How do you write a good rubric?

A rubric that drives real learning has three parts: clear criteria, performance levels, and concrete, observable descriptors.

1. Name the criteria that actually matter for this task. Resist grading everything; pick the 3–5 dimensions that define success. For an argument essay, that might be: claim, evidence, reasoning, organization, and conventions. Each criterion should describe something a second reader could agree they see in the work.
2. Choose 3–4 performance levels and describe each concretely. Instead of evaluative adjectives ("good," "developing"), use observable language. For evidence: "Uses zero pieces of text evidence" vs. "Uses two pieces of text evidence, each explained with a connection to the claim" vs. "Uses three pieces of text evidence; each is explained and connected to the claim with reasoning." The difference between levels should be countable or observable, not interpretive.
3. Make it student-facing. Share the rubric before the assignment, not just after. Students should read it before they start and know exactly what proficient looks like. When rubrics are transparent, students can self-assess and revise toward the criteria instead of guessing at quality.

When students verify their own work against clear criteria, they learn the definition of quality in your subject. A rubric builder can draft the structure for any task; you add the specific criteria and levels that matter.