Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English
Authentic Assessment
Md. Mostafa Rashel:
Assigning point values to performance on each criterion
As mentioned above, rubrics are very flexible tools. Just as the number of levels of performance can vary from criterion to criterion in an analytic rubric, points or value can be assigned to the rubric in a myriad of ways. For example, a teacher who creates a rubric might decide that certain criteria are more important to the overall performance on the task than other criteria. So, one or more criteria can be weighted more heavily when scoring the performance. For example, in a rubric for solo auditions, a teacher might consider five criteria: (how well students demonstrate) vocal tone, vocal technique, rhythm, diction and musicality. For this teacher, musicality might be the most important quality that she has stressed and is looking for in the audition. She might consider vocal technique to be less important than musicality but more important than the other criteria.So, she might give musicality and vocal technique more weight in her rubric. She can assign weights in different ways. Here is one common format:
Rubric 1: Solo Audition
0 1 2 3 4 5 weight
vocal tone
vocal technique x2
rhythm
diction
musicality x3
In this case, placement in the 4-point level for vocal tone would earn the student four points for that criterion. But placement in the 4-point box for vocal technique would earn the student 8 points, and placement in the 4-point box for musicality would earn the student 12 points. The same weighting could also be displayed as follows:
Rubric 2: Solo Audition
NA Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent
vocal tone 0 1 2 3 4 5
vocal technique 0 2 4 6 8 10
rhythm 0 1 2 3 4 5
diction 0 1 2 3 4 5
musicality 0 3 6 9 12 15
In both examples, musicality is worth three times as many points as vocal tone, rhythm and diction, and vocal technique is worth twice as much as each of those criteria. Pick a format that works for you and/or your students. There is no "correct" format in the layout of rubrics. So, choose one or design one that meets your needs.
Yes, but do I need equal intervals between the point values in a rubric?
No. Say it with me one more time -- rubrics are flexible tools. Shape them to fit your needs, not the other way around. In other words, points should be distributed across the levels of a rubric to best capture the value you assign to each level of performance. For example, points might be awarded on an oral presentation as follows:
Rubric 3: Oral Presentation
Criteria never sometimes always
makes eye contact 0 3 4
volume is appropriate 0 2 4
enthusiasm is evident 0 2 4
summary is accurate 0 4 8
In other words, you might decide that at this point in the year you would be pleased if a presenter makes eye contact "sometimes," so you award that level of performance most of the points available. However, "sometimes" would not be as acceptable for level of volume or enthusiasm.
Here are some more examples of rubrics illustrating the flexibility of number of levels and value you assign each level.
Rubric 4: Oral Presentation
Criteria never sometimes usually
makes eye contact 0 2 4
volume is appropriate 0 4
enthusiasm is evident 0 4
summary is accurate 0 4 8
In the above rubric, you have decided to measure volume and enthusiasm at two levels -- never or usually -- whereas, you are considering eye contact and accuracy of summary across three levels. That is acceptable if that fits the type of judgments you want to make. Even though there are only two levels for volume and three levels for eye contact, you are awarding the same number of points for a judgment of "usually" for both criteria. However, you could vary that as well:
Rubric 5: Oral Presentation
Criteria never sometimes usually
makes eye contact 0 2 4
volume is appropriate 0 2
enthusiasm is evident 0 2
summary is accurate 0 4 8
In this case, you have decided to give less weight to volume and enthusiasm as well as to judge those criteria across fewer levels.
So, do not feel bound by any format constraints when constructing a rubric. The rubric should best capture what you value in performance on the authentic task. The more accurately your rubric captures what you want your students to know and be able to do the more valid the scores will be.
Dr. Mueller
Enduring ..........
Md. Mostafa Rashel:
Creating a Holistic Rubric
In a holistic rubric, a judgment of how well someone has performed on a task considers all the criteria together, or holistically, instead of separately as in an analytic rubric. Thus, each level of performance in a holistic rubric reflects behavior across all the criteria. For example, here is a holistic version of the oral presentation rubric above.
Rubric 6: Oral Presentation (Holistic)
Oral Presentation Rubric
Mastery
• usually makes eye contact
• volume is always appropriate
• enthusiasm present throughout presentation
• summary is completely accurate
Proficiency
• usually makes eye contact
• volume is usually appropriate
• enthusiasm is present in most of presentation
• only one or two errors in summary
Developing
• sometimes makes eye contact
• volume is sometimes appropriate
• occasional enthusiasm in presentation
• some errors in summary
Inadequate
• never or rarely makes eye contact
• volume is inappropriate
• rarely shows enthusiasm in presentation
• many errors in summary
An obvious, potential problem with applying the above rubric is that performance often does not fall neatly into categories such as mastery or proficiency. A student might always make eye contact, use appropriate volume regularly, occasionally show enthusiasm and include many errors in the summary. Where you put that student in the holistic rubric? Thus, it is recommended that the use of holistic rubrics be limited to situations when the teacher wants to:
• make a quick, holistic judgment that carries little weight in evaluation, or
• evaluate performance in which the criteria cannot be easily separated.
Quick, holistic judgments are often made for homework problems or journal assignments. To allow the judgment to be quick and to reduce the problem illustrated in the above rubric of fitting the best category to the performance, the number of criteria should be limited. For example, here is a possible holistic rubric for grading homework problems.
Rubric 7: Homework Problems
Homework Problem Rubric
++ (3 pts.)
• most or all answers correct, AND
• most or all work shown
+ (1 pt.)
• at least some answers correct, AND
• at least some but not most work shown
- (0 pts.)
• few answers correct, OR
• little or no work shown
Although this homework problem rubric only has two criteria and three levels of performance, it is not easy to write such a holistic rubric to accurately capture what an evaluator values and to cover all the possible combinations of student performance. For example, what if a student got all the answers correct on a problem assignment but did not show any work? The rubric covers that: the student would receive a (-) because "little or no work was shown." What if a student showed all the work but only got some of the answers correct? That student would receive a (+) according to the rubric. All such combinations are covered. But does giving a (+) for such work reflect what the teacher values? The above rubric is designed to give equal weight to correct answers and work shown. If that is not the teacher's intent then the rubric needs to be changed to fit the goals of the teacher.
All of this complexity with just two criteria -- imagine if a third criterion were added to the rubric. So, with holistic rubrics, limit the number of criteria considered, or consider using an analytic rubric.
Dr. Mueller
Enduring ..........
Md. Mostafa Rashel:
Final Step: Checking Your Rubric
As a final check on your rubric, you can do any or all of the following before applying it.
• Let a colleague review it.
• Let your students review it -- is it clear to them?
• Check if it aligns or matches up with your standards.
• Check if it is manageable.
• Consider imaginary student performance on the rubric.
By the last suggestion I mean to imagine that a student had met specific levels of performance on each criterion (for an analytic rubric). Then ask yourself if that performance translates into the score that you think is appropriate. For example, on Rubric 3 above, imagine a student scores
• "sometimes" for eye contact (3 pts.)
• "always" for volume (4 pts.)
• "always" for enthusiasm (4 pts.)
• "sometimes" for summary is accurate (4 pts.)
That student would receive a score of 15 points out of a possible 20 points. Does 75% (15 out of 20) capture that performance for you? Perhaps you think a student should not receive that high of a score with only "sometimes" for the summary. You can adjust for that by increasing the weight you assign that criterion. Or, imagine a student apparently put a lot of work into the homework problems but got few of them correct. Do you think that student should receive some credit? Then you would need to adjust the holistic homework problem rubric above. In other words, it can be very helpful to play out a variety of performance combinations before you actually administer the rubric. It helps you see the forest through the trees.
Of course, you will never know if you really have a good rubric until you apply it. So, do not work to perfect the rubric before you administer it. Get it in good shape and then try it. Find out what needs to be modified and make the appropriate changes.
Okay, does that make sense? Are you ready to create a rubric of your own? Well, then come into my workshop and we will build one together. I just need you to wear these safety goggles. Regulations. Thanks.
(For those who might be "tabularly challenged" (i.e., you have trouble making tables in your word processor) or would just like someone else to make the rubric into a tabular format for you, there are websites where you enter the criteria and levels of performance and the site will produce the rubric for you.)
Dr. Mueller
Enduring ..........
Md. Mostafa Rashel:
Workshop: Writing a Good Rubric
Step 1: Identify the Standards
Step 2: Select an Authentic Task
Step 3: Identify the Criteria for the Task
Step 4: Create the Rubric
Step 1: Identify the Standards
________________________________________[/b]
For any type of assessment, you first must know where you want to end up. What are your goals for your students? An assessment cannot produce valid inferences unless it measures what it is intended to measure. And it cannot measure what it is intended to measure unless the goal(s) has been clearly identified. So, completing the rest of the following steps will be unproductive without clear goals for student learning.
Standards, like goals, are statements of what students should know and be able to do. However, standards are typically more narrow in scope and more amenable to assessment than goals. (Before going further, I would recommend that you read the section on Standards for a fuller description of standards and how they are different from goals and objectives.)
What Do Standards Look Like?
How do you get Started Writing Standards?
What are Some Guidelines to Follow in Developing Standards?
Workshop: Writing a Good Standard
What Do Standards Look Like?
Standards are typically one-sentence statements of what students should know and be able to do at a certain point. Often a standard will begin with a phrase such as "Students will be able to ..." (SWBAT). For example,
Students will be able to add two-digit numbers.
Or, it might be phrased
Students will add two-digit numbers.
A student will add two-digit numbers.
Or just
Identify the causes and consequences of the Revolutionary War.
Explain the process of photosynthesis.
More examples:
Extensive set of links to standards organized by subject and state
Standards examples (this site)
Also, read the section on types of standards to see how standards can address course content, or process skills or attitudes towards learning.
Dr. Mueller
Enduring ..........
Md. Mostafa Rashel:
How Do You Get Started?
I recommend a three-step process for writing standards:
1. REFLECT
2. REVIEW
3. WRITE
1. REFLECT
As I will discuss below, there are many sources you can turn to to find examples of goals and standards that might be appropriate for your students. There are national and state standards as well as numerous websites such as those above with many good choices. It is unnecessary to start from scratch. However, before you look at the work of others, which can confine your thinking, I would highly recommend that you, as a teacher or school or district, take some time to examine (or REFLECT upon) what you value. What do you really want your students to know and be able to do when they leave your grade or school?
Here is a sample of questions you might ask yourself:
• What do you want students to come away with from an education at _______?
• What should citizens know and be able to do?
• If you are writing standards for a particular discipline, what should citizens know and be able to do related to your discipline?
• What goals and standards do you share with other disciplines?
• What college preparation should you provide?
• Think of a graduate or current student that particularly exemplifies the set of knowledge and skills that will make/has made that student successful in the real world. What knowledge and skills (related and unrelated to your discipline) does that person possess?
• Ask yourself, "above all else, we want to graduate students who can/will ........?
• When you find yourself complaining about what students can't or don't do, what do you most often identify?
As a result of this reflection, you might reach consensus on a few things you most value and agree should be included in the standards. You might actually write a few standards. Or, you might produce a long list of possible candidates for standards. I do not believe there is a particular product you need to generate as a result of the reflection phase. Rather, you should move on to Step 2 (Review) when you are clear about what is most important for your students to learn. For example, reflection and conversation with many of the stakeholders for education led the Maryland State Department of Education to identify the Skills for Success it believes are essential for today's citizens. Along with content standards, the high school assessment program in Maryland will evaluate how well students have acquired the ability to learn, think, communicate, use technology and work with others.
2. REVIEW
Did you wake up this morning thinking, "Hey, I'm going to reinvent the wheel today"? No need. There are many, many good models of learning goals and standards available to you. So, before you start putting yours down on paper, REVIEW what others have developed. For example, you can Look at
• your state goals and standards
• relevant national goals and standards
• other state and local standards already created
o check out the site mentioned above - Putnam Valley
• your existing goals and standards if you have any
• other sources that may be relevant (e.g., what employers want, what colleges want)
Look for
• descriptions and language that capture what you said you value in Step 1 (REFLECT)
• knowledge and skills not captured in the first step -- should they be included?
• ways to organize and connect the important knowledge and skills
Look to
• develop a good sense of the whole picture of what you want your students to know and to do
• identify for which checkpoints (grades) you want to write standards
3. WRITE
The biggest problem I have observed in standards writing among the schools and districts I have worked with is the missing of the forest for the trees. As with many tasks, too often we get bogged down in the details and lose track of the big picture. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to periodically step back and reflect upon the process. As you write your standards, ask yourself and your colleagues guiding questions such as
• So, tell me again, why do we think this is important?
• Realistically, are they ever going to have to know this/do this/use this?
• How does this knowledge/skill relate to this standard over here?
• We don't have a standard about X; is this really more important than X?
• Can we really assess this? Should we assess it?
• Is this knowledge or skill essential for becoming a productive citizen? How? Why?
• Is this knowledge or skill essential for college preparation?
Yes, you may annoy your colleagues with these questions (particularly if you ask them repeatedly as I would advocate), but you will end up with a better set of standards that will last longer and provide a stronger foundation for the steps that follow in the creation of performance assessments.
Having said that, let's get down to the details. I will offer suggestions for writing specific standards by a) listing some common guidelines for good standards and b) modeling the development of a couple standards much as I would if I were working one-on-one with an educator.
Dr. Mueller
Enduring ..........
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