by

DR. TERESITA V. DE LA CRUZ

Introduction

As opposed to most traditional forms of

testing, performance-based assessments dont
have clear-cut right or wrong answers. Rather,
there are degrees to which a person is
successful or unsuccessful. Thus, you need to
evaluate the performance in a way that will allow
you take those varying degrees into
consideration. This can be accomplished by
creating rubrics.
 What is a rubric?

Rubric
-is a rating system by which teachers can
determine at what level of proficiency a student is able
to perform a task or display knowledge of a concept.
With rubrics, you can define the different levels of
proficiency for each criterion.
Like the process of developing criteria, you can either
utilize previously developed rubrics or create your own.
When using any type of rubric, you need to be certain that
the rubrics are fair and simple. Also, the performance at each
level must be clearly defined and accurately reflect its
corresponding criterion (or subcategory) (Airasian, 1991;
Popham, 1995; Stiggins, 1994).
Varying Levels of Proficiency

When deciding how to communicate the

varying levels of proficiency, you may wish to use
impartial words instead of numerical or letter
grades (Stix, 1997). For instance, you may want to
use the following scale: word, sentence, page,
chapter, and book. However, words such as
novice, apprentice,proficient, and excellent
are frequently used.
Creation of Rubrics

As with criteria development, allowing your

students to assist in the creation of rubrics may
be a good learning experience for them. You can
engage students in this process by showing them
examples of the same task performed/project
completed at different levels and discuss to what
degree the different elements of the criteria were
displayed.
However, if your students do not help to
create the different rubrics, you will probably want
to share those rubrics with your students before
they complete the task or project.
Parts of a Rubric

Rubrics are generally comprised of four

essential parts:

1. Scale
2. Criteria
3. Descriptors
4. Standards
Scale

Scale
-indicates points to be used in scoring a
piece of work in a continuum of quality. High
numbers are typically assigned to the best work.

Scale examples:

Needs Improvement (1)Satisfactory (2)Good (3)Exemplary (4)

Beginning (1)Developing (2)Accomplished (3)Exemplary (4)
Needs work (1)Good (2)Excellent (3)
Novice (1)Apprentice (2)Proficient (3)Distinguished (4)
Poor (1)Fair (2)Average(3)Very Good (4)Excellent (5)
Criteria

Criteria
-describes the conditions that any performance
meet to be successful.

Should describe both strengths and errors

(errors should be described particularly in lower
levels of performance)
Five categories to consider:
Impact
Work quality/Craftsmanship
Methods
Content
Sophistication of the performance
Criteria: Categories to Consider

Impact- the success of performance, given the

purposes, goals, and desired results

Work Quality/Craftsmanship- the overall polish,

organization, and rigor of the work

Methods- the quality of the procedures and manner of

presentation, prior to during the performance

Content- the correctness of the ideas, skills, or

materials to be used

Sophistication of the performance- the relative

complexity or maturity of the knowledge used
Descriptors

Descriptors

-are assigned for each levels of performance

that describes criteria and standards by which the
performance will be judged. Indicators are often
used in descriptors to provide examples or signs of
performance in each level.
Standards

Standards
- these specify how well criteria must be met
Example:
Task: Solve calculus problem
Scale: 1 to 3
Criteria: Solve the problem with clear and appropriate logic
(method) and substantiation (content)
Indicators for clear and appropriate logic: provides an
explanation, includes a diagram, identified elements of the
problem
Standard for clear and appropriate logic score of 3:
Gives a complete response with clear, coherent,
unambiguous and elegant explanation; includes a clear and
simplified diagram; identified all the important elements of
the problem
Analytic versus Holistic Rubrics

For a particular task you assign students, do

you want to be able to assess how well the students
perform on each criterion, or do you want to get a
more global picture of the students performance on
the entire task? The answer to that question is likely
to determine the type of rubric you choose to create
or use: Analytic or holistic.
What is an analytic rubric?

An analytic rubric articulates levels of

performance for each criterion so the teacher
can assess student performance on each
criterion.
When to choose an analytic rubric?

Analytic rubrics are more common because

teachers typically want to assess each criterion
separately, particularly for assignments that involve
a larger number of criteria.

Additionally, an analytic rubric better handles

weighting of criteria.

How would you treat historical accuracy as

more important criterion in the holistic rubric? It is
not easy. But the analytic rubric handles it well by
using a simple multiplier for each criterion.
Sample Analytic Rubric

The following rubric (scoring scale) covers the research

portion of the project.

Criteria 1 2 3
Number of
X1 1-4 5-9 10-12
Sources
Historical Lots of historical Few No apparent
X3
Accuracy inaccuracies inaccuracies inaccuracies
Can tell with Can easily tell
Cannot tell from difficulty which sources
Organization X1 which source of where information
information came information was drawn
came from from
Bibliography
All relevant
Bibliography contains contains most
Bibliography X1 information is
very little information relevant
included
information
What is a holistic rubric?

In contrast, a holistic rubric does not

list separate levels of performance for each
criterion.
Instead, a holistic rubric assigns a
level of performance by assessing
performance across multiple criteria as a
whole.
When to choose a holistic rubric?

Holistic rubrics tend to be used when a quick or

gross judgment needs to be made. If the assessment is a
minor one, such as a brief homework assignment , it may
be sufficient to apply a holistic judgment (e.g., check,
check-plus, or no check) to quickly review student work.
But holistic rubrics can also be employed for more
substantial assignments. On some tasks, it is not easy to
evaluate performance on one criterion independently of
performance on a different criterion.
Some educators believe a holistic rubric or global
assessment of student performance better captures
student ability on certain tasks. (Alternatively, if two
criteria are nearly inseparable, the combination of the two
can be treated as a single criterion in an analytic rubric).
 Sample of a Holistic Rubric

3- Excellent Researcher
Included 10-12 sources
No apparent historical inaccuracies
Can easily tell which sources information was drawn from
All relevant information is included

2- Good Researcher
Included 5-9 sources
Few historical inaccuracies
Can tell with difficulty where information came from
Bibliography contains most relevant information
Poor Researcher
Included 1-4 sources
Lots of historical inaccuracies
Cannot tell from which source information came from
Bibliography contains very little information
Others

In the analytic version of this rubric, 1,

2, or 3 points is awarded for the number of
sources the student included.

In contrast, number of sources is

considered along with historical accuracy
and the other criteria in the use of a holistic
rubric to arrive at a more global (or holistic)
impression of the student work.
How many levels of performance should
I include in my rubric?

There is no specific number of levels a rubric

should or should not possess. It will vary depending on
the task and your needs. A rubric can have as few as two
levels of performance (e.g., checklist) or as many
aswell, as many as you decide is appropriate.
(Some do not consider a checklist a rubric
because it only has two levels--- a criterion was meant or
it wasnt. But because a checklist does contain criteria
and at least two levels performance, it is included under
the category of rubrics).
Also, it is not true that there must be an even
number or an odd number of levels. Again, that will
depend on the situation.
Suggestions for Using Scoring Rubrics
for Grading and Program Assessment

1. Hand out the grading rubric with an assignment so

students will know your expectations and how theyll be
graded. This should help students master your learning
objectives by guiding their work in appropriate directions.

2. Use a rubric for grading student work, including essay

questions on exams, and return the rubric with the grading
on it. Faculty save time writing extensive comments; they just
circle or highlight several segments of the rubric. Each row in
a rubric could have array of possible points, reflecting its
relative importance for determining the overall grade. Points
(or point ranges) possible for each cell in the rubric could be
printed on the rubric, and a column for points for each row
and comment section(s) could be added.
Continuation

3. Develop a rubric with your students for an assignment

or group project. Students can then monitor themselves
and their peers using agreed- upon criteria that they
helped develop. (Many faculty find that students will
create higher standards for themselves than faculty would
impose them).

4. Have your students apply your rubrics to some their

sample products (e.g., laboratory reports) before they
create their own. Faculty report that students are quite
accurate when doing this, and this process should help
them evaluate their own products as they develop them.
Continuation

5.Have students exchange paper drafts and give peer

feedback using the rubric, then give students a few days
before the final draft are turned in to you. (You might also
require that they turn in the draft and scored rubric with
their final paper).

6.Have students self- assess their products using the

grading rubrics and hand in the self-assessment with the
product ; then faculty and students can compare self- and
faculty- generated evaluations.
 Continuation

7. Use the rubric for program assessment. Faculty can use it in

classes and aggregate the data across sections, faculty can
independently assess student products (e.g., portfolios) and then
aggregate the data, or faculty can participate in group readings
in which they review student products together and discuss what
they found. Field-work supervisors or community
professionals also may be invited to assess student work using
rubrics. Rubrics should be pilot tested, and evaluators should
be normed or calirated before they apply the rubrics.

(Faculty can get double duty out of their grading by using a

common rubric that is used for grading and program
assessment. Individual faculty may elect to use the common
rubric in different ways, combining it with other grading
components as they see fit it).
Thank you for listening!!!

"Don't limit yourself.

Many people limit
themselves to what they
think they can do. You
can go as far as your
mind lets you. What you
believe, you can
achieve.
-- Mary Kay Ash