Grading leads shouldn't take longer than reading them. This one-page rubric scores summary leads on a clean 0–2 scale across five criteria, so you can move through a class set fast and give students feedback that actually tells them what to fix. What's Included: 1-page rubric, printable PDF (also editable in Word) Five criteria: news value and focus, essential facts, concision and length, verb choice and tense, AP Style and mechanics Three performance levels (0–2): meets standard, partial, missing or unusable 10-point total with at-a-glance scoring guide Student-facing notes reminding writers to lead with the most important fact, stay in the 25–35 word range, and follow AP Style for names, titles, numbers, dates, and times How to Use It:
See it on Teachers Pay Teachers — $2.60
Attach to any summary-lead assignment so expectations are transparent before students write. Works equally well for quick checks, peer review sessions, and deadline-day grading. The table copies cleanly into LMS comment fields if you prefer digital feedback. This rubric is part of the Journalism: Lead Writing Mini-Unit Bundle — lesson, worksheet, and rubric together at significant savings. It's also included in the Journalism Rubric Bundle and the Complete High School Journalism Curriculum Bundle.
If this resource saved you prep time, please leave a rating under My Purchases Provide Feedback. Every review earns you TpT Credits toward future purchases — roughly $1 in credits for every $10 reviewed. Follow Starmaker Tools for Teachers to be notified when new resources launch or go on sale. Keywords: summary lead rubric, lead writing rubric, journalism rubric, AP style rubric, news writing assessment, high school journalism, journalism grades 9-12, lead writing assessment, journalism grading, student journalists, news lead rubric, journalism feedback, AP style, expository writing rubric, journalism curriculum
Designed for grades 9-12.
Starmaker English and Journalism Tools 
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