1. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics Presented by Valorie Hargett, Section Chief English Language Arts 6-12 Middle and Secondary Division Department of Public Instruction

2. Why Rubrics?? To define excellence and to help students achieve it. To empower students in becoming self-reflective, life-long learners. To communicate goals and results to all stakeholders involved in the educational process. To assist teachers, school-based leadership and community at large in becoming effective assessors and evaluators who consistently and accurately score students work.

3. Rubric and Assessment Vocabulary Rubric Criteria Descriptors Scoring Rubrics –Holistic Scoring –Analytic Scoring –Coaching Rubrics Quality Level Exemplars Anchors

4. Communication A Common Language Rubric –Creates a powerful communication tool that assesses students work –Clarifies and conveys the vision of excellence –Provides a set of criteria for a particular task to determine the performance level of the student –Provides a rationale for assigning a defensible score to student work Criteria –Determine the essential characteristics of a learning task for attaining high quality results Descriptors –May or may not exist within a rubric –Articulate clearly what is expected from students at each level of performance for each criterion

5. Scoring Holistic Scoring –Assigning a single score to work based on an overall impression – most appropriate at system levels. Analytic Scoring –Assigning separate scores for each criterion – most appropriate for classrooms. Quality Levels –The defined levels of quality identified for the criteria/dimensions in a scoring rubric (e.g., exemplary, satisfactory, developing/emerging, resubmission necessary, etc.).

6. Scoring Aids Exemplars –Examples of superior work Anchors –Examples of work that provide clarification of criteria Timeline for Exemplars and Rubrics –Summer 2008 – State Exemplars and Anchors –Fall 2008 - Distribution

7. North Carolina Graduation Project: Rubric Components Paper –The criteria address quality characteristics of the major components in writing a paper on the student selected topic of interest. Presentations (Examples: acting & recitals) –The criteria address quality characteristics of predictable performance actions, applicable supporting materials, and the students effectiveness in the performance. Products (Examples: books, posters, and models) –The criteria address quality characteristics of the product and its effectiveness. Portfolios (Example: Electronic Portfolio) –The criteria address quality characteristics of the students academic and/or personal growth over time.

8. Coaching Rubrics All NC Graduation Project Rubrics may be used throughout students middle and secondary years as coaching rubrics until the final stages of completing the project. The students are successful when all the criteria are satisfactorily completed for the NC Graduation Project.

9. Assessment/Evaluation Assessment - the gathering of information regarding specific criteria in order to change our teaching and learning behavior to improve the students academic performance. Evaluation - the gathering of information regarding specific criteria in order to score, label, grade, or document performance.

10. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics Step One: –School-based leadership of middle and secondary schools commits to school-wide implementation of NC Graduation Project Rubrics (NCGPRs) across all disciplines and forms a committee/subcommittee to ensure sustainability. Leadership values, understands and reflects on importance of the NCGPRs implementation in all classrooms. Principal and leadership share information on the NCGPRs with teachers, support staff, families and community, thus creating a shared vision of excellence for all students. Principal forms a NCGPRs Committee/subcommittee of stakeholders to support and ensure shared leadership for students and teachers implementing NCGPRs. 1

11. Step Two: –Principal and the NCGPRs Committee/subcommittee develop an action plan for school-wide implementation of NC Graduation Project Rubrics (NCGPRs) across all disciplines. Opportunities for teachers to use NCGPRs across disciplines Timeline for introduction and use with all stakeholders Scope and sequence for points of entry to use NCGPRs across disciplines Staff development for understanding the NCGPRs with all stakeholders Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 2

12. Step Three: –Conduct initial professional development activities on NCGPRs. Graduation Project Coordinators conduct initial training and identify possible other trainers to support in grade level meetings and sustainability of the rationale and principles of rubric effectiveness and continued implementation. Graduation Project Coordinators develop evaluation form, and participants evaluate effectiveness of professional development in relationship to practical classroom application. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 3

13. Step Four: –Integrate NCGPRs in classroom instruction at the beginning and throughout the school year in all disciplines. Teachers use NCGPRs and reflect on the instructional and implementation process. NCGPRs Committee/subcommittee develop evaluation tool for effective use and teacher implementation of GPRs twice a year. NCGPRs Committee/subcommittee analyzes for effective implementation and notes modifications/adjustment to make in order to provide support for teachers and students. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 4

14. Step Five: –Provide on-going professional development based on data from evaluation tool(s). Principal provides resources for on-going professional development, opportunities for teacher reflections and feedback on the effectiveness of NCGPRs with students. Formative and summative evaluation of practices and implementation NCGPRs help to ensure all students are reaching the goals intended. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 5

15. Step Six: –Develop an infrastructure to support the committee/subcommittee for the NCGPRs. School leadership creates policies, time, personnel and training to support the implementation of the NCGPRs. The infrastructure ensures that the NCGPRs remain a visible priority in the school. Therefore, the infrastructure is more likely to be sustained over time. School leadership review all school activities (discipline areas, student support systems, co-curriculars) to maximize the integration of the NCGPRs in order to practice, reinforce and assess the skills students are learning in NCGPRs. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 6

16. Step Seven: –Create and nurture partnerships with families and community concerning the importance of achieving excellence for all. Establish partnerships that engage the expertise of families and community members. Partnerships have potential for additional financial resources and convey external expectations to sustain the rationale and principles of NCGPRs. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 7

17. Step Eight: –Communicate, communicate, communicate School leadership regularly shares information about the implementation and effectiveness of the NCGPRs. School leadership celebrates success with staff, families students, teachers and community members. Great communications aids in additional support and maintaining good enthusiasm. Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics 8

18. Frequently Asked Questions Q. Do rubrics have a corresponding numerical scale? –It is a local option to determine if the rubrics will be used with a numerical scale. The state policy requires successfully completing. Q. May the rubrics be modified to reflect district or school priorities? –Additional criteria may be added. –No criteria may be removed.

19. Frequently Asked Questions Q. How will the graduation project be recorded in a students transcript? –The standardized transcript is currently being modified to include the four components of the graduation project.

20. School Based Leadership Team Commitment (Principal) Partnerships Communications NCGPRs Committee/ Subcommittee Action Plan Professional Development School-wide Integration of NCGPRs Formative & Summative Assessments Infrastructure for Sustainability (MS) NCGPRs Leadership Eight Easy Steps for Implementing the North Carolina Graduation Project Rubrics Begins

21. Bibliography Arter, J.A., and J. McTighe (2001). Scoring rubrics in the classroom: Using performance criteria for assessing and improving student performance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Bellanca, J., C. Chapman and E. Swartz (1994). Multiple assessments for multiple intelligences. Illinois: Skylight Training and publishing Company. Chappuis, J, and S. Chappuis (2002). Understanding school assessment: A parent and community guide to helping students learn. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. Chappuis, S., Stiggins, J. Arter, J. and Chappuis, J. (2004). Assessment for learning: An action guide for school leaders. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (2006). CASEL practice rubric for schoolwide SEL implementation. Gregory, K., C. Cameron, and A. Davies. (2000). Self-assessment and goal setting. Merville, BC: Connections. Guskey, T.R. (2002). Hows my kid doing? A parents guide to grades, marks, and report cards. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. McTighe, J. and G. Wiggins (2004). Understanding by design. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Munk, D.D. and W.D. Bursuck (2003). Grading students with disabilities. Educational Leadership, 61(2): 38-43. OConner, K. (2002). How to grade for learning: Linking grades to standards, 2nd ed. Arlington Heights, Il: Skylight. Stiggins, R.J. (2005). Student-involved assessment for learning. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

22. Video Resources Web site for national anthem is: http://www.nba.com/blazers/features/Cheeks_Ant hem_Assist-73713-41.html The Fischbowl Web site for Did You Know is: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did- you-know-20.html NOTE: You must adhere to all rules and regulations regarding copyright.