1. Making ESL Rubrics Part 1
This presentation will describe the process by which a [classroom teacher or ESL] teacher can create and effectively use ESL-modified rubrics. [Although the assumption here is that the rubric is being developed for a classroom , then modified for a group of English language learners, it can also be used for an ESL withdrawal program.]
© Burns Wattie, 2004

2. Why do this? Integration Accountability
Rich culminating task assignment
This type of unit takes a lot of up front work, but once it is set, it is easily transferable.
Integration:
Because it is open ended = students work at their ability level
allows students to work in small groups, or individual
Accountable:
Separate rubrics enable you to evaluate ESL/ELD students taking their linguistic abilities into account
Makes you accountable for ESL/ELD students
Makes ESL/ELD students accountable also
Rich assignment
use authentic real, open ended tasks
Provides a range of performance from 1-4
Ties directly to expectations
© Burns Wattie, 2004

3. Developing Rubrics Is a rubric right for you?
Identify key expectations.
Decide on number of levels.
Base levels on the categories used in the achievement charts of the curriculum documents.
First of all, is a rubric the best assessement tool for that task? Would a checklist better? If you have an assessment that has no continuum of quality, where there are discrete right/wrong responses, a rubric is not for you. Rubrics can work well for final culminating tasks that can show a range of abilities from not meeting expectations to exceeding expectations. The beauty of a good rubric is that it has the ability to accurately and clearly describe different levels of student performance.
The first task is to identify the curriculum expectations you want the rubric to measure. For a classroom context, you will obviously use the relevant curriculum expectations.
Secondly you will decide on the number of levels to use. This is usually between three and five. The more you choose, the more complex it will be. Having fewer rows may not provide you with sufficient aspects of the assignment to evaluate.
These levels ideally are based using the same categories in the achievement charts of the curriculum expectations documents.
© Burns Wattie, 2004

4. MET Achievement Chart Framework
Knowledge and Understanding
Thinking
Communication
Application
These categories vary from subject to subject, but usually in language, science and social science, these are the categories used.
Understanding concepts: Does the student understand the big picture? The details? How it all fits together?
Skills: How did they go about doing their work? Have they used a correct procedure, or modified the procedure to suit their assignment needs? Communication: how effectively did they communicate their knowledge?
Application: How do they apply and connect their ideas and to themselves, and the world around them.
Finally the use of conventions covers them making sure everything is in their assignment and is properly done. This can range from correctly preparing a graph with a title and labels to issues of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
© Burns Wattie, 2004

5. The nitty-gritty work
Copy/start with generic Ministry rubric statements
Edit to personalize, make student friendly
Ideally this criteria would be co-constructed with students
Can use 2-4 threads per box
Start at either level 3 or 4; work up/down
Thoroughly edit and check
Starting a rubric from a blank slate is a daunting task – but fortunately you don’t have to. If you are doing it for the first time and you do not have a bank of rubric templates to draw from and modify, it is difficult. Fortunately you do have a head start if you use the achievement charts from your curriculum expectations. are very generic, and applied to your assignment, very cold and unfriendly. But they are a great place to start. To begin with they provide the essential categories you need for your subject.
Prepare a table – 5 columns wide by 4-6 rows high. You can use Word, Excel, any table or spreadsheet program.. Write the achievement level categories down the first column. In the first row write the levels, Secondly – and here it is best if you can copy and paste electronically – Copy the wording from the achievement charts into the appropriate cells in your table. Once this is done, consider your culminating task assignment. Think of what your final product ought to look like. If you have given this assignment before and you have exemplars, use these to help translate the very generic comments into specific comments related to your particular culminating task.
These comments MUST be student friendly, if they are to be able to use the rubric as a tool for self improvement. The comments must also be useful for you as an assessor - so you can easily and fairly observe and mark the assignments.
Start at either level 3 – what you expect – then go up to level 4 and then go back down to level 1. Or start at level 4, describing a performance you would simply love to see, then move down. Make sure the threads you are assessing (e.g. “properly formats graphs and charts”) are carried through all four levels.
Thoroughly edit, check and correct.
At first this is a long and difficult process. Once you have a few in your library, these can be used as bases for others, and the whole process becomes much easier. You will also find it a lot easier to substantiate and check the marks you are giving.
© Burns Wattie, 2004

6. Next….
Pick one aspect of the achievement chart and develop a rubric descriptor for level 4
Move it down to level 3.
Create a level 2
Go to another achievement chart category and repeat the process
There is no doubt about it. Making a rubric is time intensive, but if you can use [samples or parts of old ones as templates.] someone else’s rubric that you like, you can be much more efficient about it. Also once you have developed a few, you can use old ones or parts of old ones as templates for the new ones.
© Burns Wattie, 2004