Assessing a Rubric: Evaluating a Rubric's Ability to Provide Functional Data to Critique Curriculum and Improve Instruction
Date
2007-12Author
Gundrum, John
Advisor(s)
Swanger, Wayne
Chiang, Bert
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study was a response to the mandates of Public Law 107-110, commonly known as The No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and its emphasis on the use of assessments to monitor student
achievement, critique curriculum, and improve instruction. The study "assessed" the current
rubric used to score a standardized district-wide student writing assessment in a Northeastern
Wisconsin school district. Ten communication arts teachers from three high schools became
participants. They were given an anonymous student writing sample, the current rubric in use by
the district of the study, and a revised, pilot rubric. They were asked to assess the student writing
sample using both rubrics and then respond to survey questions regarding the assessment process
and each rubric's ability to provide functional data to critique curriculum and improve
instruction. Survey data from Likert Scale questions and participant responses to open-ended
questions revealed they agreed that the use of assessment data to evaluate their teaching
techniques is important. Echoing the existing literature, they also reported the most significant
obstacle to accomplishing this task is lack of time. Participants also supported the pilot rubric
over the current rubric in regard to its ability to provide more functional data for the purpose of
critiquing curriculum and improving instruction.
Subject
assessment
rubric
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/84763Type
Field project