What makes a good rubric good?
Feedback—you know it helps increase student learning. You know it can help your students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective. And you know that feedback can help you effectively modify your instruction to help your students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective.
A rubric is a good tool for providing feedback for students and for yourself. Why? Because a rubric provides specific feedback on student performance. I encourage you to use a rubric when assessing your students’ performance on a biblical perspective assessment. (And I encourage you to show your students the rubric before you give the assessment. Student learning increases when performance expectations are clear—rubrics help you make your expectations clear.)
Your task: Develop a good rubric so you can use a good rubric.
Your question: “What makes a good rubric good?”
My answer:
(1) A good rubric has criteria that…
Here’s a part of a high school writing rubric that is being piloted. The 2 criteria below target understanding and application of a biblical perspective:
Criteria 1: Biblical perspective content
5: Significantly beyond the obvious
4: Beyond the obvious
3: Basic, addresses the obvious
2: Limited, does not fully address the obvious
1: Lacking, hardly addresses the obvious
Criteria 2: Application of biblical perspective to course content
5: Original
4: Thoughtful
3: Predictable
2: Weak or erroneous
1: Lacking
An English 10 teacher, who uses the rubric, says, “The rubric is useful. I find that using it helps me assess more consistently. My students like the rubric because it tells them how they did and what they need to do to improve. Using rubrics helps my students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective.”
Develop a good rubric. Then use it.
A rubric is a good tool for providing feedback for students and for yourself. Why? Because a rubric provides specific feedback on student performance. I encourage you to use a rubric when assessing your students’ performance on a biblical perspective assessment. (And I encourage you to show your students the rubric before you give the assessment. Student learning increases when performance expectations are clear—rubrics help you make your expectations clear.)
Your task: Develop a good rubric so you can use a good rubric.
Your question: “What makes a good rubric good?”
My answer:
(1) A good rubric has criteria that…
- Are linked to standards and student objectives
- Are logically ordered (if applicable)
- Are written in clear, concise, student-friendly language
- Are defined by 5 levels of descriptors (Level 5 = exemplary, Level 3 = meeting the standard, Level 1 = Poor)
- Are evenly graduated from Level 5 to Level 1
- Are measurable
- Are written in clear, concise, student-friendly language
- Identify what the student does (not what the student doesn't do or what the student is missing)
- Include elements that are present at all levels and in the same order
- Can be used by teachers effectively and efficiently to assess student learning
Here’s a part of a high school writing rubric that is being piloted. The 2 criteria below target understanding and application of a biblical perspective:
Criteria 1: Biblical perspective content
5: Significantly beyond the obvious
4: Beyond the obvious
3: Basic, addresses the obvious
2: Limited, does not fully address the obvious
1: Lacking, hardly addresses the obvious
Criteria 2: Application of biblical perspective to course content
5: Original
4: Thoughtful
3: Predictable
2: Weak or erroneous
1: Lacking
An English 10 teacher, who uses the rubric, says, “The rubric is useful. I find that using it helps me assess more consistently. My students like the rubric because it tells them how they did and what they need to do to improve. Using rubrics helps my students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective.”
Develop a good rubric. Then use it.