Rubrics for Teachers

A rubric measures your students’ success based on a four-point scale. Rubrics provide a great way to assess your students, while setting out clear expectations for them and for you.

Considerations

• Select three to five specific goals or target skills that you want an assignment to demonstrate.
• Students are scored on a scale of 1 to 4 (with 4 being the highest), based on their level of achievement for each skill.
• Establish clear expectations so that students understand exactly what they need to achieve to earn a specific score.
• Show your students how the rubric helps explain why they received a specific score.

Rubric Scale

• 4—All ultimate goals achieved (terms to use: all, complete, etc.)
• 3— Most goals achieved, excellent attempt with a few minor corrections (terms to use: most, no more than two mistakes, etc.)
• 2— Some goals achieved, attempt recognized, but needs support (terms to use: some, part, partial, a few, three or four errors, etc.)
• 1— Minimal goals achieved, needs a great deal of support (terms to use: little or no evidence, minimal, none, more than four errors, etc.)

Considerations

• Limit goals per assignment to no more than three to five (for lower grades, you might have even fewer).
• Write goals so that they are explicit and specific (especially for grades 2 and above; for lower grades, they might be more general).
• Communicate the goals to your students verbally, and explain them to your students.
• Use graphics like smiley faces for students in the lower grades. Use more elaborate graphics for students in the upper grades.

Example 1

Goal—Students use correct ending punctuation.

Rubric

• 4—All sentences have the correct ending punctuation.
• 3— Most of the sentences have the correct ending punctuation. (no more than two errors)
• 2— Some of the sentences have correct ending punctuation. (no more than three or four errors)
• 1— There is little or no evidence of ending punctuation. (more than four errors)

Example 2

Goal—Students complete a coloring sheet.

General rubric (lower grades)

• 4—Perfect score, can’t ask for more. Look at me, I am a four.
• 3—Almost perfect, look at me. Doing great, I am a three.
• 2—Still much to do, makes me a two. But I can do it, I’ll show you.
• 1— I have just begun. With hard work, I’ll get it done, but for now I’m just a one.