What this rubric measures
The NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric is the official scoring guide used to evaluate student writing on New York Regents assessments. It is an Holistic 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 New York State Education Department Regents scoring guide.
1 Content and Analysis
- clearly introduce a topic in a manner that follows logically from the task and purpose
- demonstrate comprehension and analysis of the text
- clearly introduce a topic in a manner that follows from the task and purpose
- demonstrate grade-appropriate comprehension of the text
- introduce a topic in a manner that follows generally from the task and purpose
- demonstrate a confused comprehension of the text
- introduce a topic in a manner that does not logically follow from the task and purpose
- demonstrate little understanding of the text
- demonstrate a lack of comprehension of the text or task
The extent to which the essay conveys ideas and information clearly and accurately in order to support analysis of topics or text. Aligned to CCLS W.2 and R.1 to 9.
2 Command of Evidence
- develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, and details throughout the essay
- develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, and details throughout the essay
- partially develop the topic of the essay with the use of some textual evidence, some of which may be irrelevant
- demonstrate an attempt to use evidence, but only develop ideas with minimal, occasional evidence which is generally invalid or irrelevant
- provide no evidence or provide evidence that is completely irrelevant
The extent to which the essay presents evidence from the provided text to support analysis and reflection. Aligned to CCLS W.2 and R.1 to 8.
3 Coherence, Organization, and Style
- clearly and consistently group related information together
- skillfully connect ideas within categories of information using linking words and phrases
- provide a concluding statement that follows clearly from the topic and information presented
- generally group related information together
- connect ideas within categories of information using linking words and phrases
- provide a concluding statement that follows from the topic and information presented
- exhibit some attempt to group related information together
- inconsistently connect ideas using some linking words and phrases
- provide a concluding statement that follows generally from the topic and information presented
- exhibit little attempt at organization
- lack the use of linking words and phrases
- provide a concluding statement that is illogical or unrelated to the topic and information presented
- exhibit no evidence of organization
- do not provide a concluding statement
The extent to which the essay logically organizes complex ideas, concepts, and information using formal style and precise language. Aligned to CCLS W.2, L.3, and L.6.
4 Control of Conventions
- demonstrate grade-appropriate command of conventions, with few errors
- demonstrate grade-appropriate command of conventions, with occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension
- demonstrate emerging command of conventions, with some errors that may hinder comprehension
- demonstrate a lack of command of conventions, with frequent errors that hinder comprehension
- are minimal, making assessment of conventions unreliable
The extent to which the essay demonstrates command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Aligned to CCLS W.2, L.1, and L.2.
How to score with the NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric.
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.
Holistic across four criteria
- Assign a single 0 to 4 score that best matches the response across all four criteria.
- Criteria are NOT scored independently and summed. The holistic score reflects the response as a whole.
- Use the descriptor language at each level as the touchstone. If the response straddles two levels, the lower of the two is awarded.
Apply the Grade 3 single-text expectation
- Grade 3 prompts use ONE text. The rubric expects comprehension and analysis of that single text.
- Insightful analysis is not required at Grade 3 to earn a 4. The Grade 3 top-score descriptor reads 'comprehension and analysis' rather than 'insightful comprehension and analysis' (which appears starting at Grades 4-5).
- Evidence is described as 'facts, definitions, and details' rather than the 'concrete details, quotations, or other information' language that appears starting at Grades 4-5.
NYSED scoring rules and condition codes
- If the student writes only a personal response and makes no reference to the text, the response can be scored no higher than a 1.
- Responses totally unrelated to the topic, illegible, or incoherent should be given a 0.
- A response totally copied from the text with no original student writing should be scored a 0.
- Condition Code A is applied whenever a student who is present for a test session leaves an entire constructed-response question in that session completely blank (no response attempted).
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 criterion where graders are more than one point apart.
- Re-norm halfway through a long batch. Drift is real.
Notes for the NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric
The NYSED Grade 3 rubric is the entry point of the holistic 4-point Writing Evaluation series. The same four criteria appear across Grades 3, 4-5, and 6-8, but the Grade 3 descriptors are calibrated to a single-text task and to grade-appropriate analytic depth.
Grade 3 prompts on the NY State 3-8 ELA Test require comprehension and analysis of one passage. Pairs of texts begin at Grade 4. Responses that ignore the source text or substitute personal opinion typically cap at 1.
The Coherence, Organization, and Style criterion at Grade 3 evaluates the response across three bulleted aspects, grouping related information, linking ideas, and providing a concluding statement. All three must be present at the level claimed for the response to earn that score.
Per NYSED rules, a response copied entirely from the text with no original student writing earns 0, even if it would otherwise satisfy the descriptors. The rubric explicitly rejects unmodified text reproduction as evidence of writing.
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.
Why bees matter
Bees are tiny but they do really big jobs. The article "Why Bees Matter" explains that bees are important to people and the environment because they help plants grow food and they keep nature in balance.
Bees help plants grow food
The article says that bees move pollen from one flower to another. This is called pollination. Without pollination, many fruits and vegetables would not grow. The author says that "about one in three bites of food we eat comes from a plant that was pollinated by a bee." That is a lot of food.
Bees keep nature in balance
Bees do not just help people. They also help wild plants. The article says wild plants need bees too, and animals eat those plants. So if bees go away, the animals lose their food. Bees are a small part of a big chain.
Conclusion
Bees help plants grow our food and they keep nature in balance. That is why bees matter.
Clear topic, grade-appropriate comprehension
Topic introduced clearly and follows from the task. Both reasons from the article (pollination, balance in nature) are explained. Evidence includes one direct quote and one paraphrased detail. Grade-appropriate comprehension, not insightful analysis, so a 3.
Generally grouped, with linking words
Two body paragraphs each carry one reason, with headings grouping related information. Linking words ("also", "so") connect ideas. The concluding statement restates the topic and follows from the information presented. Connections are functional, not skillful, fitting a 3.
Grade-appropriate, with occasional errors
Sentences are complete and punctuation is accurate. Capitalization is consistent, including titles in quotation marks. Spelling is correct on grade-band vocabulary (pollination, balance). No errors that hinder comprehension. Fits the 3-level descriptor.
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About the NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric
What is the NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric?
How is the Grade 3 rubric different from the Grades 4-5 rubric?
What is the rule when a Grade 3 student writes only a personal response?
Can a Grade 3 response copied from the text earn any points?
Is this rubric the official version from NYSED?
Where can I find the source document?
Can EnlightenAI score student writing using this rubric?
Use this rubric in EnlightenAI
Train EnlightenAI on the NY State Grade 3 Writing Evaluation Rubric and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-criterion feedback, in a single class period.