Individual Development Plan Rubric

Project Description
The purpose of the Individual Development Plan assignment is to:

• Help you develop and improve goal-setting skills, a critical element for all facets of one’s personal and professional life;

• Provide the opportunity for you to take personal responsibility for your development by helping you reflect on where
you are and where you want to go for this term and beyond;

• Serve as a guide for conversations between you and your mentors to ensure you are getting the help you need to achieve
your goals.

Category Target Acceptable Unacceptable

Analysis of your
strengths and areas for
improvement
The student is able to candidly and
thoroughly evaluate his/her
strengths and areas of
improvement related to all five
categories: academic, professional,
civic, leadership and personal
development. Student
demonstrates high level of
thoughtfulness and insight.
The student evaluates his/her
strengths and areas of
improvement related to all five
categories.
Shows some limited level of
thoughtfulness and insight.
The student answers the
in the questions in the
five areas using one- or
two word responses
demonstrating very little
or no insight or
thoughtfulness.

Identification of your
long-term vision
The student is able to discuss
specifically what he/she would like
to be doing in 5-10 years or is able
to articulate with some level of
detail the types of activities he/she
prefers to be doing in that time
frame.
The student is able to discuss in
vague terms the type of
activities he/she wants to be
doing in 5-10 years.
The student is not able
to articulate with any
specificity the activities
he/she would like to be
doing in 5-10 years.

Summary of goals and
action steps
The student has identified goals
and action steps in each of the five
categories that are: specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic
and have a time–frame associated
with them. The student
demonstrates a clear link between
his/her self-analysis and the goals.
The student has identified
goals and action steps in each of
the five categories that are:
specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic and have a time-frame
associated with them. There is
some link between his/her self-
analysis and the goals.
The student has
identified goals and
action steps in each of
the five categories. They
are however,
not very specific,
measurable, attainable,
realistic or time- framed.
There does not seem to
be a connection between
the self-analysis and the
goals.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

1
Ability to summarize
how your goals and
action steps for the
semester will impact
your long-term vision.
Incorporates feedback
from program advisor
and/or internship
supervisor
Writing style and format
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminar
2
The student is able to clearly
articulate how his/her goals and
action steps will lead toward a
long-term vision. The student has
been able to identify with
specificity what resources or
further development will be
needed beyond this term to
achieve his/her long-term goals.
Student proactively seeks
constructive feedback from both
the program advisor and the
internship supervisor and
incorporates the feedback in the
IDP.
The student’s writing is clear and
concise. The length is appropriate.
Grammar, punctuation and
spelling are correct. The correct
format is used.
The student demonstrates
some connection of how
his/her goals and action steps
will lead toward a long-term
vision. The student mentions
some resources he/she will
need beyond the term.
Student incorporates feedback
from either the program
advisor or the internship
supervisor and includes the
feedback in the IDP.
The student’s writing is clear
and concise. Grammar,
punctuation and spelling are
correct. The correct format is
used.
It is not clear how the
goals and action steps
will lead to the student’s
ability to achieve long-
term goals. The student
does not identify
additional resources or
further development
he/she needs.
No feedback is sought
and no feedback is
incorporated
The student’s writing is
not clear or concise.
There are grammatical
and spelling mistakes.
The correct format is not
used.