Improve Rubrics to be Formative Assessment

I’ve been looking at rubrics online. I’ve been very frustrated.

Most rubrics do not explain the differences between the quality levels of Advanced, Proficient, Growing, and Starting in the standard. Can your students really improve by reading the rubric? Do they know the difference in the quality expected in each level?
Some typical comments which supposedly describe the quality:
Advanced – Has complete explanations;
Proficient – Adequately explains the information;
Growing – Has some of the information;
Starting- Has a little of the information
What does this mean to a student who received a Starting designation? How does the rubric indicate that he/she has to do to improve?

Most rubrics do not distinguish between which categories are critical and which are helpful. For example, in writing the message (the critical part) is supported by grammar conventions (helpful). Without a sound message, it does not matter how grammatically correct the message is. Unfortunately, usually the message and grammar conventions are given the same weight.

Perhaps three questions (Sadler, 1989) will help you to evaluate a rubric:
Does it clearly indicate the standard and the high quality expected for the standard?
Does it clear indicate to the student how the student’s present performance compares to this standard and quality?
Does it clearly indicate to the student how to close the gap between where the student now is and the expected high quality of the standard?

Does your rubric clearly indicate what next steps the student is to take to improve in the standard? If not, then probably it is not a student formative learning rubric but a teacher grading rubric.

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