I once adored holistic rubrics, but when my students expressed their dislike for them, it led to a transformation in my approach. Now, I am committed to single-point rubrics, and there’s no turning back. They are efficient, inclusive, and genuinely centered on the students. Many insightful educators, such as those at the Cult of Pedagogy, Jeff Bartlett, and Edutopia, have shared their wisdom on this powerful approach.

Here’s how I use them with students as co-creators:

• As a teaching tool.
  • Before planning instruction, start with the end in mind by developing the assessment and rubric. Then, list only the criteria that need to be assessed and identify them in the “Great” column. 
  • Share it with the students. The single-point rubric is another way to teach the critical elements of the skill by listing the specific things that will be evaluated (“Look-For’s”) in the assessment rubric before practice. 
  • If you have teens in your household and a dishwasher, you can relate to this single-point rubric example. 
• As a strategy to make space for learner agency and variability.
  • When reviewing each criterion with the students, let them propose values for each item. Unlike holistic or analytical rubrics, not every criterion should hold the same point value. While grammar is important, is it as crucial as demonstrating an effective refusal?
  • Allow students to indicate in the “Great For Me” column how they might achieve the goal, but to a different degree for each criterion, based on their abilities, but still worth the same value. I have already done this with the educational support professionals for my students with varied learning abilities, and we adjusted it for each student. For example, does my nonverbal student, who reads at a 1st-grade reading level, need to demonstrate 3 or more refusal strategies? Or is it more appropriate that they demonstrate one refusal strategy consistently and correctly? 
• As a method to highlight students’ assets
  • Allow students the option to elevate their talents by indicating in the “Wow” column how they might perform beyond the “Great” criterion by adding more relevant rigor to the assignment for their unique skills. This allows students who want to perform two role-plays or create a diorama in addition to the poster to go above and beyond. This could connect to anything done at the beginning of the unit or course that encouraged students to find their own connection and challenge level to the learning. 
  • They might want to add another criterion and place it in the “Other” row. 
• As a means to encourage self-efficacy
  • When students receive the rubric at the beginning of the unit or when the assessment is introduced, and are allowed to customize it within specific parameters, they are more likely to feel confident in their ability to succeed and demonstrate the required skills. 
  • In the self-assessment column, students can evaluate their own work and make adjustments to improve their scores and enhance their understanding of the skill.
  • Additionally, I have occasionally included a peer assessment column to provide another layer of feedback that will guide students toward mastering the skill.

In a previous district, “Specialty” teachers were required to grade based on a 5-point participation rubric. This approach was not ideal for either the teachers or the students, so I decided to involve my students in creating the rubric collaboratively. Their insights about their peers and expectations from other classes were invaluable.

After years of struggling to create a pedagogically sound grading system, I ultimately decided to simplify it by implementing a single-point rubric. You can see the evolution of these rubrics here. They were developed based on the core character values of the school at that time and student input. This change enables students who may struggle to stay focused to engage in a way that is both challenging and suitable for them. Additionally, it ensures that their efforts are not undervalued by lower scores, even if their participation looks different from that of their peers.
I’d love to hear more about ways you use single-point rubrics.

This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media including the author of this post, Michelle Rawcliffe ,and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com. Michelle Rawcliffe is a curriculum and content manager at CATCH Global Foundation and an adjunct instructor at Southern Connecticut State University. You can email her or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Pair this post with the following:

Assessing Students’ Progress in a Skill-Based Health Education Classroom by Melissa Quigley

Three Ways to Accelerate Assessment by Jen Mead

Assessment: Updating and Improving by Matthew Bassett

Assessment – Let’s Change the Stigma by Amy Falls

Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?