Is Standardization the Answer to Personalization?

I think I should add spaces next time," my 1st grade student Marlo said, referring to her writing.

Marlo came to this conclusion on her own using our student-friendly writing rubrics. These rubrics consist of a series of writing samples grouped into categories displaying various levels of proficiency. By using them, students can go through the natural process of comparing their work against other samples and making improvements in their writing—sometimes with my help and sometimes on their own.