Why use
rubrics?
Characteristics
of good rubrics
Definition &
types of rubric
RUBRIC DEVELOPMENT Strategies for
rubric
development
SOLO taxonomy
Phenomeno-
graphic sor ting
Using rubrics
with students
SCORING RUBRIC
Definition
A scoring tool that lays out the specific expectations for an
assessment task (Stevens & Levi, 2005)
A set of clear explanations or criteria used to help teachers and
students focus on what is valued in a subject, topic, or activity
(Russell, & Airasian, 2012).
Components of a rubric:
Criteria/Indicator
aspects of an assessment task which the assessor takes into account
when making their judgment
May use different weightings for different criteria
Level of Attainment
often use grade level descriptors
Types of rubrics:
Descriptive (Analytic), Holistic
Why and when we use particular types of rubrics
WHY USE RUBRICS?
For teachers: For students:
• Prompt a criterion-referenced • Clarify the teacher’s
assessment expectations of student
• Provide students with detailed performance
and timely feedback • Provide informative
• Encourage critical thinking descriptions of expected
• Facilitate communication with performance
others involved in scoring • Help to monitor and critique
• Help to refine teaching own work
skills/learning activities
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RUBRICS (1)
Well defined
Clearly describe the expected level of student performance for
each criterion in a rubric
Avoid general evaluative words (poor, excellent, etc.)
Use specific objective terms (correctly identifies, uses only
basic vocabulary, chooses incorrect formula… )
Context specific
Describe what teachers expect from student for a given
performance or work product on a particular subject domain
Viable for instruction
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RUBRICS (2)
Finite and exhaustive
Every response must be scorable
Too many score levels is confusing for students and causes
disagreement among teacher scores
Ordered
Represent the different levels of learning targets as defined by
LP
Related to Common Core theme/strand
Coherent with the cognitive complexity of the standards
ANALY TIC (DESCRIPTIVE) RUBRICS
Components:
(1) Task Task Description:
description Criteria Criteria Criteria Criteria Total
1 2 3 4
(2) Assessment
criteria
Level 5
(3) Performance
levels Level 4
Level 3
Advantage:
Level 2
Provides
judgment on Level 1
each criterion
Disadvantage:
Time consuming
to make
HOLISTIC RUBRICS
A single scale with all criteria to be included in the
evaluation being considered together
Based on an overall judgment of student work
Task Description:
Advantage: Criteria
Saves time in Level 5 Overall description of Level 5
developing and
Level 4 Overall description of Level 4
scoring
Disadvantage: Level 3 Overall description of Level 3
Does not provide
Level 2 Overall description of Level 2
specific feedback
for improvement Level 1 Overall description of Level 1
WHEN TO USE RUBRICS
On performance-based tasks:
extended response items
projects
presentations
portfolios
4 KEY STAGES IN CREATING RUBRICS
Reflecting on the task & content
Learning outcomes of the unit and the particular assessment
What we want from the students, why we created this
assessment, what our expectations are
Listing the learning outcomes & expectations
Focus on the particular details of the task and what specific
learning objectives we expect to see in the completed task
Grouping & labeling the outcomes & criteria
Organize the results of reflections, group similar expectations
together to become the rubric Indicators
Application of a rubric format
Apply the templates & descriptions to the final form of the
rubrics
STRATEGIES FOR RUBRIC DEVELOPMENT
Relationship between the intended Learning
Progression (LP) and rubrics
Direct use of the LP as standard reference
Use of a general strategy (i.e. modified Bloom’s
taxonomy or SOLO taxonomy)
Assign the target outcome as mapped onto the Cognitive Rigor
Matrix as the maximum level of the rubric
Use the SOLO taxonomy as scoring
Phenomenographic sorting
SOLO TAXONOMY
A possible value of 0 – 4 can be used to score each
question
Possible Level Responses that …
Score
4 Extended not only include all relevant pieces of information, but also
extend the response to integrate relevant pieces of
information not in the stimulus.
3 Relational integrate all relevant pieces of information from the stimulus.
2 Multistructural respond to several relevant pieces of information from the
stimulus.
1 Unistructural respond to only one relevant piece of information from the
stimulus.
0 Pre-structural consist only of irrelevant information.
* Modified from Wilson (2005, p.
75)
PHENOMENOGRAPHIC SORTING
1. Sort student responses into performance level piles
(excellent, good, …, and poor), or in terms of the
levels of understanding of the responses
2. Describe similarities within a pile and differences
between
These similarities and differences can inform the different
level of rubrics
3. Do sorting in pairs
To reconfirm matches & mismatches
Allow dialogue to maximize the effectiveness of rubric
development
USING RUBRICS WITH STUDENTS
Explain what the test will emphasize
Emphasis and expectations will be delineated in the
assessment criteria in the rubrics
Inform students how the assessment will be scored
Explain what each of the assessment criteria defined in the
rubrics means
Explain how the results will be used
Explain the importance of the test scores in the student’s
learning progression
HOW TO USE RUBRICS WITH STUDENTS
Make sure that the wording of the rubrics is
understandable to students (simplify wording for
lower grades).
Works best with holistic rubrics (or with a combined
version of analytic descriptions).
Provide rubrics to students in advance of the
administration of the assessment.
Alternatively, students can be provided with a
general rubric and a small number of papers (names
removed). Students can score the papers in small
groups; groups are required to come to consensus on
the grade to be assigned.
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B e r ke l ey E va l u a t i o n a n d A s s e s s m e n t Re s e a r c h C e n te r i s l i c e n s e d u n d e r a C C BY 4 . 0.
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O r e g o n D e p a r t m e n t o f E d u c a t i o n we l c o m e s e d i t i n g o f t h e s e r e s o u r c e s a n d wo u l d
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