Using and Adapting Rubrics for your classroom

Projects Portfolios Oral Demonstrations Performances Alternative Assessment Authentic Assessment We are being bombarded with educational buzzwords like Authentic Assessment, Alternative Assessment and Performance Assessment. What do all of these have in common? Performance Assessment

Performance and Product Based Learning How do we assess this type of learning? Assessment where: students create a response to a question rather than choose a response from a given list (i.e. multiple-choice, true/false, or matching) principle that students learn best when they are actively involved in gaining knowledge and are required to show evidence that they have learned (click) We all know how to grade traditional assessments, but how do we assess this type of learning?

Rubrics We use rubrics.

What is a Rubric? Scoring guide Authentic assessment tool based on a set of specific criteria against which a product or performance will be judged used to measure students' work usually handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged. Rubrics can be created for any content Working guide for students

Chocolate Chip Cookies 4 Delicious 3 Good 2 O.K. 1 Poor Number of Chips Chocolate chip in every bite Chips in about 75% of bites Chocolate in 50% of bites Too few or too many chips Texture Chewy Chewy in middle, crisp on edges Texture either crispy/crunchy or 50% uncooked Texture resembles a dog biscuit Color Golden brown Either light from overcooking or light from being 25% raw Either dark brown from overcooking or light from undercooking Burned Taste Home-baked taste Quality store-bought taste Tasteless Store-bought flavor, preservative aftertaste – stale, hard, chalky Richness Rich, creamy, high-fat flavor Medium fat contents Low-fat contents Nonfat contents (click) Dimension (click) Scale (click) © 2000-2002 Family Education Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 4 Delicious 3 Good 2 O.K. 1 Poor Number of Chips Chocolate chip in every bite Chips in about 75% of bites Chocolate in 50% of bites Too few or too many chips Texture Chewy Chewy in middle, crisp on edges Texture either crispy/crunchy or 50% uncooked Texture resembles a dog biscuit Color Golden brown Either light from overcooking or light from being 25% raw Either dark brown from overcooking or light from undercooking Burned Taste Home-baked taste Quality store-bought taste Tasteless Store-bought flavor, preservative aftertaste – stale, hard, chalky Richness Rich, creamy, high-fat flavor Medium fat contents Low-fat contents Nonfat contents © 2000-2002 Family Education Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Advantages Defines excellence Communicates to students Communicates to parents Consistency Documentation Help teachers define excellence & plan how to help students achieve it Communicates to students what constitutes excellence & how to evaluate their own work. Communicates goals & results to parents Helps teachers to be accurate, unbiased, & consistent in scoring Documents the procedures used in making important judgments about students.

Types of Rubrics General Specific Holistic Analytic Weighted Student generated General –broad performance or project Specific –levels are unique to a specific task Holistic – Uses a single scale to assess student work as a whole (checklist) Analytic - Based on points that are assigned to various required elements in the response.  2 or more separate categories of criteria provides more detailed information Weighted – A type of analytic – Some components are judged more heavily than others in order to stress particular aspects of the task. Student generated – Criteria is defined by students

Rubric Options Adopt Adapt Create Rubric Options Adopt – Use an existing rubric as is. Adapt – Modify: re-word descriptors, omit categories, change proficiency levels, mix & match Create – do it yourself

Evaluating Rubrics Does it match the outcomes being measured? Does it match instruction? Are the proficiency levels well defined? Are the objectives clear so that students know what to do? Is it reliable? Here are some questions to ask when you are evaluating your rubric. Does it match the outcomes being measured? It needs to measure what it is intended to. Does it match instruction? The highest scale needs to measure a truly exemplary product. Are the proficiency levels well defined? Everyone should be clear as to what each proficiency level measures. Are the objectives clear so that the students know what to do? It is important to have clear definitions (descriptors) at each level. Is it reliable? The results are accurate and stable. Judging is consistent over time and assessors.

Evaluating Rubrics Can students and parents understand it? Is it developmentally appropriate? Is it free from bias? Is it practical to use? Can students & parents understand it? It should be clear enough to explain without jargon so even young students can understand what is expected. Is it developmentally appropriate? The proficiency levels need to be appropriate for the age of the student. Is it free from bias? It should not address variables which students have no control over, such as culture, gender, or home resources. Is it practical to use? It should give you the kind of information you need and can use effectively. It should be easy to use. It should not be too time consuming.

Credits The Advantages of Rubrics: Part one in a five-part series. Teachervision.com. 21 June 2002 <http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4522.html#what_is_a_rubric>. Evaluating Rubrics. Chicago Public Schools. 21 June 2002 <http://intranet.cps.k12.il.us/Assessments/Ideas_and_Rubrics/Intro_Scoring/Eval_Rubrics/eval_rubrics.html>   Ferguson, Donna. Rubrics. University of Northern Colorado. 21 June 2002 <http://www.coe.unco.edu/DonnaFerguson/Rubrics.ppt>. How to create a rubric from scratch. Chicago Public Schools. 21 June 2002 <http://intranet.cps.k12.il.us/Assessments/Ideas_and_Rubrics/Create_Rubric/create_rubric.html>.