NJSLA-A Grades 4–5 Informative and Explanatory Rubric
The NJ NJSLA-A Grades 4–5 Informative and Explanatory Rubric scored out of 12 points across 3 criteria, for informative writing at grades 4-5. Published by New Jersey Department of Education.
2 pages, US Letter, black and white. Free, no account, no email. Includes every performance level and a blank scoring sheet.
How it is scored
- Ideas and Focus4 pts · 4 levels
- Organization4 pts · 4 levels
- Expression and Word Choice4 pts · 4 levels
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The full rubric
Ideas and Focus · 4 points
4 points
Focused response, clear understanding of task and purpose. Characteristics: clearly conveys ideas and information about a topic; facts, concrete details, text evidence, or other information and examples that clearly develop the topic.
3 points
Mostly focused response, general understanding of task and purpose. Characteristics: generally conveys ideas and information about a topic; facts, details, or other information and examples that generally develop the topic.
2 points
Basic response, some understanding of task and purpose. Characteristics: somewhat conveys information about a topic; basic information or examples related to the topic.
1 point
Minimally written response, minimal understanding of task and purpose. Characteristics: conveys minimal information about a topic; minimal, missing, or irrelevant information or examples related to the topic.
Organization · 4 points
4 points
Focused response. Characteristics: introduces a topic clearly; clearly groups related information; clearly linked ideas within sections of information; a conclusion clearly related to the information or explanation presented.
3 points
Mostly focused response. Characteristics: introduces a topic generally; generally groups related information; generally linked ideas within sections of information; a conclusion generally related to the information presented.
2 points
Basic response. Characteristics: attempts to introduce a topic; basic or attempted grouping of information; basic or attempted links between sections of information; a basic or attempted conclusion.
1 point
Minimally written response. Characteristics: a missing or unclear introduction of the topic; minimal or no grouping of information; minimal or unclear links between sections of information; a missing or unclear conclusion.
Expression and Word Choice · 4 points
4 points
Focused response. Characteristics: precise use of language to explain the topic; clear use of transition words and phrases.
3 points
Mostly focused response. Characteristics: general use of language to explain the topic; general use of transition words and phrases.
2 points
Basic response. Characteristics: basic use of language to explain the topic; basic or attempted use of transition words and phrases.
1 point
Minimally written response. Characteristics: minimal or unclear use of language to explain the topic; minimal or unclear use of transition words and phrases.
This rubric applied to a real essay
Below is a sample essay scored against the rubric above, shown the way it looks inside the grader. The marks, the scores and every comment are the grader’s own output, not written by hand for this page. It scored 8 out of 12.
The essay is written for this page, at roughly a B grade so both the strengths and the weaknesses are worth seeing. It is not a real student’s work.
The prompt
Write a paper explaining how honeybees help plants grow. Use facts and details to explain your ideas.
Honeybees do a very important job for plants.1 They help plants make seeds so new plants can grow.
When a bee lands on a flower, it is looking for nectar to bring back to its hive. While the bee is drinking, yellow dust called pollen sticks to the tiny hairs all over its body2. Then the bee flies to the next flower and some of that pollen rubs off. That is called pollination, and a flower needs it before it can make seeds or fruit.3 So the bee is helping the plant without even trying to.4
Bees visit a lot of flowers. One bee can go to hundreds of flowers in one day.5 That is a lot of flowers.6
Many of the foods we eat come from plants that bees pollinate, like apples, blueberries, and almonds. If there were no bees, we would have much less food in the grocery store, farmers would have a much harder job.7
Honeybees and plants help each other.8 The bee gets food from the flower and the flower gets help making seeds. That is why people say bees are so important to nature.
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How it scored, criterion by criterion
The essay stays on topic throughout and includes several accurate, relevant facts about pollination (pollen sticking to hairs, transfer to the next flower, naming specific foods like apples and blueberries). It generally develops the topic but falls short of a 4 because details are not always extended or explained clearly — for example, the sentence 'That is a lot of flowers' adds nothing beyond the previous sentence, and the connection between pollination and seed/fruit production is mentioned but not fully developed with concrete detail or explanation of why this matters for plant growth specifically.
The essay has a recognizable introduction, body, and conclusion, and related ideas are grouped into paragraphs (the pollination process, quantity of flowers visited, food connection, mutual benefit). However, some transitions between paragraphs are weak or absent — the paragraph beginning 'Bees visit a lot of flowers' feels loosely connected rather than clearly linked to what precedes it. The conclusion restates the topic generally but does not clearly synthesize the full explanation presented in the body.
Word choice is plain and functional; domain-specific vocabulary ('nectar,' 'pollen,' 'pollination') is introduced but used only once each without being woven throughout or built upon. Transition words and phrases are limited — 'then,' 'so,' and 'that is why' appear, but most sentences simply follow one another without explicit linking language, and several sentences are repetitive ('That is a lot of flowers,' 'That is called pollination,' 'That is why'). The language explains the topic at a basic level but does not use precise or varied expression to guide the reader through the explanation.
What the student was told to fix
- Develop underdeveloped paragraphs by explaining WHY each fact matters for plant growth, not just stating it
- Add varied, explicit transition phrases between paragraphs to link ideas (e.g., 'Because of this,' 'As a result,' 'In addition')
- Fix the comma splice/run-on in the fourth paragraph
- Strengthen the conclusion by referencing key facts from the body rather than introducing the new idea of mutual benefit without support
Graded on 2026-08-09. A teacher can change any score before it goes back to the student.
Source
New Jersey Department of Education. Official document. Rubrics are revised periodically, so check the source before using this for a graded assessment.
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