jot down your thoughts re: Ink Shed On your index card, jot down your thoughts re: How often you use rubrics for assessment How you create rubrics What you like about using rubrics What you don’t like about using rubrics

Ink Shed Discussion

Differences between Scoring Guides and Rubrics Break down of point values for various categories on an assignment Does not tell students what “good” or “proficient” work looks like You are probably saying, “Aren’t they the same thing?” For our discussion purposes, I wanted to clearly define these terms, because, as I’ve visited classrooms across the state, teachers are using these terms interchangeably. And what they are referring to as a “rubric” is incorrect.

Scoring Guides Title 10 points 5 paragraphs 25 points 3 citations 15 points PowerPoint or visual 25 points Presentation 25 points 100 points total

Differences between Scoring Guides and Rubrics Break down of point values for various categories on an assignment Does not tell students what “good” or “proficient” work looks like Identifies characteristics for the teacher and students of what “good” or “proficient” work looks like Consist of specific pre-established performance criteria

Rubric

Let’s Practice… Rubistar Practice assignment Using the provided rubric, give the student sample paper a score for each criteria, and add the totals together for a composite score. (hand out student paper and generic rubric for the science assignment at this point)

Model: Science Lesson Data Collection and Interpretation Read the assignment Read the rubric Grade the student response Provide feedback for the student as if this were your assignment

Differences between Scoring Guides and Rubrics Break down of point values for various categories on an assignment Does not tell students what “good” or “proficient” looks like Identifies characteristics for the teacher and students of what “good” or “proficient” looks like Consist of specific pre-established performance criteria Two types: Generic Task-specific

Features of a Quality Rubric Help students understand what is wanted on an assignment. Help students understand what a quality performance or product looks like. Help students understand what they did well and what to do differently next time. Enable students to self-assess. Help teachers plan instruction. Help teachers grade consistently. Help teachers have sound justifications for grades. Help teachers and students communicate with parents.

Steps in the Design of Rubrics Re-examine learning objectives addressed by the task. Identify specific observable attributes that you want to see, as well as those you don’t want to see, your students demonstrate in their product, process, or performance. Brainstorm characteristics that describe each attribute. Write thorough narrative descriptions for excellent work and poor work for each individual attribute. Complete the rubric describing other levels on the continuum that ranges from excellent to poor work for each attribute. Collect samples of student work that exemplify each level. Revise the rubric, as necessary, based on self- and student-reflection on the effectiveness of the rubric.

Technically Sound Rubrics Are… Continuous Parallel Coherent Highly Descriptive Valid Reliable Continuous – the change in quality from score point to score point must be equal: the degree of difference between a 5 and 4 should be the same between a 2 and 1. Parallel – Similar language should be used to describe each level of performance Coherent – Rubric must focus on the same achievement target throughout, although each level of the rubric will specify different degrees of attainment of that target. Highly Descriptive – Highly descriptive evaluative language (“excellent,” “poor,”) and comparative language (“better than,” “worse than,”) should be used to clarify each level of performance in order to help teachers and raters recognize the salient and distinctive features of each level. It also communicates performance expectations to students, parents, and other stakeholders. Valid – The rubric permits valid inferences about performances to the degree that what is scores is what is central to performance, not what is merely easy to see or score, or based on factors other than the achievements being measures. The proposed differences in levels of performance should A) reflect the key components of student performance, b) describe qualitative, not quantitative differences in performance, and c) not confuse merely correlative behaviors with authentic indicators of achievement (e.g., clarity and quality of information presented should be a criterion in judging speaking effectiveness, not whether the speaker used note cards while speaking). Valid rubrics reduce the likelihood of biased judgments of students’ work by focusing raters’ attention on factors other than students’ gender, race, age, appearance, ethnic heritage, or prior academic record. Reliable – In traditional assessments, such as multiple choice tests, where a student selects a response from among several options, the reliability of the score has to do primarily with the stability of the test score from one testing occasion to another in the absence of intervening growth or instruction. Establishing the reliability of a rubric for a performance assessment, however, is more complex. A reliable performance assessment enables: Several judges rating a student’s performance on a specific task to assign the same score or rating to the student’s performance. Each judge to rate the student’s performance on a specific task at about he same level on several occasions in the absence of intervening growth or instruction.

Using Performance Tasks and Rubrics as Practice Schedule feedback, self-assessment, and revision on short practice tasks before the assessment of learning. Break complex tasks into parts and schedule feedback, self-assessment, and revision on each part before students put them together for the assessment of learning. Schedule feedback, self-assessment, and revision multiple times while students are developing a complex performance or product to be used as an assessment of learning.

For the rest of tonight… You are preparing to judge a chocolate chip cookie baking contest. For the competition, you have to create a rubric by which all entries will be judged. Your Assignment Write 1 criterion with 3-5 values Criterion: Number of Chips, Texture, Color, Taste, Richness Values: Delicious, Good, Needs Improvement, Poor Criterion Value 1 Value 2 Value 3 Value 4 Value 5

Where we are headed… No HSR meeting in April Final HSR Meeting will be on Thursday, May 14 at 4 p.m.

Assignment for May Develop a task-specific rubric to assess your assignment Must include (at a minimum) 4 Criteria & 3-5 Performance Levels Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Criteria 4

Where we are headed… Deadline Your task-specific rubric should be posted on the wiki by Friday, May 8. NOTE: At the May meeting, we will exchange completed sample papers and rubrics to peer assess each other’s product.