 Rubrics are our Friends

Self Reflection  What is your current view of rubrics? Write down what you know about them and what experiences you have had using them.

What are Rubrics?  A Rubric is a coherent set of criteria for students' work that includes descriptions of levels of performance quality on the criteria  Rubrics are powerful authentic tools to assess students’ work/performance  The scoring tool lists specific critieria and each criteria or standard has a gradation scale.( Numerical, qualitative etc.)  They are a teaching and learning tool  They are roadmaps for the expectations.  They are for all areas of content and can be adapted  Teachers can use them, and students can peer-assess as well as self-assess.

Bottom Line  Two Major Aspects:  Coherent set of criteria ( What should be learned… not tasks to complete)  Descriptions of levels of performance ( True descriptions)

Rubric Pro and Cons Pros  Powerful tools for assessment and instruction  Give clear expectations and concrete details  Define what quality entails  Quick, objective, and efficient  Help to justify scores  Rubrics provide feedback  Rubrics force teachers to clarify expectations, standards and goals  Rubrics when shared first, can be motivational Cons  Quite a bit of time upfront  Articulating the gradations can be challenging  Students might want rubrics for all assignments  Must know your learning outcomes

Characteristics of Rubrics  Criteria- Must have specific list of criteria so students know exactly what the teacher is expecting.  Description of levels of performance quality on each criteria: This is basically a scale based on the degree the standard has been met. (Typically 4- 6 levels of gradation)

Common Mistake #1  Teachers confuse learning outcomes with tasks used to assess it.  Don’t focus on the product or task, focus on the proficiency the student is supposed to demonstrate.  ( How many of our students are being graded o neatness and compliance)

Learning Outcome:Example:  “To examine or describe the process people use to make or change rules for a family, neighborhood and community… to propose rules that promote order and fairness in various situations.” What the teacher has the students do:  Read novel Jumanji and answer questions from book, brainstorm list of board games they know, invent new board game –play a tournament. Lastly identify problems with the games, revise them and write advertisements to market their games.

The rubric for this project:  Comprehension  Board Game  Tournament  Participation  Advertisement  Grade:  Did this measure learning outcomes?

Common Mistake # 2  Teachers confuse rubrics with task lists or check sheets  Show “My State Poster”  Show Collaboration Rubric  Coherent set of criteria  Descriptions of levels of performance

Resources  -and-rubrics.html -and-rubrics.html (Go to bottom of page under Large Rubric Collections and click on Rubric Gallery) How to Create and Use Rubrics by Susan Brookhart (ASCD, 2012)