Rubrics

Rubrics are a great way to assess students for many different reasons.  Some are:

-It shows the students how they are going to be graded and what standards they need to follow in order for them to get an excellent grade.

-It makes it easier for the teacher to grade them because all they need to do is make sure that they have followed everything in the rubric that the students were given.

In my personal experience with rubrics, I have always managed to get a great grade for myself because I knew what the teachers were expecting of me.  Most of the rubrics that I have worked with have been numbered from 1-5.  Starting from one which basically shows that the student has barely given any effort to the project or essay.  Then to the highest grade that we could have possibly received was a five.  This shows that the student has given a great effort to the project or essay and deserves a great grade.  Every other grade that is in between just shows what the student needs to improve on, and this is what I like the most about it.  The rubric shows specific details and elaborated on what you really need to improve on to get a better grade then what you have received. 

It is also good for whenever a parent wants to come and talk about their child's paper or project. They can show the parent how they are grading their student.  The teacher can look at the rubric and say this is where your child went wrong and needs to improve.  Hopefully after they review the rubric, they can see some improvements in the students work.