Assessment Rubrics Los Angeles City College Assessment Team

Learning Outcomes are: clearly stated expectations for student learning: How students demonstrate what they have learned

Learning Outcomes are NOT Test scores Grade distributions Graduation percentages Objectives

Assessment is Analysis of the evidence of the degree to which expectations for student learning are met Planning improvements based on analysis Institutional in scope

Assessment vs. Grading Assessment  Collaborative activity  Not done for each course  Not done for each student  Not done each semester  No deadline for completion Grading  Solitary activity  Done for each student  Done each semester  Completed within 2 weeks of semester’s end

Rubric A scoring tool that lays out the specific expectations for an assignment or for other assessment purposes. Information in this presentation is adapted from Introduction to Rubrics by Dannelle D. Stevens and Antonia J. Levi, 2005.

Why use rubrics? Rubrics provide timely feedback. Rubrics prepare students to use detailed feedback. Rubrics encourage critical thinking. Rubrics facilitate communication with others. Rubrics help us to refine our teaching methods. Rubrics level the playing field.

Parts of a rubric Task Description (Outcome) Scales (Levels of Performance or Competency) Dimensions (Primary Traits of Evaluation/Criteria) Performance Descriptors (Qualifying Statements)

Basic Rubric Task Description (Outcome) SCALE LEVEL 1SCALE LEVEL 2SCALE LEVEL 3 Dimension 1 (Criteria) Performance Level Performance Level Performance Level Dimension 2 (Criteria) Performance Level Performance Level Performance Level Dimension 3 (Criteria) Performance Level Performance Level Performance Level Dimension 4 (Criteria) Performance Level Performance Level Performance Level

Task Description (Outcome) The task description involves some sort of performance by the student. What do you expect students to do with the knowledge they receive in your class?

Example Outcome 1 Photography 28 Create a single photographic print from a camera original and prepare it for presentation.

Example Outcome 2  Child Development 2 In response to a specific observation (environment, curriculum, or adult/child interaction), students will observe an early childhood education program and write an evaluative report of their findings.

Scale The scale describes how well or poorly any given task has been performed. General guidelines: Scale descriptors should be tactful but clear Three levels of performance is usually sufficient at least in the beginning Five levels of performance should be the absolute maximum

Scale Examples Exemplary, Acceptable, Unacceptable Proficient, Developing, Emerging Outstanding, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory High, Average, Low Excellent, Average, Weak

Dimensions/Criteria describe the criteria that will be used to evaluate the work that students submit as evidence of their learning. can also convey the relative importance of each of the criteria. provide students with information on how their work will be evaluated and the relative importance of the skills they need to demonstrate.

Criteria Example 1 Photography 10  All photographic work, including negatives and prints, must be current work produced by the individual student for the course. The negatives should demonstrate proficiency with camera operations including focus and exposure, and the film should be properly developed with correct darkroom procedures. The prints should demonstrate printing proficiency, including proper exposure, contrast control and cleanliness. The photofinishing should demonstrate precision.

Criteria Example 2  Child Development 2  Using the NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice guidelines for their evaluations, students will evaluate an early childhood education program that they will visit and report on program components (as they relate to the assignment given: environment, curriculum, or adult/child interaction) that meet the national standards and program components or need improvement.  Observations will be clearly stated descriptions and interpretations. Students will use at least four concrete examples.  Papers will be typed, with logical paragraph construction and contain fewer than five grammatical, spelling, or format errors.

Levels of Performance This area provides a description of what constitutes each level of performance in the rubric. The performance descriptors offer specific feedback on the dimensions of the task.