Why Use Rubrics?
Our classroom will use rubrics to demonstrate and support learning.
Rubrics make assessing the students' work efficient, consistent, objective, and quick. As Mrs. Wolf evaluates a science assessment or a social studies claim, she will know implicitly what makes responses exceptional, average, or in need of improvement. The written response rubric enables her to evaluate students' performance in situations that more closely replicate real life than an isolated test. The rubric also helps Mrs. Wolf to focus her own attention on the key concepts and standards that the students must obtain. It allows for accommodation and differentiation for heterogeneous classes by offering a range of quality levels.
The written response rubric provides students with a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Students have concrete directions about what makes a good science, health, or social studies claim. Many studies have proven that rubrics improve students' end products and thus increase the students' overall learning. They provide students with valuable information about the degree of which a specific learning outcome has been achieved. They provide students with concrete feedback that displays areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. Students can use this feedback as a tool to further develop and improve their abilities.
The speaking and listening rubric reminds students what qualities are needed when participating in a class discussion, sharing their thinking, or responding to teacher questions.
Rubrics encourage students to think about their own thinking and possibly about their own criteria for what is "good": to analyze their own work and process to see how it matches up with the standard explained in the rubric. By using rubrics, teachers give students experience in their higher-level thinking processes.
Parents appreciate the use of rubrics because they justify why a certain grade was assigned to his/her child. Rubrics are easy to understand at a quick glance. They provide parents with a digestible, concise, and well-structured assessment. Parents appreciate the detailed feedback that a rubric provides.