iRubric: Rubric for Rubrics

The rubric is divided into easily understandable aspects as needed. The number of criteria reflects the complexity of the learning target.

The number of aspects need to be adjusted a little: either a single aspect should be made into two aspects, or two aspects should be combined.

The rubric is holistic when an analytic one is better suited to the intended use or learning targets to be assessed; or the rubric is an endless list of everything; there is no organization; the rubric looks like a brainstormed list.

The rubric has a mix of holistic and analytic components. It needs to be re-organized to fit either a holistic or analytic format.

The aspects are independent. Each important feature that contributes to quality work appears in only one place in the rubric.

Although there are instances when the same feature is included in more than one aspect, the aspect structure holds up pretty well.

Descriptors of quality work are represented redundantly in more than one criterion to the extent that the aspects are really not covering different things.

Descriptor for the aspect is unclear.

There is enough descriptive detail in the form of concrete indicators, adjectives, and descriptive phrases that allow you to match a student performance to the “right” score.

There is some attempt to define terms and include descriptors, but some key ideas are fuzzy in meaning.

Wording of the criteria levels, if present, is vague or confusing.
You find yourself saying such things as, “I’m confused,” or “I don’t have any idea what this means.” Or, the only way to distinguish levels is with words such as extremely, very, some, little, and none; or completely, substantially, fairly well, little, and not at all.

Wording of the criteria is absent. Just a word or two is used.