A few months ago, a young teacher, Maggie, asked me what I thought of the use of rubrics. I thought it a curious question, so I asked her why she was asking. Maggie told me that she was taking some college post-graduate courses, and although a few of her teachers used them, one professor was very opposed to them and said they were counterproductive, limiting, and should not be used.

Maggie’s question caused me to reflect on and evaluate my beliefs about the use of rubrics. After much thought, I continue to have a strong belief in the ability of rubrics to clearly highlight student expectations as well as provide students with a roadmap to success. Let me try to illustrate my beliefs.

The writing rubric above is based on a four-point scale. The rubric is analytical in nature, which means that a student is provided a score for each of the criteria listed on the left side of the rubric. When this rubric is used to score a piece of writing, the student is provided with 12 pieces of feedback about their performance, one for each criterion. The rubric can then be used by the students to review the next level of performance to reflect on what is needed to reach the levels. The rubric, when given to students in advance (and it should be), clearly highlights the levels of performance and provides students with an understanding of the expectations of quality.

It doesn’t seem to me that the rubric limits the students or could possibly be counterproductive in any way. Instead, it lays out the criteria crucial to a successful performance. With repeated use, students internalize the criteria and the indicators of a successful performance. Feedback is provided to the students when the rubric is scored and returned to the students. The results are visible to the students. When coupled with some reflective questions, next steps to produce a higher quality piece of writing can be analyzed. Students can be asked to identify the strengths exhibited in the piece, look for areas where improvement is possible, then outline next steps to progress to higher levels of performance.

Rubrics of Quality

Some educators are promoting what I call rubrics of quality. The difference is that the descriptors highlight the expectation of a proficient performance with no other descriptors present. See the example below.

Rubrics of quality provide students with clarity regarding performance expectations. They certainly take less time to create. They don’t provide feedback to the student as does the analytical rubric yet can be used as a tool for reflection. The last column on the rubric can be used by teachers to provide feedback or by students to analyze their performance and provide next steps.

It doesn’t appear as though this form of rubric is limiting or counterproductive either. In fact, it encourages students to evaluate their performance based on identified criteria of success. Even if the student performs well, they are given the opportunity to reflect on each area and identify personal growth goals.

Although the two examples provided are in the area of writing, I can’t think of any academic area in which a rubric would not provide clarity and guidance regarding student performance expectations. The tool ensures that each student has a common identified target and a clear roadmap to success. The rubric takes the guesswork out of expectations and highlights areas of concentration. Students have an increased chance at meeting expectations if they are clear, upfront, and available as often as possible.

After a great deal of thought about Maggie’s question, I can’t help but think that rubrics are not only valuable, but add the clarity needed to give students an absolute chance at increased levels of performance. Why would we condemn them? Instead, I would suggest using them regularly with products and performances that are essential to the future success of our students at any academic level, preschool through post-grad.