Levels

What do the levels look like in a quality rubric?

 

 

Levels are what separate quality rubrics from checklists and what enables them to act as a powerful tool for communicating expectations and supporting student self-assessment.

 

1. The low levels of the rubric describe what is present as well as what is not present.
2. The top level of the rubric is above the expected standard – it would be a stretch for the highest achieving students.
3. There is equal distance between levels of the rubric.
4. The levels are appropriately named, given the audience and nature of the rubric’s use.   

 

Examples of quality rubrics:

* with upper levels that require higher achieving students to stretch

* that show equal distance between levels

* with lower levels that describe what is occuring, not just what the student didn't do

 

Examples of revised rubrics:

* from showing what it is not present to what is present

* from large gaps between levels to equal distances

* from negative levels names to neutral or positive level names

 

Explore other attributes of a quality rubric through the components below

Content

Dimensions

Use of Language

Layout