Tips For Effective Rubric Design

How to: Design a rubric that does its job Write precise criteria and descriptors Make your rubric student-friendly

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?

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)

Analytic Homemade Cookie Rubric

Delicious4

Tasty3

Edible 2

Not yet edible1

# 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 brownOr all pale

Burned

richness Buttery, high fat

Medium fat Low-fat flavor

Nonfat flavor

Assess The Cookie

Overall score– Delicious– Tasty– Edible– Not yet edible

By criteria– Number of chips– Texture– Taste– Richness

Holistic Rubric

Views product or performance as a whole; describes characteristics of the product or performance according criteria expressing “what counts””:

Each holistic criterion is expressed in a summary statement for each score level.

Levels of performance range from highest (Level 4) to lowest (Level 0)

See example in your text, p. 133

Sample: Holistic Cookie Rubric

Cookie Scored at the “Delicious” level (4) Chips in every bite Consistently chewy Even golden brown Buttery, high fatYou must then make a summary statement for

levels 3, 2, & 1.

Pros & Cons: Holistic Rubric

+ 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.

Analytic Rubric

Separate facets of performance are defined, independently valued, and scored. See example in text, p. 135.

Example: In music performance, skill might be string improvisation.

Each facet of “string improvisation” would be scored separately: melody

harmonics

rhythm

bowing & backup

confidence

Pros & Cons: Analytic Rubric

+ 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

Tip #1

Don’t make task-specific rubrics. Less efficient Make one that can be used for two or more

products or performances. “Generalizable” or template rubric

Tip #2

Don’t use published 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.

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”

– Dysfunctional detail also includes jargon, negativity

Tip #4

Limit the number of criteriaBut, don’t combine independent criteria.

E.g. One criterion that includes “Very clear” and “very organized” will often be problematic.The product may be clear but not organized or vice versa.

Tips #5 and #6

Don’t define levels of quality in vague terms, e.g. ABSTRACT: “poorly organized” CONCRETE:

– Organization: sharply focused thesis, topic sentences clearly connected to thesis, logical ordering of paragraphs, conclusion ends with clincher

ABSTRACT: “inventive” “creative” “imaginative” CONCRETE: ?? Key Question to ask yourself: What does

that look like?

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 a statement of purpose for the assignment here!)

– List the traits of effective persuasion.– Be sure that the descriptor is not the criterion and vice

versa

Tip #7

Aim for an even number of performance/product levels

– Create continuum between least and most– Define poles and work inward– List skills and traits consistently across levels

Tip #8

May include students in creating or adapting rubrics by listing criteria for “What Counts.”

Consider using “I” in the descriptors in the criterion statement:

I followed APA documentation format:– precisely—consistently—inconsistently—

I did not follow MLA documentation format.

Tip #9

Motivate students to use your rubric as they prepare their product or performance:

“At their very best, rubrics are also teaching tools that support student learning . . . ” (13 y.o. student).

Do students understand the criteria and descriptors? How do you know?

When do you give the rubric to your students?

Tip #10

Provide models of products/performances that represent different performance levels.

The Assignment Sheet

Connect the rubric you prepared to the assignment guidelines: Use same language in each!

Project/paper/presentation must meet all requirements of assignment– Due date and late penalty– Format requirements– Non-negotiables

Use the Rubric for Draft Reviews or the “Check-in” Stage of Preparation

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

Steps in Developing & Using Rubrics

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 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. Step back; ask yourself, “What didn’t I make clear instructionally?”

The weakness may not be the rubric.

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

When to Use 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

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

Sample Mini-rubric for an Assignment called a “Vocabulary Poster”

Content criterion (50%) 4 3 2 1____ written explanation of denotation is accurate & thorough____ examples in action are accurate & of sufficient variety____ visual symbol or cartoon conveys accurate and clear word

meaning____ wordplay is accurate and thorough: weighs synonyms for

subtleties of meaning; Presentation criterion (50%)

4,3,2,1--neat 4,3,2,1--clear organizational pattern4,3,2,1--no error in Conventions4,3,2,1--uses visual space to catch and hold attention

Score = Content__+Presentation___divided by 2=______GRADEComments:

Caution

Don’t let the rubric stand alone!

ALWAYS, ALWAYS provide specific “Comments” on your rubric and/or on the

student product itself.

Useful Criteria Across The Curriculum: Content

Descriptors or indicators R/T content:– Relevant– Specific– Thorough– Synthesized– Balanced– Convincing– Accurate

Useful Criteria Across the Curriculum: Research

Descriptors or indicators R/T 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

Useful Criteria Across the Curriculum: Format

Descriptors or indicators R/T format:LogicalSequentialAccording to assignment guidelinesAccording to standards (e.g. APA Style)

The Best Rubrics

Analytic and holistic Developmental “Generalizable” and specific Instructional

The best rubrics WORK for students and teachers!

Acknowledgments

This Slidecast was adapted from “Tips for Effective Rubric Design”

daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/rubrics.ppt

I am grateful to the unnamed author who also acknowledged the assistance of Joyce, Myra, Veronica, & Jeff.