CPE106.

ASSESSMENT in LEARNING 2
MODULE 2. Performance-Based Assessment

LESSON 2: Designing Meaningful Performance-Based Assessment

Overview.
As we learn the nature of performance-based assessment, its characteristics, types,
advantages and limitations, the next step is to design it aligned to the learning goals. Focusing on
the knowledge and targeted skills, you will need to think of some tasks which must be performed
authentically. Clearly, comprehensive planning and designing of performance-based assessment
should be taken into consideration. Three things that we need to discuss in this lesson are:
Authentic assessment tools, Process-oriented performance-based assessment and Product-
oriented performance-based assessment.
Module Intended Learning Outcome. At the end of the module, you are able to apply the
principles in constructing and interpreting performance-based assessment.

Lesson Intended Learning Outcome. At the end of the lesson, you are expected to develop a
portfolio of performance-based assessment tools that will measure students’ competencies in a
particular subject.
Engage. Designing performance-based assessment tools entails critical processes which start from the
tasks that the teacher wants to assess.

A. AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT TOOLS

If we want students to develop such competencies as analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing and
evaluating information, we must be able to assess those skills in relevant settings and context.
Authentic assessment makes use of three modes of assessment:
1. Observations which include date and information that the teacher collects from daily work with
students.
2. Performance samples which are tangible results that demonstrate student achievements.
3. Test and measures of student’s actual performance at a specific place and time.

Observations-Based Assessment Tools

To make observation-based assessment systematic and objective, Diane Hart (1994) suggested
the following guidelines:
1. Observe not only one but all the students.
2. Observation must be as frequent and as regular as possible.
3. Observations must be recorded in writing.
4. Observations should cover both routine and exceptional occurrences.
5. Reliability of observation records is enhanced if multiple observations are gathered and
synthesized.
The Developmental Checklist is an observation tool which requires the teacher recorder to
describe the traits or learning behaviours being assessed. When used regularly during the school year,
developmental checklists give a moving picture of the student’s progress towards the desired
competencies.
Example of Individual Developmental checklist in Oral and Written Communication

Name: Year and Section:

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Speaks with hesitation Speaks in complete Speaks extemporaneously Volunteers to participate in
sentences speaking activities
Date:_____________ Date:___________ Date: ____________ Date: ___________

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Writes with difficulty Writes with some Writes with correct Submits essays and reports
improvement grammar and syntax
Date: _____________ Date: ____________ Date: _____________ Date: ____________

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Example of Group Developmental Record Sheet For Student Teachers with major in Biology Sciences

Name Prepare lesson Writes outcome Motivates class Students actively

plan before based objectives and sustains participate In class
teaching interests activities
Angeles, Susan 7/10 7/15 7/18
Cruz, Shirley 7/12 7/17
Manalo, Kirk 7/8 7/12 7/20 7/26
Perez, Regina 7/20 7/25
Valdez, Robert 7/8 7/16
Zerrudo, Claire 7/5 7/10 7/21 7/28

Example of Observation Checklist

Name__________________ Topic/Activity ____________________

Attributes Rating 5 4 3 2 1

1. Clarity of presentation _____________________________________

2. Opportunity of class interaction _____________________________________

3. Organization _____________________________________
4. Grammar and syntax _____________________________________
5. Provision of summary _____________________________________
Total:

The Interview Sheet is another observation tool which is also called the conference recording
form. Interview sheets consist of a list of questions the teacher intends to ask and space for recording the
student’s answers.
Example of Interview sheet

Research Proposal Interview Sheet

Student’s Name ________________________________________ Date ________________

Interviewer’s Name __________________________________________________________
Course/Subject ______________________________________________________________
Topic ______________________________________________________________________
1. Why do you select this topic?

2. What are the sources of your materials?

3. What is the theoretical basis of your research topic?

4. How do you plan to gather data for your research?

5. What research instruments do you intend to use?

6. What is your timetable for the completion of your research?

7. How much do you expect to spend for this research?

Performance Samples Assessment Tools

A portfolio is a compilation of pieces of evidence of an individual’s skills, ideas, interests, and
accomplishments. It can be as simple as a folder of these pieces of evidence, as fancy as a neat scrapbook
containing evidence of a student’s accomplishment or as high-tech as a laser disk containing stored
descriptions, written works and pictures of the student’s activities accomplishments.
The portfolio serves the following purposes:
(a) The teacher can assess the growth and development of the students at various levels.
(b) Parents are informed of the progress of their children in school.

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 (c) Instructional supervisors are able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
academic program.

What can be included in a portfolio?

Essays, video tapes, audio tapes, conference note, pictures, graphs/chart, art work,
group reports, compact disk, field reports.
Graduating students should be able to prepare employability portfolio such as the
following:

Employability Competencies Portfolio

Academic Competencies
1. can understand printed materials
2. can use research and library skills
3. can use technology in preparing oral presentation
4. can use scientific method in solving problems
5. can write and speak effectively in English and Filipino

Personal Management Competencies

1. attends school work daily punctually
2. meets school deadlines
3. knows personal strengths and weaknesses
4. demonstrates self-control
5. can follow oral and written instructions
6. can work without supervision
7. can learn new skills

Team Work Competencies

1. can participate actively in a group
2. knows and respects group’s values
3. listens to other group members
4. can express ideas to other group members
5. can be either leader or member of a team
6. can adjust In changing settings and people

Performance Assessment Tool

Student achievements at specific place and time are actual student performances that deserve to
be assessed. Out of the most frequently used measurement instruments is a checklist. A performance
checklist consists of a list of behaviours that make up a certain type of performance (e.g. using a
microscope, preparing a letter, solving a mathematics problem, etc.) It is used to determine whether or not
an individual behaves in a certain way (usually desired) when asked to complete a particular task. If a
particular behaviour is present when an individual is observed, the teacher places a check opposite it on
the list.
Example:
Performance Checklist in Solving a Mathematical Problem
Behavior:
_________ 1. identifies the given information
_________ 2. identifies what is being asked
_________ 3. uses variables to replace the unknown
_________ 4. formulates the equations
_________ 5. performs algebraic operations
_________ 6. obtains an answer
_________ 7. Verifies if the answer is correct

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 Oral questioning is an appropriate assessment method for actual performance when the
objectives are: (a) to assess the student’s stock knowledge and/or (b) to determine the student’s ability to
communicate ideas in coherent verbal sentences. While oral questioning is indeed an option for
assessment, several factors need to be considered when using this option. Of particular significance are
the student’ state of mind and feelings, anxiety and nervousness in making oral presentation that could
mask the student’s true ability.
Observations and self-reports need a tally sheet as device when used by the teacher to record
the frequency of student behaviours, activities or remarks. A self-checklist is a list of several
characteristics or activities presented to the subjects of a study. The students are asked to study the list
and then to place a mark opposite the characteristics that they possess or activities in which they have
engaged for a particular length of time. Observation and self-reports are useful supplementary assessment
methods when used in conjunction with oral questioning and performance tests.

B. PROCESS-ORIENTED, PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT

Too often, we tend to assess student’s learning through their outputs or products or through some
kind of traditional testing. However, it is important to assess not only these competencies but also the
process which the student underwent in order to arrive at these products or outputs. It is possible to
explain why the student’s outputs are as they are through an assessment of the processes which they did
in order to arrive at the final product.
Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional,
integrated, and revealed in performance over time. Learning is a complex process. It entails not only what
students know but what they can do with what they know ; it involves not only knowledge and abilities
but values, attitudes and habits of mind that affect both academic success and performance beyond the
classroom. Assessment should reflect these understandings by employing a diverse array of methods,
including those that call for actual performance, using them over time so as to reveal change, growth, and
increasing degrees of integration. Such an approach aims for a more complex and accurate picture of
learning.
1. Process-Oriented Learning Competencies
Information about outcomes is of high importance; where students “end up” matters greatly.
But to improve outcomes, we need to know about student experience along the way – about the
curricula, teaching, and kind of student effort that lead to particular outcomes. Assessment can help
us understand which students learn best under what conditions; with such knowledge comes the
capacity to improve the whole of their learning. Process-oriented performance-based assessment is
concerned with the actual task performance rather than the output or product of the activity.

1.1 Learning Competencies

The learning objectives in process-oriented performance based assessment are stated in
directly observable behaviours of the students. Competencies are defined as groups or clusters of
skills abilities needed for a particular task. The objectives generally focus on those behaviours
which exemplify a “best practice” for the particular task. Such behaviours range from a
“beginner” or novice level up to the level of an expert. An example of learning competencies for
a process-oriented performance-based assessment is given below:
Task: Recite a Poem by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”.
Objectives: the activity aims to enable the students to recite a poem entitled “The Raven” by
Edgar Allan Poe, specifically to:
1. Recite the poem from memory without referring to notes;
2. Use appropriate hand and body gestures in delivering the piece;
3. Maintain eye contact with the audience while reciting the poem;
4. Create the ambiance of the poem through appropriate rising and falling intonation;
5. Pronounce the word clearly and with proper diction.
Notice that the objective starts with a general statement of what is expected of the student
from the task (recite a poem by Edgar Allan Poe) and then breaks down the general objective into easily
observable behaviours when reciting the poem. The specific objectives identified constitute the learning

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competencies for this particular task. As in the statement of objectives using Bloom’s taxonomy, the
specific objectives also range from simple observable process to more complex observable processes, e.g.
creating an ambiance of the poem through appropriate rising and falling intonation. A competency is said
to be more complex when it consist of two or more skills.
The following competencies are simple competencies:
. Speak with well-modulated voice;
. Draw a straight line from one point to another point;
. Color a leaf with green crayon.

The following competencies are more complex competencies:

. Recite a poem with feeling using appropriate voice quality, facial expressions and hand
gestures;
. Construct an equilateral triangle given three non-collinear points;
. Draw and color a leaf with green crayon

2. Task Designing
Learning tasks need to be carefully planned. In particular, the teacher must ensure that the
particular learning process to be observed contributes to the overall understanding of the subject or
course.
Some generally accepted standards for designing a task include:

 Identifying an activity that would highlight the competencies to be evaluated, e.g. reciting a
poem writing an essay, manipulating the microscope etc.
 Identifying an activity that would entail more or less the same sets of competencies. If an
activity would result in too many possible competencies, then the teacher would have difficulty
assessing the student’s competency on the task.
 Finding a task that would be interesting and enjoyable for the students. Tasks such as writing
an essay are often boring and cumbersome for the students.
Example: The topic is on understanding biological diversity.
Possible Task Design: Bring the students to a pond or creek. Ask them to find all living
organisms they can find living near the pond or creek. Also, bring them to the school playground to find
as many living organisms they can. Observe how the students will develop a system for finding such
organisms, classifying the organisms and concluding the differences in biological diversity of the two
sites.
Science laboratory classes are particularly suitable for a process-oriented performance-based
assessment technique.
3. Scoring Rubrics
Rubric is a scoring scale used to assess student performance along a task-specific set of
criteria. Authentic assessments typically are criterion-referenced measures, that is, a student’s aptitude on
a task is determined by matching the student’s performance against a set of criteria to determine the
degree to which the student’s performance meets the criteria for the task. To measure student
performance against a pre-determined set of criteria, a rubric, or scoring scale, is typically created which
contains the essential criteria for the task and appropriate levels of performance for each criterion. For
example, the following rubric (scoring scale) covers the recitation portion of a task in English.
Recitation Rubric

Criteria 1 2 3
Number of X1 1-4 5-9 10-12
Appropriate Hand
Gestures
Appropriate Facial X2 Lots of inappropriate Few inappropriate No apparent inappropriate
Expression facial expression facial expression facial expression
Voice Inflection X2 Monotone voice used Can vary voice Can easily vary voice
inflection with inflection
difficulty
Incorporate proper X3 Recitation contains very Recitation has some Recitation fully captures
ambiance through little feelings feelings ambiance through feelings

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 feelings in the voice in the voice

As in the given example, a rubric is comprised of two components: criteria and levels of
performance. Each rubric has at least two criteria and at least two levels of performance. The criteria
characteristics of good performance on a task, are listed in the left-hand column in the illustrated rubric
(number of hand gestures, appropriate features, voice inflection and ambiance). Actually, as is common in
rubrics, a short hand is used for each criterion to make it fit easily into the table. The full criteria are
statements of performance such as “include a sufficient number of hand gestures” and “recitation captures
the ambiance through appropriate feelings and tone in the voice”.
For each criterion, the evaluator applying the rubric can determine to what degree the student has
met the criterion, i.g., the level of performance. In the given rubric, there are three levels of performances
for each criterion. For example, the recitation can contain lots of appropriate, few inappropriate or no
inappropriate hand gestures.
Finally, the illustrated rubric contains a mechanism for assigning a score to each project.
(Assessments and their accompanying rubrics can be used for purposes other than evaluation and, thus, do
not have to have points or grades attached to them.) In the second-to-left column a weight is assigned
each criterion. Students can receive 1, 2 or 3 points for “number of sources.” But appropriate ambiance,
more important is this teacher’s mind, is weighted three times (x3) as heavily. So, students can receive 3,
6 or 9 points (i.e., 1, 2 or 3 times 3) for the level of appropriateness in this task.
Descriptors
The rubric includes another common, but not necessary, component of rubrics – descriptors.
Descriptors spell out what is expected of students at each level of performance for each criterion. In the
given example, “lots of inappropriate facial expressions,” “monotone voice used” are descriptors. A
descriptor tells students more precisely what performance looks like at each level and how their work
may be distinguished from the work of others for each criterion. Similarly, the descriptors help the
teacher more precisely and consistently distinguish between student work.
Why Include Levels of Performance?
1. Clearer expectations
It is very useful for the students and the teacher if the criteria are identified and
communicated prior to completion of the tasks. Students know what is expected of them and
teachers know what to look for in student performance. Similarly, students better understand
what good (or bad) performance on a task looks like if levels of performance are identified,
particularly if descriptors for each level are included.
2. More consistent and objective assessment
In addition to better communicating teacher expectations, level of performance permit the
teacher to more consistently and objectively distinguish between good and bad performance,
or between superior, mediocre and poor performance, when evaluating student work.
3. Better feedback
Furthermore, identifying specific levels of student performance allows the teacher to
provide more detailed feedback to students. The teacher and the students can more clearly
recognize areas that need improvement.
Analytic Versus Holistic Rubrics
For a particular task you assign students, do you want to be able to assess how well the student
perform on each criterion, or do you want to get a more global picture of each student’s performance on
the entire task? The answer to that question is likely to determine the type of rubric you choose to create
or use: Analytic or holistic.

Analytic rubric
Most rubrics, like the Recitation rubric mentioned, are analytic rubrics. An analytic rubric
articulates levels of performance for each criterion so the teacher can assess student performance on each
criterion. Using the Recitation rubric, a teacher could assess whether a student has done a poor, good or
excellent job of “creating ambiance” and distinguish that from how well the student did on “voice
inflection.”

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 Holistic rubric
In contrast, a holistic rubric does not list separate levels of performance for each criterion.
Instead, a holistic rubric assigns a level of performance by assessing performance across multiple criteria
as a whole. For example, the analytic recitation rubric above can be turned into a holistic rubric:
3 - Excellent Speaker
. included 10-12 changes in hand gestures
. no apparent inappropriate facial expressions
. utilized proper voice inflection
. can create proper ambiance for the poem

2 – Good Speaker
. included 5-9 changes in hand gestures
. few inappropriate facial expressions
.had some inappropriate voice inflection changes
. almost creating proper ambiance

1 – Poor Speaker
. included 1-4 changes in hand gestures
. lots of inappropriate facial expressions
. used monotone voice
. did not create proper ambiance

When to choose an analytic rubric

Analytic rubrics are more common because teachers typically want to assess each criterion
separately, particularly for assignments that involve a larger number of criteria. It becomes more and
more difficult to assign level of performance in a holistic rubric as the number of criteria increases. As
student performance increasingly varies across criteria it becomes more difficult to assign an appropriate
holistic category to the performance. Additionally, an analytic rubric better handles weighting of criteria.
When to choose a holistic rubric
So, when may you use a holistic rubric? Holistic rubric tends to be used when a quick or gross
judgment needs to be made. If the assessment is a minor one, such as a brief homework assignment, it
may be sufficient to apply a holistic judgment (e.g., check, check-plus, or no-check) to quickly review
student work. But holistic rubrics can also be employed for more substantial assignments. On some tasks
it is not easy to evaluate performance on one criterion independently of performance on a different
criterion. For example, many writing rubric are holistic because it is not always easy to disentangle clarity
from organization or content from presentation. So, some educators believe a holistic or global
assessment of student performance better captures student ability on certain tasks. (Alternatively, if two
criteria are nearly inseparable, the combination of the two can be treated as a single criterion in an
analytic rubric.)
How Many Levels of Performance Should I Include in my Rubric?
There are no specific number of levels a rubric should or should not possess. It will vary depending
on the task and your needs. A rubric can have as few as two levels of performance (e.g., a checklist) or as
many as you decide is appropriate. Also, it is not true that there must be an even number or an odd
number of levels. Again, that will depend on the situation.
Generally, it is better to start with smaller number of levels of performance for a criterion and then
expand if necessary. Making distinctions in student performance across two or three broad categories is
difficult enough. As the number of levels increases and those judgments become finer and finer, the
likelihood of error increases.
Thus, start small. For example, in an oral presentation rubric, amount of eye contact might be an
important criterion. Performance on that criterion could be judged along three levels of performance.

Makes eye contact Never Sometimes Always

with audience

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 Although these three levels may not capture all the variations in student performance on the
criterion, it may be sufficient discrimination for your purposes. Or, at the least, it is a place to start. Upon
applying the three levels of performance, you might discover that you can effectively group your
students’ performance in these three categories. Furthermore, you might discover that the labels of
“never”, “sometimes” and “always” sufficiently communicate to your students the degree to which they
can improve on making eye contact.
On the other hand, after applying the rubric you might discover that you cannot effectively
discriminate among student performances with just three levels of performance. Perhaps, in your view,
many students fall in between never and sometime, or between sometimes and always, and neither label
accurately captures their performance. So, at this point, you may decide to expand the number of levels of
performance to include never, rarely, sometimes, usually and always.
Makes eye contact Never Rarely Sometimes Usually Always

There is no “right” answer as to how many levels of performance there should be for a criterion in
an analytic rubric; that will depend on the nature of the task assigned, the criteria being evaluated, the
students involved and your purposes and preferences. For example, another teacher might decide to leave
off the “always” level in the above rubric because “usually” is as much as normally can be expected or
even wanted in some instances. Thus, the “makes eye contact” portion of the rubric for that teacher might
be:
Makes eye contact never rarely sometimes usually

It is recommended that fewer levels of performance be included initially because such is:
. easier and quicker to administer
. easier to explain to students (and others)
. easier to expand than larger rubrics to shrink

C. PRODUCT-ORIENTED PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT

Student performances can be defined as targeted tasks that lead to a product or overall learning
outcome. Products can include a wide range of student works that target specific skills.
1. Product-Oriented Learning Competencies
Some examples include communication skills such as those demonstrated in reading, writing,
speaking, and listening, or psychomotor skills requiring physical abilities to perform a given task.
Target tasks can also include behaviour expectations targeting complex tasks that students are
expected to achieve. Using rubrics is one way that teachers can evaluate or assess student
performance or proficiency in any given task as it relates to a final product or learning outcome.
Thus, rubrics can provide valuable information about the degree to which a student has achieved a
defined learning outcome based on specific criteria that defined the framework for evaluation.
The learning competencies associated with products or outputs are linked with an assessment of
the level of “expertise” manifested by the product. Thus, product-oriented learning competencies
target at least three (3) levels: novice or beginner’s level, skilled level, and expert level. Such
levels correspond to Bloom’s taxonomy in the cognitive domain in that they represent progressively
higher levels of complexity in the thinking processes.
There are other ways to state product-oriented learning competencies. For instance, we can
define learning competencies for products or outputs in the following way:

 Level 1: Does the finished product or project illustrate the minimum expected parts or
functions? (Beginner)
 Level 2: Does the finished product or project contain additional parts and functions on
top of the minimum requirements which tend to enhance the final output/ (Skilled
level)
 Level 3: Does the finished product contain the basic minimum parts and functions,
have additional features on top of the minimum, and is aesthetically pleasing? (Expert
level)

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 Example 1: The desired product is a representation of a cubic prism made out of cardboard in
an elementary geometry class.
Learning Competencies: The final product submitted by the student must:
1. possess the correct dimensions (5” x 5” x 5”) – (minimum specifications)
2. be sturdy, made of durable cardboard and properly fastened together – (skilled
specifications)
3. be pleasing to the observer, preferably properly colored for aesthetic purposes –
(expert level)
Example 2: The product desired is a scrapbook illustrating the historical event called EDSA I
People Power.
Learning Competencies: The scrapbook presented by the students must:
1. contain pictures, newspaper clippings and other illustrations for the main characters
of EDSA I People Power namely: Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Juan Ponce
Enrile, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Cardinal Sin. – (minimum specifications)

2. contain remarks and captions for the illustrations made by the student himself for the
roles played by the characters of EDSA I People Power – (skilled level)

3. be presentable, complete, informative and pleasing to the reader of the scrapbook –

(expert level).
Performance-based assessment for products and projects can also be used for assessing
outputs of short-term tasks such as the one illustrated below for outputs in a typing class.
Example: The desired output consists of the output in a typing class.
Learning Competencies: The final typing outputs of the students must:
1. possess no more than five (5) errors in spelling – (minimum specifications)
2. possess no more than 5 errors in spelling while observing proper format based on the
document to be typewritten – (skilled level)
3. possess no more than 5 errors in spelling, has the proper format, and is readable and
presentable – (expert level).
Notice that in all of the above examples, product-oriented performance based learning
competencies are evidence-based. The teacher needs concrete evidence that the student has achieved a
certain level of competence based on submitted products or projects.

2. Task Designing
How should a teacher design a task for product-oriented performance-based assessment?
The design of the task in this context depends on what the teacher desires to observe as outputs of
the students. The concepts that may be associated with task designing include:
a. Complexity. The level of complexity of the project needs to be within the range of
ability of the students. Projects that are too simple tend to be uninteresting for the
students while projects that are too complicated will most likely frustrate them.
b. Appeal. The project or activity must be appealing to the students. It should be interesting
enough so that students are encourage to pursue the task to completion. It should lead to
self-discovery of information by the students.
c. Creativity. The project needs to encourage students to exercise creativity and divergent
thinking. Given the same set of materials and project inputs, how does one best present
the project? It should lead the students into exploring the various possible ways of
presenting the final output.
d. Goal-Based. Finally, the teacher must bear in mind that the project is produced in order
to attain a learning objective. Thus, projects are assigned to students not just for the sake
of producing something but for the purpose of reinforcing learning.
Example: Paper folding is a traditional Japanese art. However, it can be used as an
activity to teach the concept of plane and solid figures in geometry. Provide the students with a

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 given number of colored papers and ask them to construct as many plane and solid figures from
these papers without cutting them (by paper folding only).
3. Scoring Rubrics
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 (Brookhart, 1999).
Scoring rubrics are typically employed when a judgment of quality is required and may be used to
evaluate a broad range of subjects and activities.
3.1 Criteria Setting. The criteria for scoring rubrics are statements which identify “what really
counts” in the final output. The following are the most often used major criteria for product assessment:

 Quality
 Creativity
 Comprehensiveness
 Accuracy
 Aesthetics
From the major criteria, the next task is to identify statements that would make the major
criteria more focused and objective. For instance, if we were scoring an essay on: “Three Hundred Years
of Spanish Rule in the Philippines”, the major criterion “Quality” may possess the following
substatements:

 interrelates the chronological events in an interesting manner.

 identifies the key players in each period of the Spanish rule and the roles that they
played
 succeeds in relating the history of the Philippines Spanish rule (rated as
Professional, Not quite professional, and Novice)

When are scoring rubrics an appropriate evaluation technique?

Grading essays is just one example of performances that may be evaluated using scoring
rubrics. There are many other instances in which scoring rubrics may be used successfully: evaluate
group activities, extended projects and oral presentations. Also, rubrics scoring cuts across disciplines and
subject matter for they are equally appropriate to the English, Mathematics and Science Classrooms.
Where and when a scoring rubric is used does not depend on the grade level or subject, but rather on the
purpose of the assessment.
Other Methods
Authentic assessment schemes apart from scoring rubrics exist in the arsenal of a teacher. For
example, checklists may be used rather than scoring rubrics in the evaluation of essays. Checklists
enumerate a set of desirable characteristics for a certain product and the teacher marks those
characteristics which are actually observed. As such, checklist are an appropriate choice for evaluation
when the information that is sought is limited to the determination of whether or not specific criteria have
been met. On the other hand, scoring rubrics are based on descriptive scales and support the evaluation of
the extent to which criteria have been met.
The ultimate consideration in using a scoring rubrics for assessment is really the “purpose of
the assessment.” Scoring rubrics provide at least two benefits in the evaluation process. First, they support
the examination of the extent to which the specified criteria have been reached. Second, they provide
feedback to students concerning how to improve their performances. If these benefits are consistent with
the purpose of the assessment, then a scoring rubric is likely to be an appropriate evaluation technique.
General versus Task-Specific
In the development of the scoring rubric, it is well to bear in mind that it can be used to assess or
evaluate specific tasks or general or broad category of tasks. For instance, suppose that we are interested
in assessing the student’s oral communication skills. Then, a general scoring rubric may be developed and
used to evaluate each of the oral presentations given by the student. After each such oral presentation of
the students, the general scoring rubrics are shown to the students which then allow them to improve on

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their previous performances. Scoring rubrics have this advantage of instantaneously providing a
mechanism for immediate feedback.
In contrast, suppose the main purpose of the oral presentation is to determine the students’
knowledge of the facts surrounding the EDSA I revolution, then perhaps a specific scoring rubric would
be necessary. A general scoring rubric for evaluating sequence of presentations may not be adequate
since, in general, events such as EDSA I (and EDSA II) differ on the situations surrounding factors (what
caused the revolutions) and the ultimate outcomes of these events. Thus, to evaluate the students’
knowledge of these events, it will be necessary to develop specific rubrics scoring guide for each
presentation.
Process of Developing Scoring Rubrics
The development of scoring rubrics goes through a process. The first step in the process entails
the identification of the qualities and attributes that the teacher wishes to observe in the students’ outputs
that would demonstrate their level of proficiency. (Brookhart, 1999). These qualities and attributes form
the top level of the scoring criteria for the rubrics. Once done, a decision has to be made whether a
holistic or an analytical rubric would be more appropriate. In an analytic scoring rubric, each criterion is
considered one by one and the descriptions of the scoring levels are made separately. This will then result
in separate descriptive scoring schemes for each of the criterion or scoring factor. On the other hand, for
holistic scoring rubrics, the collection of criteria is considered throughout the construction of each level of
the scoring rubric and the result is a single descriptive scoring scheme.
The next step after defining the criteria for the top level of performance is the identification and
definition of the criteria for the lowest level of performance. In other words, the teacher is asked to
determine the type of performance that would constitute the worst performance or a performance which
would indicate lack of understanding of the concepts being measured. The underlying reason for this step
is for the teacher to capture the criteria being measured. In particular, therefore, the approach suggested
would result in at least three levels of performance.
It is of course possible to make greater and greater distinctions between performances. For instance,
we can compare the middle level performance expectations with the best performance criterion and come
up with an above average performance criterion; between the middle level performance expectations and
the worst level of performance to come up with a slightly below average performance criteria and so on.
This comparison process can be used until the desired number of score levels is reached or until no
further distinctions can be made. If meaningful distinctions between the score categories cannot be made,
then additional score categories should not be created (Brookhart, 1999). It is better to have a few
meaningful score categories then to have many score categories that are difficult or impossible to
distinguishs.
A note of caution, it is suggested that each score category should be defined using descriptors of the
work rather than value-judgment about the work (Brookhart, 1999). For example, “Student’s sentences
contain no errors in subject-verb agreements,” is preferable over, “Student’s sentences are good.” The
phrase “are good” requires the evaluator to make a judgment whereas the phrase “no errors” is
quantifiable. Finally, we can test whether our scoring rubrics is “reliable” by asking two or more teachers
to score the same set of projects or output and correlate their individual assessments. High correlations
between the raters imply high interrater reliability. If the scores assigned by the teachers differ greatly,
then such would suggest a way to refine the scoring rubrics we have developed. It may be necessary to
clarify the scoring rubrics so that they would mean the same thing to different scorers.
Resources
Currently, there is a broad range of resources available to teachers who wish to use scoring rubrics
in their classrooms. These resources differ both in the subject that they cover and the level that they are
designed to assess. The examples provided below are only a small sample of the information that is
available.
For K-12 teachers the State of Colorado (1998) has developed an on-line set of general, holistic
scoring rubrics that are designed for the evaluation of various writing assessments. The Chicago Public
Schools (1999) maintain an extensive electronic list of analytic and holistic scoring rubrics that span the
broad array of subjects represented throughout K-12 education. For the mathematics teachers, Danielson
has developed a collection of reference books that contain scoring rubrics that are appropriate to the

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elementary, middle school and high school mathematics classrooms (1997a, 1997b; Danielson &
Marquez, 1998).
Resources are also available to assist college instructors who are interested in developing and using
scoring rubrics in their classrooms. Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Educators (2000) contain electronic
materials for both the pre-college and the college classroom. In The Art and Science of Classroom
Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy, Brookhart (1999) provides a brief, but comprehensive review
of the literature on assessment in the college classroom. This includes a description of scoring rubrics and
why their use is increasing in the college classroom. Moskal (1999) has developed a web site that
contains links to a variety of college assessment resources, including scoring rubrics.
The resources described represent only a fraction of those that are available. The ERIC
Clearinghouse of Assessment and Evaluation [ERIC/AE] provides several additional useful web sites.
One of these, Scoring Rubrics – Definitions &Constructions (2000b), specifically addresses questions that
are frequently asked with regard to scoring rubrics. This site also provides electronic links to web
resources and bibliographic references to books and articles that discuss scoring rubrics.

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