Checklists & Rubrics

What is it?

A (usually) paper monitoring method to help you track what you see and hear from your students. Depending on your comfort level with technology, paper lists might be the best introduction to formally tracking observations and conversations in the classroom.

The rubric or checklist that best meets your needs will be as unique as your teaching style. Part of your consideration for what you use might also depend on how this feedback will be used by the student (will you tell them in the moment, or will you provide feedback at a later time?).

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Ongoing Assessment Checklist, per student

This checklist has the expectations down the left side of the chart, and levels across the top. When an expectation is levelled, the teacher notes the task (with an abbreviation), and whether it's conversation, observation, or product. This is a great way to see progress over time (as expectations get assessed more than once), and to gauge consistency. Expectations, though, are vague and may be hard to assess on the fly. One sheet per student, which can last all unit.

Single-Point Rubric, per student

A single-point rubric has the overall expectation and criteria to be evaluated. It is similar to the "traditional" rubric, with the exception that the only qualifier given is for Level 3. Space is then left for the teacher to address concerns (below level 3) or note excellence (above level 3). Lots of flexibility for the teacher to record what they see/hear. With only a few spaces for assessment, this might add up to a lot of paper.

Single-Expectation Checklist, per class

This checklist has student names down the left side of the page and levels across the top. With a single task in mind, this might be the checklist you choose to have on you as you walk around the class. While there's not enough room on the checklist for a full comment, there is enough to mark the level at which they demonstrated their understanding.

Single Expectation, Single Student Checklist

This checklist has room for the different tasks down the left side, as well as level and C-O-P designation along the top. Designed to be used throughout a unit, having one sheet per expectation per student it allows you to track multiple assessments, quickly gauge a level, and see if there's a balance between conversations, observations, and products. Really nice summary per student, but again, could be lots of paper.

Try your hand at designing or creating a checklist of your own for an upcoming observation/conversation assessment you could do between now and the end of the school year.

HINT: Don't re-invent the wheel! Start with an activity (and learning goal/curriculum expectation) you already have planned, and feel free to grab ideas from the above checklists and rubrics!

Links to Curriculum Documents to also help you:

• Elementary math
• Grade 9 & 10 math
• Grade 11 & 12 math

Click here to go to the next section: Google Forms