1. Designing Rubrics
Nancy Allen, Ph.D.
College of Education
Office of Faculty Development
Qatar University
Adapted from: Baggio, C. (n.d.). Tips for designing rubrics. Retrieved on May 29, 2007, from
www.sdst.org/shs/library/powerpoint/rubrics.ppt and
2. Designing Rubrics
Students as Self Assessors
Teachers as Focused Coaches
3. What is a rubric?
A rubric is a guideline for rating student
performance.
Benefits:
The rubric provides those doing the assessment with exactly
the characteristics for each level of performance on which
they should base their judgment.
The rubric provides those who have been assessed with
clear information about how well they performed.
The rubric also provides those who have been assessed with
a clear indication of what they need to accomplish in the
future to better their performance.
Asmus, E, (1999). Rubrics. Retrieved on May 29, 2007, from
http://www.music.miami.edu/assessment/rubrics.html
4. What is a rubric?
Quality Continuum
A rubric must define the range of possible
performance levels. Within this range are different
levels of performance which are organized from the
lowest level to the highest level of performance.
Usually, a scale of possible points is associated with
the continuum where the highest level receives the
greatest number of points and the lowest level of
performance receives the fewest points.
5. What is a rubric?
A rubric is a lesson in quality
A public declaration of expectations
A communication tool
A self-assessment tool for learners
A gauge for examining performance
A self-fulfilling prophecy
6. What is a rubric?
Quality PERFORMANCE POINTS POINTS
Continuum LEVEL
Excellent 4 90-100
Good 3 80-89
Satisfactory 2 70-79
Needs 1 60-69
Improvement
Clearly 0 <60
unsatisfactory
7. Rubric vs. Checklist
Checklist for a friendly letter
______ Date, flush left at top
______ Address
______ Greeting
______ Body
______ Salutation
______ Signature
8. Rubric vs. Checklist
Checklists have not judgment of quality.
Checklists can only be used when
“present or absent” is a sufficient
criterion for quality.
9. Rubric vs. Checklist
Rubrics include descriptors for each
targeted criterion.
Rubrics provide a scale which
differentiates among the descriptors.
10. What is a rubric?
Descriptors
Each level of performance should have descriptors
which clearly indicate what is necessary to achieve
that level of performance.
Example
Organization of Thought (4-points): “Work is clearly
organized and includes a diagram or step-by-step
analysis.”
criterion point value descriptor
11. The parts of a rubric:
R u b r ic
S t a n d a r d s o f E x c e l le n c e C r it e r ia I n d ic a t o rs
12. Determining Standards of
Excellence
How many degrees of quality should
you include?
Should you use language or numbers?
If language, what descriptive terms
should you use?
Should you weigh the items?
13. Criteria
The specific areas for assessment
Focus areas for instruction
Clear and relevant
Age appropriate
Form and function represented
Objectives
14. Indicators
Descriptors of level of performance for
the criteria
Conclusion includes whether the findings
supported the hypothesis, possible sources of
error, and what was learned from the experiment.
Clear, observable language
Examples for learners
15. How do rubrics alter
instruction?
The teacher commits to teaching quality.
The teacher commits to assisting the student
self-assess.
The focus is on each product and/or
performance.
The labels are removed from students.
Specificity appears in all communications.
Everyone gives and receives feedback.
16. Whom does a rubric assist?
It is a feedback system for students to judge a
product or performance.
It is a feedback tool for teachers to provide clear,
focused coaching to the learner.
It is a system that promotes consistent and
meaningful feedback over time.
It is a communication tool for parents.
17. What makes a quality
RUBRIC?
An even number of If points… clear to
standards of students upfront
excellence
Deliberate sequence
Clear essential of criteria
criteria
Realistic number of High interjudge
criteria reliability
Explicit, observable Tested out with
indicators students
18. What makes a good judge?
Knowledge and
experience with
specific skill
Practice with rubri.
Objectivity
Questions rubric in
advance to be sure
all participants
understand
19. How do I get started?
Critique current
models.
Ask students to
define “quality” in
relation to specific
product or
performance.
Translate into a
modest rubric.
20. Expert Input
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?
21. 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.
22. Holistic Or Analytic—Which To
Use?
Excellent Researcher
included 10-12 sources
no apparent historical inaccuracies
can easily tell which sources information was drawn from
all relevant information is included
2 - Good Researcher
included 5-9 sources
few historical inaccuracies
can tell with difficulty where information came from
bibliography contains most relevant information
1 - Poor Researcher
included 1-4 sources
lots of historical inaccuracies
cannot tell from which source information came
bibliography contains very little information
23. Holistic Or Analytic?
HOLISTIC—pros and cons
+ Takes less time to create.
+ 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.
24. Holistic Or Analytic?
Analytic
Separate facets of performance are
defined, independently valued, and
scored. Facets scored separately
25. Holistic Or Analytic?
Analytic—pros and cons
+ Sharper focus on target
+ Specific feedback (matrix)
+ Instructional emphasis
- Time consuming
- Takes skill and practice
26. Task specific or general?
Task specific: Rubric designed for
and references a specific
assignment.
General: Rubric designed for and
references a type of assignment
frequently repeated.
27. Tip #1
Use as many generalized rubrics as
possible.
Efficient
Builds recognition of excellence
28. Tip #2
If using pre-designed rubrics carefully
consider quality and appropriateness for
your project.
29. Tip #3
Aim for concise, clear, jargon-free
language
“…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).
30. Tip #4
Limit the number of criteria, but
Separate key criteria.
“Very clear” and “very organized” may be clear
but not organized or vice versa.
31. Tip #5
Use key, teachable criteria.
Key Questions: What are my objectives?
Are there other generalized objectives
that should be included?
32. Tip #6
Use concrete versus abstract and
positives rather than negatives
Instead of “poorly organized” use “sharply
focused thesis, topic sentences clearly
connected to thesis, logical ordering of
paragraphs, conclusion ends with clincher”.
Key Question to ask yourself: Would
student know what quality “looked like”
by this description?
33. Tip #7
Use measurable criteria.
“Includes two or more new ideas…”
instead of “creative and imaginative”
34. Tip #8
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
35. Tip #9
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.
36. Tip #10
Provide models of the different
performance levels.
37. The Assignment Sheet
Link the assignment sheet and the rubric. Use
same language.
Include all non-negotiable items.
On time
Formatted correctly
Follows standard conventions…
Etc.
38. Rubrics for formative
assessment
Encourage students to “check progress”
using the rubric.
Encourage / require self-assessment
and/or peer assessment.
39. 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.
40. Rubrics On Line
"Rubistar Rubric Generator" (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/)
"Teacher Rubric Maker" (
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/)
“Rubrician” (http://www.rubrician.com/language.htm”
Rubrics for Web Lessons (
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/july/rubrics/Rubrics_for_Web_Lessons.ht
)
An Online Rubric Maker (http://landmark-
project.com/classweb/rubrics/)
41. References
Andrade, H.(2000). Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD.
Asmus, E, (1999). Rubrics. Retrieved on May 29, 2007, from http://
www.music.miami.edu/assessment/rubrics.html
Baggio, C. Designing rubrics: Revising instruction and improving performance.
Retrieved on March 1, 2007, from http://www.edutech.org.br.
Baggio, C. (n.d.). Tips for designing rubrics. Retrieved on May 29, 2007, from
www.sdst.org/shs/library/powerpoint/rubrics.ppt
Benjamin, A.(2000). An English teacher’s guide to performance tasks and
rubrics. Larchmont: Eye on Education.
Leavell, A. (n.d.). Authentic assessment: Using rubrics to evaluate project-based
learning. WEBLIBRARY.
Matthews, J. (2000). Writing by the rules no easy task. Retrieved on October
25, 2000 from <http://washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A63599-2000Oct23.html>
Simkins, M. (1999, August). Designing great rubrics. Technology and Learning.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Tips for developing effective rubrics.
Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Editor's Notes
This presentation is based on a workshop taught by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, at Teachers College, in July of 1999.
Being a public declaration of expectations makes it not hidden, and especially not dependent on teacher mood swings.
The parts of the rubric call attention to parts of my assignment so I can revise (improve) it. Rubric comes from the Latin: Rubrica, which means: highlight in red, used to call attention to something (not to mark errors).
Grids, feedback systems, surveys should have EVEN numbers of choices, so people are forced to make a choice. If you use ODD number of choices, people will tend to chose a middle one! Results will not be as accurate.
This is the hardest part! It tells the student what the levels of performance should look like very clearly.
Model aspects (qualitative) you want students to learn (such as something insightful and/or original).
You don’t have to use the rubric all at once! You can do some parts at a time with students.
We need to teach the kids to use the rubrics as a TOOL (not only as an evaluation). Create a habit of mind = self-assess.
Checklists do not reflect developmental—indicates only presence or lack of a trait
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.
Analytic and holistic can be combined—sum of analytical scores =integration or holistic score. Or add scores and take average for holistic representation
Analytic and holistic can be combined—sum of analytical scores =integration or holistic score. Or add scores and take average for holistic representation
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
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.
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
What’s important?
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
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
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
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.
You may also want students to self-assess and even use highlighters to document their claims.
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.
