1. Tips For Effective Rubric Design
How to:
design a rubric that does its job
write precise criteria and descriptors
make your rubric student-friendly

2. Expert Input Rubrics are hard to design.
Experts agree:
Rubrics are hard to design.
Rubrics are time-consuming to design.
“A rubric is only as useful as it is good. Using a bad rubric is a waste of time…”
--Michael Simkins in “Designing Great Rubrics”
Experts disagree:
how to design a “good” rubric
Bottom line: Is it working for you and for your students?
Checklists do not reflect developmental—indicates only presence or lack of a trait

3. The Cookie
Task: Make a chocolate chip cookie that I would want to eat.
Criteria: Texture, Taste, Number of Chocolate Chips, Richness
Range of performance:
Delicious(14-16 pts)
Tasty(11-13 pts)
Edible(8-10 pts)
Not yet edible(0-7 pts)

4. The Rubric Delicious 4 Tasty 3 Edible 2 Not yet edible 1 # chips
Chips in every bite
75% chips
50% chips
Less than 50% chips
texture
Consistentlychewy
Chewy middle, crispy edges
Crunchy
Like a dog biscuit
color
Even golden brown
Brown with pale center
All brown
Or all pale
Burned
richness
Buttery, high fat
Medium fat
Low-fat flavor
Nonfat flavor

5. Assess The Cookie Overall score By criteria Delicious Tasty Edible
Not yet edible
By criteria
Number of chips
Texture
Taste
Richness

6. Oops, What Went Wrong? Did the “product” match expectations?
Effective rubrics don’t exist in a vacuum.
The good news…

7. Holistic Or Analytic—Which To Use?
HOLISTIC—views product or performance as a whole; describes characteristics of different levels of performance. Criteria are summarized for each score level.
(level=degree of success—e.g., 4,3,2,1 or “Tasty”)
(criteria= what counts, facets of performance—e.g., research or number of chips or presentation)

8. Holistic Or Analytic? HOLISTIC—pros and cons
+Takes less time to create. Well…
+Effectively determines a “not fully developed” performance as a whole
+Efficient for large group scoring; less time to assess
- Not diagnostic
- Student may exhibit traits at two or more levels at the same time.
An overall judgment. Generally speaking, not recommended for classroom use because of diagnostic limitations. If our goal is to give students feedback on performance, the more specific, the better.

9. Holistic Example Cookie Delicious level (4) Chips in every bite
Consistently chewy
Even golden brown
Buttery, high fat

10. Holistic Or Analytic?
Analytic=Separate facets of performance are defined, independently valued, and scored.
Example: Music—skill=string improvisation development
Facets scored separately: melody; harmonics; rhythm; bowing & backup; confidence

11. Holistic Or Analytic? Analytic—pros and cons +Sharper focus on target
+Specific feedback (matrix)
+Instructional emphasis
-Time consuming to articulate components and to find language clear enough to define performance levels effectively
Analytic and holistic can be combined—sum of analytical scores =integration or holistic score.
Or add scores and take average for holistic representation

12. Sample Of Analytic Rubric
See Packet

13. The Debate Is the whole the sum of its parts?
Wiggle room or valid criterion—
Overall Development
Overall Impression
Overall impact (See “purpose”)
Thomas Newkirk
Weighting
Number range (70-74 or 70-79)
See Slide #30

14. Tip #1 Don’t make task-specific rubrics. Efficiency issue
Two heads or three or four or five…
Make one, get two or three or four…
“Generalizable” or template rubric
Unless you need it for tomorrow…
(See Tip #8)
If you’re going to invest the effort necessary to make a good rubric, be sure that you can use it in a range of situations. Make a template for kind of product or performance. Adjust accordingly.
Departmental, grade level, cross-curricular input
Consistency of expectation, language; track students across performances

15. Tip #2
Don’t use generic or “canned” rubrics without careful consideration of their quality and appropriateness for your project.
These are your students, not someone else’s.
Your students have received your instruction.
This is the other extreme of too many task-specific rubrics.
A project rubric should not be used to assess everything from a digital montage to a PowerPoint presentation on market economics. Yet, there are excellent resources available for you to adapt.
Evaluate the resources available on the Web—don’t just use one because it is “free” and don’t think because it’s in a textbook that it is good!
Find the middle ground—a template that you can adjust and tweak according to the specifications of a given task.

16. Tip #3 Avoid dysfunctional detail.
“…in most instances, lengthy rubrics probably can be reduced to succinct…more useful versions for classroom instruction. Such abbreviated rubrics can still capture the key evaluative criteria needed to judge students’ responses. Lengthy rubrics, in contrast, will gather dust” (Benjamin 23).
--Includes wordiness, jargon, negativity
This includes educational jargon! Avoid sole adjective descriptors such as “inadequate” and avoid adjectives of “averageness”—below, above. The lowest score should describe what a novice, not “bad” performance looks like.
Wordiness—often happens when groups devise—includes a little something for everyone

17. Tip #4 Limit the number of criteria Well…
Don’t combine independent criteria.
“very clear” and “very organized” (may be clear but not organized or vice versa).
What’s important?

18. Tips #5 and #6 Use key, teachable “criteria” (What counts)
Don’t vaguely define levels of quality.
Concrete versus abstract
“poorly organized” (Organization: sharply focused thesis, topic sentences clearly connected to thesis, logical ordering of paragraphs, conclusion ends with clincher)
“inventive” “creative” “imaginative” UNLESS…
Key Question to ask yourself: What does it look like?
Not so much an issue of diction as describing the concrete behaviors and evidence of critical thinking
Creativity= uses ideas from others (Developing), modifies ideas implemented by others (Basic), composition is self-generated (Proficient), composition is unique and imaginative(Advanced)--Myra

19. Tips #5 and #6 Use measurable criteria.
--Specify what quality or absence looks like
vs. comparatives (“not as thorough as”)
or value language (“excellent content”)
---Highlight the impact of the performance
--Was the paper persuasive or problem solved? (Note importance of PURPOSE)
--What are the traits of effective persuasion?
--Be sure that the descriptor is not the criterion and vice versa
Actual traits that constitute good or poor persuasion, problem-solving.
Be careful not to bury criteria—here is where some people find that their rubrics do not match their expectations—be sure that the descriptor is not a criterion and vice versa

20. Tip #7 Aim for an even number of levels
Create continuum between least and most
Define poles and work inward
List skills and traits consistently across levels
4 or 6 recommended
Even recommended for delineating proficiency---Unless you want an equivocal position.
Even number requires a decision between almost there and “barebones.”
No implied levels.

21. Tip #8 Include students in creating or adapting rubrics
Consider using “I” in the descriptors
I followed precisely—consistently—inconsistently—MLA documentation format.
I did not follow MLA documentation format.
You may also want students to self-assess and even use highlighters to document their claims.

22. Tip #9 Motivate students to use rubric.
Instructional rubric (“Buy one, get one…”)
“At their very best, rubrics are also teaching tools that support student learning…” (Andrade 13).
Do they understand the criteria and descriptors? How do you know?
When do you give the rubric to your students?
In their hands at beginning.
Use as revision tool.
Give a quiz (Veronika!)
Add self-assess column and defense piece or use as revision activity—highlight where it is

23. Tip #10 Provide models of the different performance levels.
Have students list criteria for “What Counts.” Prompt them to think about any criteria they have missed and add them yourself. After class, combine criteria—create categories, making sure not to bury criteria that you want to emphasize.

24. The Assignment Sheet
Don’t forget the importance of the assignment sheet
Connection to rubric (Use same language!)
The lawyers in your class
“But the rubric doesn’t say that…”
Project/paper/presentation must meet all requirements of assignment
Due date and late penalty
Format requirements
Non-negotiables
Skills and reasonable expectations

25. Don’t Forget the Check-in Stage
Use your rubric as a formative assessment to give students feedback about how they are doing.
Isolate a particularly challenging aspect
Have student isolate an area of difficulty
Center revision instruction around rubric

26. Steps in Developing a Rubric
Design backwards—rubric first; then product/performance.
Decide on the criteria for the product or performance to be assessed.
Write a definition or make a list of concrete descriptors—identifiable-- for each criterion.
Develop a continuum for describing the range of performance for each criterion.
Keep track of strengths and weaknesses of rubric as you use it to assess student work.
Revise accordingly.
Step back; ask yourself, “What didn’t I make clear instructionally?” The weakness may not be the rubric.
See “cookie”

27. Steps in Modifying a “Canned” Rubric
Find a rubric that most closely matches your performance task.
Evaluate and adjust to reflect your instruction, language, expectations, content, students
Criteria
Descriptors
Performance levels
Eliminate criteria that do not reflect your assignment.

28. It’s hard work… Expect to revise…and revise…
One problem is that the rubric must cover all potential performances; each should fit somewhere on the rubric.
“There are no final versions, only drafts and deadlines.”
When you’ve got a good one, SHARE IT!

29. When to use these rubrics
Usually with a relatively complex assignment, such as a long-term project, and essay, or research-based product.
Informative feedback about work in progress
Detailed evaluations of final projects

30. The Mini-Rubric These are the quick ones.
Fewer criteria and shorter descriptions of quality
Yes/no checklists
Describe proficient level of quality and leave other boxes for commentary during grading.
Use for small products or processes:
Poster
Outline
Journal entry
Class activity

31. Mini-rubric Example Vocabulary Poster Purpose: to inform
Content criterion (50%)
____written explanation of denotation—accuracy/thoroughness
____examples in action—accuracy/variety
____visual symbol or cartoon conveys word meaning— accuracy/clarity
____wordplay---weighs synonyms for subtleties of meaning--accuracy/thoroughness
Presentation criterion (50%)
4,3,2,1--neat
4,3,2,1--clear organizational pattern
4,3,2,1--no error in Conventions
4,3,2,1--uses visual space to catch and hold attention
Score= Content__+Presentation___divided by 2=______GRADE
Comments:
Content criteria repeats phrasing on assignment sheet.
Comments allows teacher to “justify” any score not a “4.”

32. Miscellaneous Suggestions
#1--Describe proficient level of quality and leave other boxes for commentary during grading.
#2--“Box” the acceptable—proficient—level
#3--Translate the rubric’s 4,3,2,1 into number that represents middle of grade range (e.g., B=84)
OR, give a point range (e.g., A=90 (indicates just made category)
BUT A=95 (indicates solid in category
As long as students understand the weighting, the points, etc.

33. Caution Don’t let the rubric stand alone:
ALWAYS, ALWAYS provide specific “Comments” on your rubric and/or on the student product itself.

34. Sentence Stems
To establish 4 levels of performance, try sentence stems.
Example:
Yes, I used surface texture and deep carvings effectively to create individualizing detail.
Yes, I used surface texture and deep carvings, but I needed to include more for individualizing detail.
No, I did not use surface texture, but I did use deep carvings –or vice, versa—to create some individualizing detail.
No, I did not use surface texture or deep carvings.

35. Rubric Criterion Across The Curriculum
Content (substance, support, proof, details)
Relevant
Specific
Thorough
Synthesized
Balanced
Convincing
Accurate
The content is the meat of the project—what are the requirements for successful content for a lab report in science, a pen and ink portrait, a character sketch, a PowerPoint presentation, a math problem?
Brainstorm other adjectives that specifically describe what you expect of ANY content.
Now use these as a bank from which to draw and insert them in your template.

36. Rubric Criterion Across the Curriculum
Research
Uses variety of sources (primary, secondary, electronic, traditional, human)
Note: Watch minimums—Is minimum “minimal” or is minimum “proficient”?
Uses appropriate sources (credible, timely, scholarly)
Documents sources accurately

37. The Best Rubrics Analytic and holistic Developmental
“Generalizable” and specific
Instructional
The best rubrics WORK
for students and teachers!

38. Acknowledgments
Joyce, for technical help—without her help this PowerPoint presentation would be even
less visually appealing and more boring than it is.
Myra, for technical help—see above
Myra, for “Special” input and rubric samples
Veronika, for rubric quiz idea
Jeff, for rubric sample

39. Works Cited/Consulted--draft
Andrade, Heidi Goodrich. “Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning.” ASCD. Feb. 2000
Baggio, Christine. “Designing Rubrics: Revising Instruction and Improving Performance.” PowerPoint presentation.
Benjamin, Amy. An English Teacher’s Guide to Performance Tasks and Rubrics. Larchmont: Eye on Education, 2000.
Classroom. Assessment Framework, Grades PDE, Fall 2002.
Leavell, Alexandra. “Authentic Assessment: Using Rubrics to Evaluate Project-Based Learning.” PowerPoint. WEBLIBRARY.
Matthews, Jay. “Writing by the Rules No Easy Task.” <
Simkins, Michael. “Designing Great Rubrics.” Technology and Learning. August 1999.
Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. “Tips for Developing Effective Rubrics.” Understanding by Design. ASCD,1998.