Teaching and tutoring
Draft a rubric from the assignment criteria
Start with the criteria you already named for the assignment. For each one, describe what a reader would see in the work at every level, using differences in what the work does instead of words like good or weak. Share the rubric before learners begin.
A text to start with
The assignment is [assignment] for [learner group]. My criteria are [list of criteria]. Draft a rubric with [number] performance levels. For each criterion, describe observable evidence in the work at every level, and note what separates one level from the next. Leave room for written feedback on each row. Use plain wording learners can understand, and flag any criterion that is too broad to assess.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Rubric drafting sheet
Assignment and learner group: [ ] Number and names of performance levels: [ ] Criterion: [ ] Level name: [ ] Observable evidence at this level: [ ] Difference from the adjacent level: [ ] Repeat the level fields for this criterion. Feedback space: [ ] Repeat the criterion block for each row. Before use: overlapping or overly broad criteria: [ ] After testing: sample work used: [ ] Where readers disagreed: [ ] Descriptor revised and reason: [ ]
Levels that differ only in adjectives
Read across each row and ask what a reader would see differently between levels. If the only change is a word such as strong, adequate or limited, rewrite the descriptor in terms of what the work contains or does. Check that criteria do not overlap, since overlap makes one flaw count twice. Confirm each criterion matches something the assignment actually asked for. Test the rubric on one sample piece of work, real or invented, and see whether two readers would place it at the same level. Note descriptors that depend on your own unstated expectations.
Ask another agent to check the result
Use the assignment text, criteria and rubric I supply. Flag descriptors that differ only by an adjective and suggest observable wording for those rows. Identify criteria counted twice or absent from the assignment. Do not add requirements. State which sample work would help resolve an unclear boundary between levels.
Test the rubric on sample work
Score two or three pieces of work, anonymized or invented, against the draft. Where you hesitate between levels, identify what evidence the descriptor is missing. Ask a colleague to score the same pieces and compare results. Give learners the rubric with the assignment and explain any unfamiliar terms before they use it.