Achievement Standards and Rubrics
What can we conclude from Activity one?
Consider that:
Rubrics reflect the construct that is being assessed
This enables students, teachers, and moderators to understand how a particular response (student work) meets the requirements of the achievement standards, and the construct that the teacher is assessing
It’s important to have clear, easily understood rubrics so that students know what to do, and teachers know what to assess
Audience
Rubrics are written for teachers, students and parents. They unpack the thinking that the teacher uses to mark work.
What is your opinion on the following quotation?
"My first impression of the assessment rubrics was not favourable. Professionally, as a teacher, I found the rubric language unnecessarily blunt, and paradoxically cutting. The highest descriptors were overly flattering in style, and the lowest descriptors were not worded to induce a student to further their studies. Additionally, none of the descriptors were worded for ease of reading in the case of students whose English language may not be consolidated, although the numbers would probably suffice to convey the assessment's grade."
Criticism: Aminah Kazak (2016)
What common errors can be made when writing rubrics? But more significantly, what is the effect or consequences of writing flawed rubrics?
Consequences
Students can be marked for not demonstrating thinking so results do not match AST results at Tertiary level (can lead to lower ATAR scores in a college)
Ranking might be affected and students do not get the scores they deserve
Lower level students can be discouraged
Rubrics can be unhelpful for showing how marks are allocated so students are not supported in their assessment (becomes more of a guessing game)
Achievement Standards
Achievement Standards are used show where learning has reached by the end of the course. They are holistic and can be used as a summary looking across all the pieces of assessment to determine what grade the student finishes with.
In contrast the rubric is more specific and links to the task. The rubric is the bridge between the Achievement Standard and the task.
Example:
A student who achieves a D grade typically in the Achievement Standard for English:
#Understands simple ideas and retells narrative
This becomes more specific in a rubric:
# Understands the idea of revenge in The Vendetta. Can outline the plot.