Developing And Using Rubrics

This Foundational Concept can be found in the following module pages:

Assessment, Systematic Progress Monitoring

Rubrics make judging the quality of a product or performance less subjective and therefore more reliable than it might otherwise be. They contribute to greater objectivity by specifying the characteristics of responses that represent different levels of mastery. Their purpose is usually twofold – to provide specifications for students to follow in completing an assignment and to give guidance to the people who evaluate the completed work. Some rubrics are holistic in their perspective and others are analytic.

Holistic rubrics provide a few broad descriptors at each of several levels to guide development or scoring of a product or performance. See below for an example of a holistic rubric that could be used in evaluating a science project.

Holistic Rubric: Criteria for a Science Project

Score	Criteria for a Science Project
4	Demonstrates understanding of all key concepts, accurate record-keeping; clear and complete explanation of results; and effective presentation of results in graphic form.
3	Demonstrates understanding of most key concepts; complete or nearly complete record-keeping; complete or nearly complete explanation of results; and adequate presentation of results in graphic form.
2	Demonstrates partial understanding of most key concepts; record-keeping shows noticeable gaps or inaccuracies; limited or unclear explanation of results; and presentation of results in graphic form attempted but inadequate.
1	Demonstrates little understanding of key concepts; minimal recording of results; no or minimal explanation of results; no or minimal presentation of results.
0	Assignment not submitted.

Analytic rubrics list the features of a product or performance and characterize indicators of their quality in a way that allows evaluators to assess each feature separately. Designing analytic rubrics can be labor-intensive. Striking a balance between too much and too little detail requires weighing such factors as the complexity of the assignment to be evaluated, the students’ grade level, and the importance of the assignment in comparison to other assignments. Below is a rubric designed for a sixth-grade science project.

Analytic Rubric: Criteria for a Science Experiment

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Experimental Design	The design shows a basic understanding of the concept of an experiment.	The design shows understanding of the concept of an experiment, including (a) identifying at least one dependent variable, (b) identifying at least one independent variable.	The design shows understanding and application of the concept of an experiment, including (a) identifying dependent variables, (b) identifying independent variables, and (c) describing an effort to rule out obvious confounding variable(s).	The design shows understanding and application of the concept of an experiment and its implications for the steps in the “scientific method,” including identifying dependent variables, independent variables, and describing effective means to control possible confounding variable(s).
Data Collection	Data are collected and recorded but are incomplete or disorganized.	Data are collected and recorded in a format that is in keeping with the experimental design, but not well-organized or clear.	Data are collected and recorded in a format that is (a) in keeping with the experimental design and (b) well-organized, but not fully clear, accurate, or complete.	Data observed are recorded in a format that is (a) in keeping with the experimental design, (b) well-organized, (c) clear, (d) accurate, and (e) complete.
Data Summary	Graphic presentation summarizing data is missing or unclear.	Graphic presentation summarizing data is provided, but has inaccuracies or is in a form that is poorly suited to the data.	Graphic presentation summarizing data is well-suited to the results, presenting the data accurately (for the most part).	Graphic presentation summarizing data is well-suited to the results, presenting the data: (a) clearly, (b) accurately, and (c) aesthetically.
Research Report	The description of the experiment and its results are missing or unclear; the conclusion(s) is missing or is unclear and incompatible with the data.	The experiment and its results are explained, but are not clear; the conclusion(s) is provided, but is unclear or incompatible with the data.	The experiment and its results are explained clearly; the conclusion(s) is clear and justified by the data.	The experiment and its results are explained accurately, fully, and clearly; the conclusion(s) is well-organized, clear, and justified by the data.

Rubrics are often designed collaboratively. Teacher-based teams develop scoring rubrics for common formative assessments; and rubrics for an individual classroom are sometimes designed collaboratively by the teacher and the students. In developing a rubric, teachers and students discuss the learning target that the assignment is directed toward and how students can show they have mastered the concepts and skills reflected in the learning target.