Be More Specific

Today, and much to our delight, we will share a rubric emailed to us by a fellow Teaching Artist.

Those who have been following along on the blog already know that our most recent fantastic voyage is all about rubrics, and learning the language and processes of assessment. In posts here and there and elsewhere, we have been offering up drafts of a rubric that students and Teaching Artists can use to assess student work in a Spoken Word Workshop for 5th Graders. 

So far, I have posted two different versions of the rubric. The first version functions like a checklist, asking "did the student meet the criteria? Yes or No." After some feedback, I drafted a second version containing a scale. This scale allows a TA to answer the question "how close to proficiency is the student?" Anything that allows a Teaching Artist to frame observations in multiple ways is alright by me. Think of it, now you too can look up from your artwork to greet a passing administrator  with a cheery "yes, the students are getting it! Here are the numbers: Out of twenty-five workshop participants twelve scored a five, and twelve scored a four on the last assignment.  With one being the lowest, and five being the  highest score, that means nearly fifty percent of the class is exceeding the criteria. The quality of the work is excellent. Sadly, there was one three, and we have a plan to address gaps in understanding later on in the workshop." 

Seriously, we have to be able to talk this way, or we should get out of the game because being accountable, is where the money is. It's literally a Race to the Top.

That reminds me, as promised, here's another rubric to review. The generous author , to whom we are grateful, is Teaching Artist Brendan Boland, c/o Urban Arts Partnership.  I have been told that this sample rubric  follows "the format that DOE uses" but that it has been adapted  for a semester-long theater residency at a high school. Like our Spoken Word Workshop, this class also has students "creating and performing their own work" so, perhaps there are some parallels we can use to improve the rubric we are developing. The areas to be assessed are all in caps. The level of mastery is in italics, and the qualifying language is beneath that. I dig it.

SAMPLE RUBRIC by Teaching Artist Brendan Boland

INTEGRATED LEARNING

Struggling
Does not turn in work
Does not participate in writing/rehearsal process


Achieving
Turns in written work
Turns in assignments.


Excelling
Listens to instructions.
Revises material when needed.

CREATIVE PROCESS

Struggling
Doesn’t move or speak much
Refuses to get up
Not invested in group work


Achieving
Makes informed, committed choices as a writer/performer
Memorized when needed/self-motivated
Has an active role in rehearsal/script development


Excelling
Makes informed, committed choices as a writer/performer
Memorized when needed/self-motivated
Has an active role in rehearsal/script development

PARTICIPATORY LEARNING

Struggling
Doesn’t focus.
Seldom volunteers to participate
If they speak, it is often off topic and/or disruptive to the class


Achieving
Focuses on activity
Volunteers to participate


Excelling
Offers suggestions/takes suggestions
Listens to other groups present their work and offers feedback