In this article, the author outlines and describes eight assessment tips for language thematic Units. The tips include: (1) Knowing where you are going (creation of appropriate assessment tools); (2) Having a Plan (setting your communication and language goals); (3) Mapping it Out (teaching in the same way you will assess students); (4) Testing…

A methodological approach that emerged during the design of task-specific research rubrics to code large sets of open-ended survey data fills the void in scholarship about developing rubrics for research purposes. A brief rationale for using this method rather than other, often-used, data analysis methods is provided, with a description of the…

Generally speaking, a portfolio is a systematic collection of a variety of student projects or artifacts, collected over time, that reflect a student's developmental progress made in one or more areas. For the class, "Portfolio Development in Reading and Language Arts Courses" (EDUC 508 at Saint Joseph College), the portfolio will…

This Digest describes different types of scoring rubrics and explains why they are useful. Scoring rubrics are descriptive scoring schemes that are developed by teachers or other evaluators to guide the analysis of the products or processes of students' efforts. Scoring rubrics are generally used when a judgment of quality is required, and they…

This Digest provides a process for developing scoring rubrics. The first step is to identify clearly the qualities that need to be displayed in a student's work to demonstrate proficient performance. These qualities will be the top level or levels of scoring criteria for the scoring rubric. Then the decision must be made whether the information…

Provides information about the Firewise Program whose goal is to assist people to become more fire-aware and better prepared for the effects of wildfire on property. Discusses why there are so many wildfires and what can be done. Includes the Wildland Fire Risk and Hazard Severity Assessment Form. (KHR)

Provides advice on implementing performance assessment in the classroom. Outlines the basic steps from defining the purpose of the assessment to giving the student feedback. Advice is also given about scoring rubrics. (SLD)

Defines authentic assessment as an approach to assessment that is designed to correspond as closely as possible to real world experience. Discusses the rubric, a tool that is being used across the curriculum, and how it can be used in technology education. Rubrics are scoring devices designed to assist in clarifying, communicating, and assessing…

The first step to making performance criteria work as instructional tools in the classroom is to develop a clear idea of criteria for quality. The second is to teach these criteria to students, giving them the necessary vocabulary to think and speak like writers, communicators, and problem solvers. (MLH)

Discusses the use of a scoring rubric for use in clinical supervision. Defines the rubric, provides a brief example, and includes guidelines for development. This rubric will help supervisors to engage in a more positively active and objective form of supervision that will allow both the counselor-in-training and the supervisor to experience…

Discusses the need for well-developed rubrics in mathematics education. Compares rubrics with partial credit, and describes different types of rubrics. Provides an example of a general rubric used for holistic scoring, and issues that arise when applying the rubric to student responses. Contains 16 references. (ASK)

Presents a model of the cognitive frameworks and processes used by essay scorers. Investigates the relationship between a scorer's reading style and proficiency with a scoring rubric. Finds that proficient scorers are better able to withhold judgment and may focus their efforts more intensely on the process of evaluation. Discusses implications of…

The Delaware Performance Appraisal Process includes indicators that contain subjective terminology and are open to various interpretations, leading to concerns about interrater reliability and professional staff morale. The Lake Forest School District developed a two-pronged approach that retains the three-observation method while eliminating the…

Encourages the use of authentic tasks and assessment rubrics to round out the assessment of student learning in many college courses. Provides a rationale for these methods and offers several rubrics than can be used in a variety of courses. (EV)

This article offers a strategy for helping students to choose material they can read during sustained silent reading periods in school and independently at home. The rubric considers the following readability factors: vocabulary, sentence complexity, topic and concepts, clarity of ideas, level of abstraction, organization, design and format,…