With the phase-in of new state assessment requirements approaching the halfway mark, more teachers find they must master the fourth R - rubrics - to help students meet new standards.

These tools are now a routine part of mandatory standardized testing. New York State United Teachers research leaders advocate wider use of them in classrooms.

"The state is using rubrics to improve its challenging new assessments," said Antonia Cortese, NYSUT first vice president. "But research has shown they are equally effective in enhancing performance on daily tasks and homework assignments."

It is important, she said, when writing your own rubrics, to follow the formats the students will see in their next state assessments. State rubrics vary by subject, and you want to align your rubrics so students are familiar with what they'll see when they get to their state exams, she said. Rubrics are included in state test samplers and sample Regents exams.

Focus the learner

A rubric is a scoring form that spells out the criteria for an assignment and how it will be judged. Donna Christmas, a member of the retiree chapter of the South Colonie Teachers Association in Albany County, said a rubric can focus the learner in creating a piece of work and guide the scorer in determining the level of achievement.

"Fair assessment requires that day-to-day classroom practice reflect the methods and instruments used to rate student progress and achievement," said Christmas, who is an instructor in NYSUT's Effective Teaching Program.

When you have a good rubric, she said, "the students understand before they even start working exactly what they have to do."

A rubric has three key components:

• Criteria are the key elements considered important in producing exemplary work. For example, when rating an oral presentation, one might consider "volume of the speaker" or "accuracy of content" important.

• Indicators spell out how the criteria could reach the various levels of the rating scale. For the criterion "volume of the speaker," the following indicators could be used: "Can be heard in the first two rows only," "can be heard clearly in the first four rows," or "can be heard clearly at the back of the room."

• Rating scales usually range from 0 or 1 up to 3, 4, 5 or 6. Again, try to use a scale that matches the next state test for your students. Christmas prefers a four-point scale, which mirrors many, but not all, state test scoring rubrics. Even-numbered scales curb "fence sitting" in the middle, she said.

The model just described represents an "analytic" rubric, the type most commonly used in classrooms. Many standardized tests - writing tests for example - use "holistic" rubrics. They have criteria and indicators, but they are clustered on one rating scale.

An oral presentation, for example, might be rated on a holistic score of 5 if the speaker makes frequent eye contact with the audience, speaks loudly and clearly and provides accurate content. A score of 1 might be given if the speaker makes no eye contact, cannot be heard clearly and presents a speech with many inaccuracies. Holistic rubrics are generally used for final assessments or when a piece of work is being rated based on a large number of criteria.

Designing rubrics can be a lot of work, Christmas said, but it is worth the effort. "You may have to revise it three, four, maybe 10 times. But once you get it, it makes your job easier. You know you're being fair in your evaluations and you know the student has had every chance to be successful."

- Ned R. Hoskin

Tips on rubrics

1. Try to use a scale that matches rubrics used for scoring state tests in the subject.

2. Levels should be ordered - from least to most developed - on a continuum that lends itself to instruction.

3. Avoid using implied or missing levels between the indicators.

4. Use clear, specific language that is easily understood by students.

5. Present sample evidence for each level.

6. Create a culture of success by involving students in the development of the rubrics.

7. Focus on what you want students to know and be able to do, and how well.

8. Avoid subjectivity by having several evaluators rate your samples; regrade several papers from the bottom after finishing a stack of papers.

9. Be prepared to revise the rubric.