The rubric: if you can describe it, you can measure it
A rubric is a tool to that answers the question: “by what criteria would we measure success?” We know that performance spans a spectrum, and we know that performance at any point on the spectrum helps us understand what it looks like at any other point on the spectrum. A rubric, therefore, is a matrix that helps you describe not just what success would look like, but also what poor performance looks like, as well as shades in between.
Here’s a quick example:
| Poor (1) | Fair (2) | Good (3) | Excellent (4) |
Imagine describing what you don’t want your work to look like at this level. | Imagine describing what fair work would look like. | Imagine describing what you feel good work would look like. This is likely what the organization is currently doing. | Imagine describing what you do want your work to look like at this level. |
Simply put, a rubric provides you with a place to park your thinking. Rubrics come in all sizes. They can encompass concepts as big and broad as civic engagement, to community health and well being, to something as simple as kitchen cleanliness. There is almost nothing that doesn’t yield to description.
- Intro: the Dodge Assessment Initiative Online Workshop
- Are there any aspects of your work that you wish were better?
- What do we mean by assessment?
- What is exemplary feedback?
- Planning backwards
- The rubric: if you can describe it, you can measure it
- Rubric practice
- See how others have written their rubrics.
- Rubric review
- Data
- Important reminders about the rubric writing process.
- Uh oh. Roadblocks.
- Overcoming the obstacle of time.
- QII and assessment exercises.
- Overcoming the obstacle of change.
- Assessment principles and concepts. One more time.