You never know

You never know when someone Might catch a dream from you You never know when a little word Or something that you might do May open up a window Of a mind that seeks the light

The way you teach May not matter at all But you never know, It might.

And just in case it could be That another lifes through you Might change for the better With a broader, brighter view. It seems it might be worth a try To do what you know is right

The way you teach May not matter at all But you never know, It might.

How often have you attempted to grade your students work only to find that the assessment criteria were vague and the performance behavior was overly subjective? Would you able to justify the assessment or grade if you had to defend it?

What is a Rubric
Minds on 2

A rubric is
- A printed set of scoring guidelines (criteria) for evaluating work (a performance or a product) and for giving feedback. - A formative type of assessment because it becomes an ongoing part of the whole teaching and learning process.

- An authentic assessment too which is being increasingly used since it is particular useful in assessing criteria which are complex and subjective - A working guide for students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged

A rubric answers the questions:

1. By what criteria will the work be judged? 2. What is the difference between good work and weaker work? 3. How can we make sure our judgements (or scores) are valid and reliable? 4. How can both performance and judges focus their preparation on excellence?

Why Rubrics Used

Six-Fold reasons:
1. Focus instruction-intentionally. 2. Guide feedback-descriptively. 3. Characterized desired results-objectively. 4. Operationalized performance standards purposefully. 5. Develop self-assessment competenceconstantly. 6. Involve students-thoughtfully.

The advantages of using rubrics in assessment are that they:

Allow assessment to be more objective and consistent Focus the teacher to clarify his/her criteria in specific terms Clearly show the student how their work will be evaluated and what is expected

Rubrics Basics

Types of Rubrics
1. Holistic Rubric - Evaluate overall impression of a performance or product 2. Analytic Rubric - Evaluates specific points

3 Common Features of Rubrics:

1. Scoring Criteria - The points for evaluation 2. Criteria Descriptors - These describe expectations for each criteria 3. Scoring Levels - The range of evaluation choices

Rubric Template
Scoring Criteria
Dimension Stated objective of performance Needs improvement 1 Descriptor (reflecting beginning level of performance) Good 2 Descriptor (development and movement toward mastery)

Scoring Levels
Very Good 3 Descriptor (reflecting mastery of performance) Excellent 4 Descriptor (reflecting the highest level of performance) Score

Criteria Descriptors