2025 scoring guide.
1 Written Expression
The student response
- is effectively developed with narrative elements and is consistently appropriate to the task;
- is effectively organized with clear and coherent writing;
- uses language effectively to clarify ideas.
The student response
- is developed with some narrative elements and is generally appropriate to the task;
- is organized with mostly coherent writing;
- uses language that is mostly effective to clarify ideas.
The student response
- is minimally developed with few narrative elements and is limited in its appropriateness to the task;
- demonstrates limited organization and coherence;
- uses language to express ideas with limited clarity.
The student response
- is undeveloped and/or inappropriate to the task;
- lacks organization and coherence;
- does not use language to express ideas with clarity.
The reading dimension is not scored for elicited narrative stories. Per the Louisiana Student Standards, narrative elements in grades 3-5 may include establishing a situation, organizing a logical event sequence, describing scenes, objects, or people, developing characters' personalities, and using dialogue as appropriate. The elements of organization to be assessed are expressed in the grade-level standards W1-W3.
2 Knowledge of Language and Conventions
The student response demonstrates full command of the conventions of standard English at an appropriate level of complexity. There may be a few minor errors in mechanics, grammar, and usage, but meaning is clear.
The student response demonstrates some command of the conventions of standard English at an appropriate level of complexity. There may be errors in mechanics, grammar, and usage that occasionally impede understanding, but the meaning is generally clear.
The student response demonstrates limited command of the conventions of standard English at an appropriate level of complexity. There may be errors in mechanics, grammar, and usage that often impede understanding.
The student response does not demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English at the appropriate level of complexity. Frequent and varied errors in mechanics, grammar, and usage impede understanding.
The Knowledge of Language and Conventions construct uses identical descriptor language across NWT, LAT, and RST. The construct does not include a Score Point 4 column on the LEAP 2025 NWT rubric.
How to score with the LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric, Grades 4–5.
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.
Two-construct analytic, scored independently
- Score Written Expression (0 to 3) first, then Knowledge of Language and Conventions (0 to 3). Sum for the rubric total out of 6.
- Both constructs use the same 4-point scale (0, 1, 2, 3) at Grades 4-5. The Grades 6-10 NWT expands Written Expression to 0 to 4 by adding a style criterion.
- The reading dimension is not scored on the Narrative Writing Task. Comprehension of source ideas is not part of NWT scoring; this is elicited narrative writing.
What counts as a narrative element at Grades 4-5
- Per the Louisiana Student Standards, narrative elements at Grades 3-5 may include establishing a situation, organizing a logical event sequence, describing scenes, objects, or people, developing characters' personalities, and using dialogue as appropriate.
- A 3 requires consistent appropriateness to the task with effectively developed narrative elements. A 2 has some elements but is generally (not consistently) appropriate.
- Grade-level standards W1-W3 define the organization expectations the rubric points to.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Awarding 3 to a response that has all the narrative elements but is not consistently appropriate to the task. Consistency across the response is what separates 3 from 2.
- Counting dialogue or description as a narrative element when it does not advance the story. The rubric expects elements that contribute to development.
- Conflating handwriting or spelling with Conventions. The construct covers mechanics, grammar, and usage at an appropriate level of complexity for the grade.
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 construct where graders are more than one point apart.
- Re-norm halfway through a long batch. Drift is real, especially on the 0 to 3 Conventions scale.
Notes for the LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric, Grades 4–5
Grades 4-5 LEAP 2025 NWT uses a 0 to 3 scale on both constructs. This matches the Grade 3 LAT/RST scale but differs from the Grades 4-5 LAT/RST rubric, which uses a 0 to 4 RC&WE scale. LEAP does not administer a Grade 3 NWT.
The reading dimension is explicitly not scored on the Narrative Writing Task. Teachers calibrating across LEAP tasks should note that LAT and RST combine reading comprehension and written expression into one construct, which makes the NWT rubric significantly different in what it rewards.
Per the LDOE rubric note, the elements of organization to be assessed are expressed in the grade-level Writing standards W1-W3. Score interpretation should reference those standards alongside the construct descriptors.
The Knowledge of Language and Conventions construct uses descriptor language identical to the LAT/RST rubrics. A mechanically clean response earns a 3 regardless of which Written Expression score it receives.
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.
The attic map
The map was older than anything Lila had ever held. The paper felt soft, almost like cloth, and the ink had faded to a pale brown. In the bottom corner, someone had drawn a small house with a star next to it. Lila looked closer and felt her breath catch. The house in the drawing looked exactly like her own.
A discovery in the yard
Lila folded the map carefully and went down to the backyard. The map showed a path leading from the back porch to a tree. She counted twenty steps from the porch, just like the dots on the map. There, half hidden under leaves, was a flat stone she had never noticed before.
Asking for help
She brought the map and her flashlight to her older brother, Theo. "Where did you get this?" Theo asked, his voice quieter than usual. Lila told him about the box in the attic. Theo studied the map for a long minute, then said, "Get the shovel."
Under the stone
It took both of them to lift the stone. Underneath was a small metal box, rusted at the corners. Lila held her breath. Theo opened the lid carefully. Inside was a stack of letters tied with brown string, and on top of them, a small wooden bird, perfectly carved.
A clue
Lila lifted the bird and turned it over. On the bottom was a name she did not recognize, carved in tiny letters. She looked at Theo. He was already reading the first letter. The wind moved the leaves around them, and the afternoon felt suddenly older than it had ten minutes before.
Effectively developed, consistently appropriate
Establishes situation (map and house), characters (Lila, Theo), and a logical sequence (find map, follow it, dig, discover). Effective narrative elements (dialogue, sensory details, pacing) used consistently. Effectively organized with clear coherent writing.
Full command of Grades 4–5 conventions
Sentence structures are varied and well-formed. Dialogue punctuation is handled correctly. Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are correct throughout. Grammar and usage are strong. A few minor moments do not interfere with meaning.
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About the LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric, Grades 4–5
What is the LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric for Grades 4 to 5?
Why is the reading dimension not scored on this rubric?
Why doesn't LEAP have a Grade 3 NWT rubric?
What narrative elements does the Grades 4-5 rubric expect?
How does the Grades 4-5 NWT rubric differ from the Grades 6-10 NWT?
Is this rubric the official version from LDOE?
Where can I find the source document?
Can EnlightenAI score student writing using this rubric?
Use this rubric in EnlightenAI
Train EnlightenAI on the LEAP 2025 Narrative Writing Task Rubric, Grades 4–5, and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-construct feedback, in a single class period.