This exercise not only allows students to experience grading their essays, it also enables me to see where we are in agreement or disagreement about the quality of their writing. I inform them that their self-evaluation helps me guide my revision comments because I get a glimpse into how each student sees his or her own writing—its strengths and weaknesses. When I require students to think critically through revisions of their own writing, I invite them to become more independent and more accountable for their written projects.

After I hand out the rubric, go over the criteria, and turn the task over to them, the room becomes very quiet. Frankly, I am still surprised to find that most students invited to participate in and understand the process of criteria-based evaluation take the task so seriously.

I explain to my students that the grading rubric I use is adapted from the scoring guide used by the Education Testing Service for the CSU English Placement Test. I add that over the years I have used a number of scoring guides. And while this one is still in process, I find it offers a clear delineation of the criteria most college instructors are looking for when they grade.