Last Rubric(s) from Thursday's Handout

I forgot what Cindy said the rubric is from (maybe the TASS for high schoolers?), but it's the one on the final page of our handout packet from last Thursday's class. This 'little' rubric seems somewhat hard core. It's out of 4 Score Points, labeled namely as an INEFFECTIVE, SOMEWHAT EFFECTIVE, GENERALLY EFFECTIVE, or HIGHLY EFFECTIVE presentation of the writer's ideas. To me, these categories could otherwise be called bad, ok, sort of good, and really good respectively.

There are five categories in each Score Point reflecting focus and coherence, organization, development of ideas, voice, and conventions. In my opinion, focus and coherence (did the writer stay on topic?), organization, and conventions (spelling, grammar, usage, etc.) are relevant points with fairly valid explanation. I do, however, think that the categories of development of ideas and voice could be crunched into one, namely creativity, and maybe left off completely. Or maybe it should be left for the higher point values. I know creativity is a good thing in writing, but it seems that you're penalized if you fail to 'approach the topic from an unusual perspective....or make interesting connections between ideas.' I mean, what does 'interesting connections' mean anyway? And what if the reader (that specific reader sitting and reading the essay) doesn't appreciate the writer's ideas? Bummer for that writer....he/she won't get the cool check mark for that section.

Basically, I think some of the rubric is really good, but I also think some of it is not quite as relevant for that level of writing. Maybe the 4 or 5 boxes under development and ideas and voice could be collapsed into one box. That way, if the writer is strong, focused, organized, and makes few errors, yet lacks some creativity, he/she can still score a bit higher on the essay.