A grading rubric template is a type of tool used for assessment. You can use it to express your expectations regarding the work of your students. In it, you’ll define what you will assess. You’ll also describe the criteria for how you will evaluate their work.
You can use this template to articulate what excellent work looks like. This would also help your students understand what they should work on.
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It takes a lot of time and effort to create a superior rubric template. You can make one on your own or download a blank rubric template from here. The important thing is that you first decide what criteria you’ll include in it.
Using rubrics will make it easier for you to assess the work of your students. With it, you can easily determine where your students excelled and where they need help. Although these templates are very convenient and effective, making them is another story.
If you make a template from scratch, you’d need a lot of time and effort. But once you’ve made or downloaded a template, your work becomes easier.
Rubric Templates
Where can you use rubric templates?
Teaching is one of the noblest professions in the whole world. But this job isn’t for everyone. It involves a lot of patience, determination, time-management skills, and so much more. Although it’s a highly fulfilling profession, there are times when it can be difficult.
As time goes by, curriculum change and methods for teaching are constantly revised. One effective method which teachers follow these days is the rubric method. This is a way to teach and assess the work of students easily and efficiently.
Grading rubric templates are quite popular with teachers. They can help teachers conduct an assessment of their student’s work and performance. But you can also use such templates in different ways, not just for teaching. You can use such templates for:
- Assessments
- Basic analytics
- Blank scoring
- Courses
- Decision-making
- General math
- Grading
- Group activity projects
- High school project presentations
- Infographics
- Interviews
- Job interview scoring
- Math
- Math projects
Other alternate uses of templates are as follows:
- Poster Grading
- Projects
- Project-based learning
- Research papers
- Research project presentations
- Resume grading
- Science project
- Scoring guide
- Standard evaluations
- Student teaching portfolios
- Teachers
- Writing assignment grading
These are just some examples of how and where you can use such templates. A blank rubric template is a very useful tool which can make your life easier. If you’re a teacher and you haven’t even tried using such template, you should consider it.
Although it’s time-consuming to make, using it will save time in the long-run. Besides, if you don’t want to make the template yourself, you can download one from here.
Grading Rubric Templates
Basic components of a rubric template
In its simplest definition, a rubric is a tool for scoring. You use it to describe your performance expectations for a piece of work, a task or an assignment. The basic components of a rubric include:
- The criteria which you’ll use for the assessment. You need to describe all the aspects of performance you will grade your students on. You can also present the criteria as the objectives of the task that you’ll evaluate.
- Descriptors or words which will establish the effectiveness of your expectations. You need to identify the characteristics associated with your criteria. Do this by using the descriptors.
- Also, include the performance levels. Present this as a rating or a scale which has 3-4 or even more qualifiers. You can use this scale to identify the level of mastery of your students. You’ll give them a rating for each of your criterion.
You can use rubrics to give feedback to your students regarding their performance. It’s a tool you can use for grading projects, papers, presentations, and more. Along with these basic components, you can also add other information.
Just make sure not to complicate the template too much. Otherwise, it won’t be as easy to use as a basic rubric template.
Blank Rubric Templates
Advantages of using rubric templates
Aside from being very easy to use, rubrics also have other advantages. Their simplicity makes them very appealing. Using such templates would allow you to evaluate your students’ performance. You can do this with much efficiency and ease. Here are some advantages of using rubrics:
- Use them in analyses
Such templates can provide you with diagnostic information. In turn, you can provide your students with formative feedback. You can link the rubrics to the instructions for work easily.
When you use the rubrics for analyses, you’ll be able to come up with a formative assessment. But with it, you can also come up with a summative assessment. Do this if you need to grade using your students’ overall score. - They’re holistic
When you use rubrics, you can perform scoring and assessment quicker. You won’t need much time to use and understand the templates once you’ve filled them up. - They can be general or task-specific
Rubrics are very versatile. You can share them with your students. Do this to explain your instructions and your assessment methods. You can use the same blank rubric template for different assignments or tasks.
All you need to do is modify the criteria and other information.
You can also use the templates to ask your students to evaluate themselves. Also, you can even ask your students to help you construct your template. No matter how you plan to make or use the rubric, you’ll definitely benefit from it.
Aside from these advantages, there are more for you to enjoy. A well-designed template can offer a lot of benefits to teachers. They can help you to:
- Reduce the time you spend grading your students. You can do this by referring to the descriptors and the scale so you don’t need to write long comments.
- Help you identify your students’ strengths and weaknesses clearly. Once you’ve done that, you can adjust your lessons or teaching methods appropriately.
- Make sure that you’re consistent across time and graders.
- Reduce any uncertainty which can potentially come with grading.
- Discourage any complaints about your students’ grades.
- Let your students understand your standards and expectations.
- Give your students proper feedback.
- Keep track of and evaluate the progress of your students. You can do this as they work towards the goals you’ve set for them.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, a lot of teachers are now using rubrics. They use it to communicate their expectations to their students. As a teacher, you can use the template to give your students feedback. Give them information on how they’re progressing with their work. You can also use it to come up with your students’ final grades.
Project Rubric Templates
Tips for creating a rubric template
A grading rubric template includes the criteria you will use to assess a specific task. This can be anything from writing a paper to giving an oral presentation, and more. Rubrics permit teachers to convey their expectations to students.
You can also use them to track the progress of a student from the start of the task to the end of it. It provides a reliability of grades which is why students appreciate them too. Here are some tips to guide you when you’re creating a template for yourself:
- Establish the purpose and goal of the task you’ll evaluate
Before you start creating your rubric, you should establish the purpose and goal of a task. Go through the learning outcomes associated with the task you’re planning to evaluate.
The template you create can only work effectively if you set clear goals. In doing this, you can monitor your students’ progress as they work towards those goals. - Determine the type of rubric you will use
We’ve gone through some common uses of rubrics. This means that there are different types of templates you can create. Again, before you start, determine which type of rubric you will use for your assessment.
The type to use may depend on some factors. These include your intended learning outcomes and the nature of the task. Also, consider the kind and the amount of feedback you will give your students. - Establish your criteria
In order to do this, you must go through your learning outcomes again. Also, review the assessment parameters so you can determine the criteria to use. Think about the skills and knowledge your students will need to complete the task.
Come up with a list of criteria to evaluate outcomes across varying criteria. Make sure your criteria are distinct and clearly explained. Ideally, you shouldn’t write more than 7 different criteria. - Establish the rating scale to measure the performance levels
The next thing to do is establish your rating scale. No matter what kind of scale you use, make sure it’s clear and it can measure performance levels well.
Decide whether your scale will only have numerical values or descriptors as well. Usually, rubrics have 3-5 different levels in their rating scales. - Write the descriptions for each of your performance levels of your rating scale
When you’re making your performance levels, include a descriptive paragraph for each. It should outline the expectations for the level.
You can also include an example of the ideal performance within the level. Create parallel, measurable, and observable descriptions throughout your template. - Test and revise your rubric if needed
Before you use your rubric with your students, you should test it first. Arrange for testing conditions. Perform this with a number of graders who can use your template together.
After they grade using your template, allow them to grade using a similar tool. Do this to ensure consistency and accuracy of the template you made.
After the testing, search for any discrepancies between the 2 grading tools. If there aren’t any, then your template is quite accurate. Now you can share it (along with the testing results) with your colleagues.
Ask them to assess your template and give their opinions. If they give you any helpful suggestions for modification, use them.
You may also compare your template with templates your colleagues use. All these testing and modifying procedures are very important. Perform them to ensure the effectiveness of your own template.
Typically, your template should fit into a single page. This is ideal so you can quickly see all the criteria and descriptions. If you have a rubric with a lot of pages, you’d have to search through them to find the information you’re looking for.
This would reduce its efficiency. Therefore, you should plan the template well so you can construct it well too.
Using your rubrics template
A grading rubric template is an excellent tool for assessment. We’ve gone through the different advantages of such templates. You can definitely benefit a lot from using them. If it’s your first time to use rubrics, these pointers may help you out:
- When using a rubric, you don’t have to write long comments for each of your students.
- If your student needs feedback regarding his/her performance, refer to your template.
- Learn how to use the template properly. Do this so you don’t have to feel uncertainty when grading your students’ performances.
- Use different templates for different tasks or assignments. Although it may take time to create a template, you can keep on using it. When you need a new one, simply revise your blank rubric template then use it.
- You can also download a template here to save yourself time and effort.
- When you assign your students to a task or project, you can give them a copy of the rubric. This way, they will have an idea of how you’ll evaluate their performance.
- You can use the rubric to save time and effort. All you need to do is give your students grades according to your criteria and rating scale.
- Open your mind to the possibility of having to revise your template. If you discover that it doesn’t work, you need to make the necessary changes. Do this so you can get the most out of your rubric template.