Improving Instructional Data & Feedback: Rubrics as an Instructional Tool

TOOLS FOR IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL DATA & FEEDBACK

Rubrics as an Instructional Tool

Unleashing the real power of rubrics as an instructional tool.

Excel Data Tools

Five Level Rubric Template

To view and print pdf files you will need Microsoft Excel.

The use of rubrics has grown significantly in classrooms across Iowa with varied results. Most rubrics provide more data and information than other evaluation instruments. However, most instructors painstakingly score the rubrics only to record a single score in the gradebook. Quoting Iowa educator D.J. Corson, "We then hand back the rubric to the student, thereby losing a lot of valuable information about student performance." In order to track and use the wealth of information provided by a rubric the teacher must have an effective way of monitoring student progress on the various elements of the rubric and how students improve over time.

One Excel template, available from Grant Wood Area Education Agency, allows teachers to track performance-over-time using a rubric.

Sample of Excel Template, Rubric data and Runchart

This Excel file, created by The Office of Planning & Development at Grant Wood AEA, provides teachers the opportunity to track student performance on major assessments by rubric element. In the chart, teachers record each student score on each element. The student's average score shows at the bottom and, directly above the student (students are identified by number), their performance is graphed. Note that this is the third assessment given to this class. Each previous assessment score is charted as well. The blue line indicates the baseline performance, the pink line the second assessment, and the green line the current assessment. This allows teachers to view student performance-over-time to see how a student or students are progressing. After the 6th and final assessment, the file provides the teacher with graphs depicting the final results and the growth from the baseline assessment to the final assessment. This rubric chart is called the "Run chart with attributes" chart and is available for 4, 5 and 6 level rubrics. Such a tool provides much richer information than a rubric alone.

We now know that rubrics without a clear way to organize and display the data for the teacher to analyze patterns and trends provides more work for the teacher without an equal amount of knowledge and understanding about student performance and how to adjust instruction to close the gaps of student understanding. This data tool, used in-conjunction with a rubric, can provide a wealth of information in an understandable format.

Tools for Improving Instructional Data & Feedback