Oklahoma's state writing assessment, rubric by rubric
OSTP (Oklahoma School Testing Program) is the state's annual summative assessment program. The writing component is administered at Grade 5 and Grade 8 and is scored holistically against a single 1 to 4 rubric for each grade. Students produce one extended written response per administration.
Both OSTP holistic rubrics describe student writing across the same five trait areas: Content/Focus, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Structure, and Grammar/Usage/Mechanics. The traits are not scored independently. They are read together to produce one holistic 1 to 4 score. The only meaningful difference between the two rubrics is that the Grade 8 score-4 descriptor explicitly expects at least one counterclaim for argumentative responses.
Responses that restate the prompt, are written in a language other than English, are illegible or indecipherable, or are about a topic different from the assigned task are designated unscorable and receive a performance level of Below Standard.
The two Oklahoma OSTP writing rubrics
Each OSTP rubric is holistic, producing a single score from 1 to 4 based on five trait areas (Content/Focus, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Structure, and Grammar/Usage/Mechanics). The Grade 8 rubric adds a counterclaim expectation for argumentative responses; the Grade 5 rubric does not.
Holistic 1 to 4 rubric used to score the Grade 5 OSTP writing response. Five trait areas (Content/Focus, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Structure, Grammar/Usage/Mechanics) collapse into a single overall score.
Holistic 1 to 4 rubric used to score the Grade 8 OSTP writing response. Same five trait areas as Grade 5, with the added expectation that argumentative responses include at least one counterclaim at the top score.
How OSTP scores writing
Every OSTP writing rubric is holistic. The five trait areas (Content/Focus, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Structure, Grammar/Usage/Mechanics) describe what writing at each of the four score points looks like across all traits together. Scorers identify the single score point whose full descriptor best matches the response.
OSTP rubrics produce one overall score from 1 to 4. The five trait areas are not scored separately. To assign a score, find the score point whose bullet descriptors best match the response as a whole. Strength in one trait does not compensate for weakness in another to the point of moving up a level if the other traits fall short.
Content/Focus describes idea development and audience match. Organization covers unity, coherence, transitions, introduction, and conclusion. Word Choice and Sentence Structure cover language variety and control. Grammar/Usage/Mechanics covers errors and their effect on readability. All five appear at each score point.
The Grade 8 score-4 descriptor adds a specific expectation. For an argumentative response, at least one counterclaim must be present. The Grade 5 rubric has no counterclaim expectation. This is the only language-level difference between the two rubrics.
Common questions about Oklahoma OSTP writing
What is the OSTP writing rubric?
How many points is the OSTP writing rubric worth?
Is the OSTP writing rubric analytic or holistic?
When does OSTP expect a counterclaim?
How is the OSTP rubric different from STAAR or KAP?
Is this rubric the official version from the Oklahoma SDE?
Where can I find the source documents?
Does EnlightenAI auto-score with these rubrics?
Score Oklahoma OSTP writing in EnlightenAI
Train EnlightenAI on either OSTP holistic writing rubric and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-trait feedback, in a single class period.