Designing Scoring Rubrics

What is a Rubric?

Guidelines by which a product is judged

Explain the standards for acceptable
performance or work
Points out what is significant or important in
learning
Criteria for consistent evaluation
Guide students towards improved performance
Provide specific feedback to students on how to
improve performance
Without a standard of evaluation, assessments
are no more than instructional tasks

Criteria for Rubrics

Descriptors, traits, characteristics are terms

used to indicate the elements contained in
rubrics.
Reflect the elements of good performance
and become the source for the criteria used
to judge the performance.
Three types of criteria to determine grades:

Product, Process, Progress

Product Criteria

What students produce (pamphlet, brochure, play a

game, create a game, perform a routine).
Performance and projects are examples of
products.
Rubric contains critical elements necessary for
required content.
Stating performance outcomes in
terms of products says nothing
about application or correct form.
These are process criteria.

Process Criteria

Critical elements necessary for correct

performance.
Outlines the processes that students use to learn.
In Physical Education process criteria refers to the
quality of physical performance.
Self-check, peer evaluation, teacher evaluation.
Evaluating process says nothing about how much
a student has improved.
These are progress criteria.

Progress Criteria

Determine how much a student has

improved or progressed.
Determines the mastery of the critical
elements of performance.
In order to measure progress teachers
must administer assessments
more than once.

Types of Rubrics

The type of rubric chosen for assessment

depends on the task being evaluated and
the needs of the assessor.
Analytic and holistic rubrics are very
complex and require time to generate.
Checklists are the easiest to create.
Point System rubrics are easy to convert
to grades.

Checklists

Characteristics or behaviours that are basically scored as

Yes/No ratings.
A list of characteristics regarding the performance or
product is written and the scorer decides whether the
trait is present or not.
Evaluate critical elements or process criteria of motor
skills where quality is not a factor.
Journals or portfolios can be assessed to see if they have
the presence of various points without making
judgments about the quality of the response.
Checklists generally contain more traits or descriptors
than usually found in other scoring guides.
This detail is helpful in guiding student learning.

Example: Checklist Rubric

Yes

No

____ ____ Plays within the rules of the game.

____ ____ Does not argue with others.
____ ____ Respects the other teams efforts.
____ ____ Accepts the calls of officials.

Example: Self-Assessment
____ I play within the rules of the game.
____ I dont argue with others.
____ I offer encouragement and support.
____ I accept the outcome of the game.

Point System Rubrics

Similar to checklists they award point for the

various criteria on the list.
Judgment of quality is not required.
Provides students with feedback.
Points can be added up and converted to a
grade.
Certain traits or characteristics can be weighted
giving them greater emphasis.

Example: Scoring Rubric

Fitness Portfolio
___ Fitness Evaluation (8 points)
___ Cardiovascular Assessment (4 points)
___ Abdominal Endurance (2 points)
___ Flexibility Assessment (2 points)

___ Fitness Plan (18 points)

___ Calculate target heart rate (2 points)
___ Needs analysis (4 points)
___ Workout Plan (12 points)
___ Warm-up and recording chart (3 pts + 1 point for chart)
___ Aerobic plan and chart (3 pts + 1 point for chart)
___ Strength plan and chart (3 pts + 1 point for chart)

Analytic Rubrics

Requires the scorers judgment to determine the

degree of quality.
Evaluate the strength or weakness of a trait or
element.
Students can easily see areas on which they must
improve.
These rubrics take more time to score.
Words give a verbal indication of the degree of
quality.

Always Frequently Sometimes Never

4
3
2
1

Quantitative Analytic Rubric

Game Play Assessment for Tennis
The Student:

Never

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

1. Uses correct form on the forehand.

2. Places shots.

3. Moves into position quickly.

4. Returns to base position.

5. Calls shots correctly.

6. Knowledge of the rules is evident.

Useful for providing feedback to students and assessing their ability to

utilize skills in an applied setting.

Qualitative Analytic Rubric

Rules for Tennis
1

Is unfamiliar with the rules. Depends on opponents or partner for

instruction. Struggles with most questions. Is unsure of serving
order and rotation.

Shows some evidence of knowing rules. Struggles with some

questions. Serving order and rotation are correct. May have a few
errors.

Shows evidence of usually knowing and applying rules. Can answer

most questions when asked. Serving order and rotation are correct.

Shows evidence of thoroughly knowing and applying rules. Can

answer any question when asked. Serving order and rotation are
correct.

Provide verbal descriptions of teacher expectations and are useful for

providing formative feedback about several elements important to
playing a game or performing well.

Holistic Rubrics

Useful for Summative Evaluations

Proficient Level
Consistently Demonstrates the ability to select and successfully use the
appropriate skills. Demonstrates good skill form. Moves to cover the appropriate
space. Anticipates the offensive and defensive play and selects the appropriate
response. Applies and follows the appropriate rules and scoring. Follows the rules
of etiquette and fair play.
Competent Level
Demonstrates the ability to select and use the appropriate skills the majority of
the time. Demonstrates good skill form a majority of the time. Attempts to move
to cover the appropriate space a majority of the time. Selects the appropriate
offensive and defensive strategy and the appropriate response most of the time.
Consistently applies and follows the appropriate rules and scoring. Demonstrates
good sporting behaviour consistently and follows game etiquette most of the time.
Novice Level
Inconsistently selects and uses appropriate skills. Frequently demonstrates
incorrect skill form. Does not move to cover the appropriate space on the court.
Little evidence of applying the appropriate strategy and response to a situation.
Applies and follows appropriate rules and scoring. Inconsistent demonstration of
rules of etiquette or good sporting behaviour.

Considerations to Address when

Creating Rubrics

Validity Does the rubric measure what it claims

to measure.
Reliability Does the assessment consistently
produce the same results.
Transparency Criteria are clear enough to
students so that they can assess themselves and
others with roughly the same reliability.
Subjectivity The amount of judgment used to
assign a score to a students performance.

Rubric Hints and Guidelines

Use samples of student work - samples show what

is possible but should not limit the potential for
excellence.
Share rubrics with students - criteria helps students
understand teacher expectations.
Let students create some rubrics - students are
more likely to understand important criteria.
Allow for multiple correct answers - sometimes the
correct response is it depends.
Frequency is not the sole indicator of quality too
often when frequency is included in a rubric, the
quality of the performance is not addressed.

Rubric Hints and Guidelines

Limit the scope of the assessment complex

rubrics are cumbersome and often capture noncritical elements.
Consider the levels of difficulty give credit for
attempting more difficult tasks.
Determine the number of levels to develop the
more levels, the smaller the difference between
levels, and reliability decreases.
Adjust the rubric after, not during the assessment
changing the rules while the game is being played
is not fair practice.