A holistic rubric includes all the criteria (such as clarity, organization, mechanics, etc.) to be considered together and included in a single evaluation. With a holistic rubric, the rater or grader assigns a single score based on an overall judgment of the student’s work, using descriptions of each performance level to assign the score.

What we’re going to do here is describe two frequently used kinds of rubrics, holistic and analytic, plus a less common one called the single-point rubric (my favorite, for the record). For each one, we’ll look at an example and explore its pros and cons.

A rubric is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student’s performance based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score. A rubric is an authentic assessment tool used to measure students’ work.

Basic Template for Holistic Rubric Score Description ... The instructor should highlight key phrases in the rubric that describe the student’s performance, then write a final score in the right-hand column. It is typical to have ... The instructor may also choose to “decimalize” scores; for example, giving a 2.5 for one category to ...

The trade-offs are efficiency vs. effectiveness: holistic rubrics are quicker and easier to write and use, but analytic rubrics give better feedback and more valid results.