Simple Rubric Examples for Teachers (2024)

A rubric is a performance-based assessment tool. Teachers use rubrics to gather data about their students’ progress on a particular assignment or skill. Simple rubrics allow students to understand what is required in an assignment, how it will be graded, and how well they are progressing toward proficiency.

Rubrics can be both formative (ongoing) and summative (final) assessment tools for evaluating written work, projects, oral presentations, or any other class assignment. There are four types of rubrics: checklists, holistic rubrics, analytic rubrics, and developmental rubrics. Teachers, including homeschool parents, can refer to these simple rubric examples to formulate their own.

Simple Rubric Examples for Teachers (1) teacher grading A+ on essay paper

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Rubrics as Checklists

These basic rubric examples ensure that all parts of the assignment are present. They help students keep track of each element of a project. Checklists also let teachers see whether a student fully participated in an assignment, but they aren’t as informative as other rubrics.

Example of a Checklist Rubric

Checklists are useful in all subject areas because they’re versatile and easy to understand. As long as each part of an assignment is present, the student receives full credit. An example of a science project checklist includes a column for students to check their work before turning it in.

Parts of a Cell Project Checklist

Self Check

Teacher Check

Includes a cover page with name and project title

Provides research notes from different sites

Cell model is made of Play Doh, candy, or other material

Cell model includes labels for each part of the cell

Provides explanation paragraph for each part of the cell

Total points


Checklists are handy to use and easy to grade. They measure participation and completion of a project rather than skills achieved, unlike holistic rubrics.

Holistic Rubrics

A general rubric that lists a few levels of performance is a holistic rubric. These rubrics usually combine criteria for a certain score into one level. Holistic rubrics include more information than a checklist and make good formative assessment tools.

Example of a Holistic Rubric

The typical A-F grading system is one example of a holistic rubric in which many skills are combined for one score. Here is another example of a holistic rubric for an oral presentation in social studies.

Description

Score

The presenter spoke clearly, held eye contact throughout the presentation, used more than two visual aids (including multimedia), stood up straight without hands in pockets, answered questions, and spoke for more than 5 minutes.

5

The presenter spoke clearly most of the time, looked down at notes but mostly held eye contact, used two visual aids (including multimedia), mostly stood up straight, answered one or two questions, and spoke for 4-5 minutes.

4

The presenter spoke clearly for part of the time, mostly looked at notes but made eye contact a few times, used two visual aids (no multimedia), stood up straight for part of the time, answered one question, and spoke for 2-4 minutes.

3

The presenter did not speak clearly, made eye contact a few times, used one visual aid (no multimedia), slouched or put hands in pockets a few times, did not answer questions, and spoke for 1-2 minutes

2

The presenter was difficult to understand, did not look up from notes, did not have visual aids, slouched or put hands in pockets for most of the presentation, did not answer questions, and spoke less than 1 minute.

1

The presenter did not prepare a presentation.

Teacher comments:

Although holistic rubrics are more complex than checklists, they aren’t as helpful for assessing specific skills within a project. It’s possible for students to score between two levels if they achieve some criteria but not others.

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Analytic Rubrics

An analytic rubric assesses each aspect of an assignment. It awards a designated number of points to each part which adds up to the student’s final score. Projects with analytic rubrics take longer to grade, but they are informative to teachers as summative assessment tools.

Example of an Analytic Rubric

Analytic rubrics are useful in any subject in which the teacher needs to monitor discrete skills. Check out an example of an analytic essay for a language arts literary essay.

5

4

3

2

1

Comprehension of Text

Shows a thorough and thoughtful understanding of the text.

Shows a comprehensive understanding of the text.

Shows a basic understanding of the text.

Shows a limited understanding of the text.

Shows little understanding of the text.

Textual Evidence

Includes at least 3 specific textual details that clearly support each topic sentence. Uses at least 2 sentences of commentary per concrete detail.

Includes 3 specific textual details that generally support each topic sentence. Uses 2 sentences of commentary per concrete detail.

Includes 2-3 general textual details in each body paragraph. Uses 1 or 2 sentences of commentary per concrete detail.

Includes 1-2 general textual details in each body paragraph. Uses 1 sentence of commentary per concrete detail.

Does not include textual details.

Organization

Essay is well-organized, including a strong intro, thesis statement that directly connects to three body paragraphs, and a thought-provoking conclusion.

Essay is organized, and all necessary elements are present. The thesis is present but not well-supported.

Essay is somewhat organized. Intro includes a weak thesis statement. Body paragraphs do not connect well to the thesis.

Essay needs to be better organized. Thesis statement is hard to find. Includes fewer than three body paragraphs.

Essay is one paragraph or does not have any appearance of organization. No thesis statement.

Formal Voice

Uses a variety of sentence types and precise, descriptive language to establish a formal voice.

Uses a variety of sentence types and some descriptive language to establish a formal voice.

Uses mostly simple and compound sentences. Includes some descriptive language.

Uses mostly simple sentences with little to no descriptive language.

Uses no sentence variety. Voice is not formal.

Sentence Fluency & Grammar

Contains 0-1 grammatical or syntax errors.

Contains 2-3 grammatical or syntax errors.

Contains 4-5 grammatical or syntax errors.

Contains more than 6 grammatical or syntax errors.

Contains serious grammatical or syntax errors.

Format

All formal specifications were followed (12-point font in Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double spaced).

One format specification was not followed (12-point font in Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double spaced).

Two format specifications were not followed (12-point font in Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double spaced).

Three or more format specifications were not followed (12-point font in Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double spaced).

Paper was not typed.

Total Score

Teacher Comments

Analytic rubrics are an effective form of communication between teacher and student. Expectations are clear and results are easy to understand. However, if you want to measure a student’s progress over the long term, you’ll need a developmental rubric.

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Developmental Rubrics

While other types of rubrics measure one assignment or project, a developmental rubric tracks a student’s overall progress toward proficiency. These continuum rubrics can span one standard, one subject, or one skill. Developmental rubrics are more time-consuming for teachers than analytic rubrics, but they are the most informative type of assessment tool.

Example of a Developmental Rubric

The Common Core standards are an example of a developmental rubric with benchmarks over each grade level. Standards-based grading systems are becoming more common in modern classrooms. Check out an example of a developmental rubric designed to keep track of elementary math skills in operations and algebraic thinking.

4 - Exceeding Standard

3 - Proficient

2 - Progressing

1 - Not Meeting Standard

Problem-Solving with Addition and Subtraction

Student can use addition and subtraction to solve complex word problems.

Student can use addition and subtraction to solve basic word problems.

Student is learning to use addition and subtraction to solve word problems.

Student struggles to use addition and subtraction to solve word problems.

Add and Subtract within 20

Student can fluently add and subtract past 20 with a variety of strategies and has memorized all sums of one-digit numbers and some two-digit numbers.

Student can add and subtract up to 20 with a variety of strategies and has memorized all sums of one-digit numbers.

Student can add and subtract up to 20 with one strategy, and is learning additional strategies. They are working on memorizing sums of one-digit numbers.

Student has difficulty adding and subtracting up to 20. They don’t have one-digit number sums memorized.

Foundations for Multiplication

Student can identify if a group of over 20 objects contains an odd or even number using a variety of strategies, and can explain their thought process.

Student can identify if a group of 10-20 objects contains an odd or even number using a variety of strategies.

Student knows the difference between odd and even numbers, and is learning how to identify whether a group of objects contains an odd or even number.

Student doesn’t yet know the difference between odd and even numbers.

Unlike other rubrics, developmental rubrics indicate an ongoing learning process. They measure skill rather than participation and effort levels. Students will ideally start at the Progressing level at the beginning of the unit or school year and will end at the Proficient level.

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Making Your Own Rubric

No matter which type of rubric you use, there are several ways to ensure that it’s an effective learning tool. Here are some tips for creating a rubric:

  • Be detailed. Students are more likely to meet requirements when they know exactly what you’re expecting.
  • Provide rubrics at the very beginning of the project. No one likes surprises.
  • No rubric can replace your own comments. While rubrics allow you to measure skills, students still need positive reinforcement about their work.
  • Make rubric scores align directly with student grades. Parents and students can easily see why they lost a specific number of points.
  • Use student-friendly language. Some academic language is helpful, but rubrics are just as valuable for students as they are for you.
Simple Rubric Examples for Teachers (2)

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If you’re ready to design your own rubric, start with the customizable rubric template we’ve provided here. You can add your own requirements, point system, and objectives. Happy grading!

Jennifer Gunner

Staff Writer

Simple Rubric Examples for Teachers (2024)

FAQs

What is a short answer rubric? ›

Answers are not comprehensive or completely stated. Key points are addressed, but not well supported. Good. Answers are accurate and complete. Key points are stated and supported.

How do you make a simple rubric? ›

How to Create a Rubric in 6 Steps
  1. Step 1: Define Your Goal. ...
  2. Step 2: Choose a Rubric Type. ...
  3. Step 3: Determine Your Criteria. ...
  4. Step 4: Create Your Performance Levels. ...
  5. Step 5: Write Descriptors for Each Level of Your Rubric.
3 Jul 2019

What are examples of rubrics? ›

' " For example, a rubric for an essay might tell students that their work will be judged on purpose, organization, details, voice, and mechanics. A good rubric also describes levels of quality for each of the criteria.

What is a 3 point rubric? ›

This rubric is used to score students' responses to medium constructed-response items. These items require the student to use problem-solving skills that may require the construction of a graph or a model, the extension of a pattern, or the use of geometric relationships and spatial reasoning.

What are short answers examples? ›

Short Answers with Do and Does
Sample QuestionsShort Answer (Affirmative)Short Answer (Negative)
Do you need a dictionary?Yes, I do.No, I don't.
Do you both speak English?Yes, we do.No, we don't.
Do they need help?Yes, they do.No, they don't.
Does he like chocolate?Yes, he does.No, he doesn't.
3 more rows

What is a short answer assessment? ›

Short answer assessments require you to write brief responses to questions in your own words. Short answer questions may be about a topic or they may be about a case study. You may incorporate information from your learning materials or other sources, but you must ensure it is in your own words.

How do I write a teaching rubric? ›

How to Create a Grading Rubric 1
  1. Define the purpose of the assignment/assessment for which you are creating a rubric. ...
  2. Decide what kind of rubric you will use: a holistic rubric or an analytic rubric? ...
  3. Define the criteria. ...
  4. Design the rating scale. ...
  5. Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale. ...
  6. Create your rubric.

What are the 4 types of rubrics? ›

Types of Rubrics
  • Analytic Rubrics.
  • Developmental Rubrics.
  • Holistic Rubrics.
  • Checklists.

What is a good rubric? ›

 Criteria: A good rubric must have a list of specific criteria to be rated. These should be uni-dimensional, so students and raters know exactly what the expectations are.  Levels of Performance: The scoring scale should include 3-5 levels of performance (e.g., Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor).

What are the 5 basic steps in developing rubrics? ›

Guidelines for Developing Rubrics
  • Step 1 - Identify the purpose and aims of assessing students. ...
  • Step 2 - Identify what to assess. ...
  • Step 3 - Select an appropriate type of rubric. ...
  • Step 4 - Identify the performance criteria for assessing student work. ...
  • Step 5 - Identify the levels of performance.

What are rubrics questions? ›

What is a rubric? A rubric is an assessment tool that clearly indicates achievement criteria across all the components of any kind of student work, from written to oral to visual. It can be used for marking assignments, class participation, or overall grades. There are two types of rubrics: holistic and analytical.

What are general rubrics? ›

General rubrics use criteria and descriptions that can be used across a variety of tasks, for example, a rubric on teamwork and collaboration. Task-specific rubrics are specific to the task for which they are applied.

What is a single point rubric? ›

A single-point rubric outlines the standards a student has to meet to complete the assignment; however, it leaves the categories outlining success or shortcoming open-ended. This relatively new approach creates a host of advantages for teachers and students.

What is a rubric rating scale? ›

Checklists, rating scales and rubrics are tools that state specific criteria and allow teachers and students to gather information and to make judgements about what students know and can do in relation to the outcomes. They offer systematic ways of collecting data about specific behaviours, knowledge and skills.

What are the basic parts of a scoring rubric? ›

A rubric is a scoring guide used to evaluate performance, a product, or a project. It has three parts: 1) performance criteria; 2) rating scale; and 3) indicators. For you and your students, the rubric defines what is expected and what will be assessed.

How do you write a good short answer response? ›

Begin each answer with one or two sentence thesis which summarizes your answer. If possible, phrase the statement so that it rephrases the question's essential terms into a statement (which therefore directly answers the essay question).

How do you make a good short answer question? ›

Short Answer Questions
  1. Word the question so that a clear, meaningful problem is presented.
  2. Structure the problem so that the range of acceptable responses is limited to a single correct answer or a narrow set of definite, clear-cut, and explicit answers. ...
  3. Generally, use direct questions rather than incomplete sentences.

What are short response questions? ›

Some assignments have questions that are broken down into parts that each require a brief answer. These are called short answer questions. Short answer questions require concise answers so it is essential to read the question carefully and to take account of the process words.

Are rubrics for teachers or students? ›

They provide a way for a student and a teacher to measure the quality of a body of work.

What is a 6 1 writing rubric? ›

The Six plus one Trait is a way of teaching, modeling, and assessing the instruction of writing. The Six Traits of writing are Voice, Ideas, Presentation, Conventions, Organization, Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency.

What is evaluation rubric for teachers? ›

The Teacher Performance Evaluation Rubric is intended to be scored holistically. This means that evaluators will assess which level provides the best overall description of the teacher. The scoring process is expected to occur upon completion of each thirty (30) minute observation and post-conference.

Which type of rubric is mostly used by the teachers? ›

Analytic rubrics are more common because teachers typically want to assess each criterion separately, particularly for assignments that involve a larger number of criteria. It becomes more and more difficult to assign a level of performance in a holistic rubric as the number of criteria increases.

What type of rubric is best for summative assessment? ›

Holistic. All criteria are assessed as a single score. Holistic rubrics are good for evaluating overall performance on a task. Because only one score is given, holistic rubrics tend to be easier to score.

What is 4 point scale rubric? ›

If you have a 4-‐point scale (4 being best) and 4 criteria then the highest score, or 100% is 16; the lowest score is 4 or 64%.

What makes a strong rubric? ›

A "good" rubric should be able to be used by various teachers and have them all arrive at similar scores (for a given assignment). Reliability also can refer to time (for example, if you are scoring your 100th essay - the rubric allows you to judge the 100th essay with the same criteria that you judged the 1st essay).

How do you write an assessment rubric? ›

A rubric design process
  1. Step 1: Clarify your assessment. ...
  2. Step 2: Identify specific observable attributes. ...
  3. Step 3: Brainstorm excellent, passable and not acceptable characteristics. ...
  4. Step 4a: Holistic. ...
  5. Step 4b: Analytic. ...
  6. Step 5: Test and moderate your rubric. ...
  7. Step 6: Revise the rubric, as necessary.

What are performance tasks examples? ›

These tasks typically yield a tangible product (e.g., graphic display, blog post) or performance (e.g., oral presentation, debate) that serve as evidence of their understanding and proficiency. Performance tasks are open-ended and typically do not yield a single, correct answer.

What are the 2 ways of rubrics preparation? ›

There are two types of rubrics and of methods for evaluating students' efforts: holistic and analytic rubrics.

What is a rubric checklist? ›

A rubric is a tool that has a list of criteria, similar to a checklist, but also contains descriptors in a performance scale which inform the student what different levels of accomplishment look like.

What are educational rubrics? ›

A rubric is a useful grading tool which can help instructors to grade students' work in a more consistent, reliable and unbiased manner. A well-designed rubric can help students to identify their strengths and weaknesses and be more objective about their own quality of work.

What are the 4 types of assessments? ›

A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative.

What is a rubric scoring tool? ›

A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly describes the instructor's performance expectations for an assignment or piece of work. A rubric identifies: criteria: the aspects of performance (e.g., argument, evidence, clarity) that will be assessed.

What type of rubric is the best for teachers to use in all types of classroom activities? ›

The Task-Specific Rubric

It clearly defines the criteria for each assignment. What is great about this rubric is that it makes expectations for each assignment very clear. Students can use this rubric to assess their success very easily. It also makes grading easier for teachers, because of its specificity.

What is a two point rubric? ›

As part of the TELPAS listening and speaking assessment, rubrics were developed to determine the score points that should be ascribed to a student's response based on their performance on each speaking test item.

What is the difference between a rubric and a scoring guide? ›

Rubrics articulate levels of performance in relation to standards or other expectations. Unlike scoring guides, which describe how students earn points or credit for their answers, rubrics assign students ratings based on how well their response meets performance levels.

What is a performance assessment rubric? ›

A rubric should be thought of as a rating system to determine the proficiency level at which a student is able to perform a task or display knowledge of a concept. With rubrics, it is possible to define the different levels of proficiency for each criterion.

What is level of performance in a rubric? ›

Levels of performance are typically divided into three- to six-point scales and given labels such as basic-proficient- advanced; needs improvement-meets expectations-exceeds expectations; or seldom- sometimes-usually-often; poor-good-excellent-superior; beginning-basic-proficient- advanced-outstanding.

How are scoring rubrics calculated? ›

The teacher has added up the total score (here, 3 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 9 points), and simply divided this result by the maximum score (4 x 4 = 16 points). This is the way many teachers convert a rubric score into a percent grade.

What are the four steps for creating a rubric? ›

  1. Step 1: Identify the Standards.
  2. Step 2: Select an Authentic Task.
  3. Step 3: Identify the Criteria for the Task.
  4. Step 4: Create the Rubric.

What is short answer type items? ›

The Short Answer (SA) is a constructed response item type in which the examinee types a short response. Like the fill-in-the-blank (FIB) and essay item types, SA items prompt examinees to produce their responses by typing, rather than selecting from a list as in a MC item.

What are the two types of rubric? ›

There are two types of rubrics and of methods for evaluating students' efforts: holistic and analytic rubrics.

What is the difference between short answer and essay test? ›

Short answer and essay tests can be the final section of a bigger test, or a test by itself. While both ask that you take the basic knowledge of a topic and state the key ideas in your own words, a short answer question may require a few sentences, whereas an essay prompt may require a paragraph or more.

How do you write a short answer? ›

Short answer questions in exams
  1. Deconstruct the question. ...
  2. Rephrase the question in your own words.
  3. Plan the structure of your answer before starting to write. ...
  4. Use examples to give evidence and help give your writing credibility.
  5. Use plain language and keep your writing straight to the point.

What should a short answer response look like? ›

A short answer response should follow this basic structure: a topic sentence that answers the question, evidence to support your answer, and a sentence or two of introspection.

How do you write a rubric for assessment? ›

How to Create a Grading Rubric 1
  1. Define the purpose of the assignment/assessment for which you are creating a rubric. ...
  2. Decide what kind of rubric you will use: a holistic rubric or an analytic rubric? ...
  3. Define the criteria. ...
  4. Design the rating scale. ...
  5. Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale. ...
  6. Create your rubric.

Why are short answers important? ›

They are easier to develop than multiple choice and generate a more in-depth answer. Because of their brevity, they are easier to grade and they encourage students to integrate information into a coherent written answer.

Which questions should you answer first when taking a test? ›

1. Answer the easy questions first, then the harder ones. Don't get nervous if some questions look unfamiliar. Skip them and return to them later.

Why do we use short answers? ›

We use short answers in English grammar to respond to yes/no questions, or to agree with a statement. Positive short answers are formed with yes + subject + auxiliary verb, and negative answers with no + subject + negated auxiliary verb.

How do you write a smart answer? ›

Answer Representation

Never start writing your answer immediately after looking at the question paper. Take a few minutes to plan your answer; it will definitely help you write better answers. If you have to write an essay, try to have an introduction, main points and a conclusion.

How do you create a good short answer question? ›

How to write short answer questions. Clear and concise questions: As an instructor, you should write your questions clearly and concisely and in an easily understandable way. If the question's wording is convoluted, students will waste more time dissecting the problem than answering it.

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