Holistic vs. Analytic Rubrics
Holistic rubrics, designed for use by multiple raters to achieve interrater reliability, are often used to assess performances on standardized tests. Using the rubric, raters score an assessment based on which description best matches what the student has produced.
Analytic rubrics are not used to provide scores. Instead, analytic rubrics are used by students to set goals and self-assess. Teachers use analytic rubrics to drive instruction. These rubrics reflect content mastery as evident in the final product. Each row of an analytic rubric represents one component of the final product.
The Role of the Rubric in the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom™
An authentic learning unit (ALU) task is accompanied by an analytic rubric used to drive instruction:
- Students read the task statement and become invested in the problem to solve.
- Students analyze the rubric to gain a clear sense of the unit expectations and learning goals.
- Students engage actively with the rubric throughout the learning process, identifying next steps to take and noting their progress regularly.
Given the rubric is not evaluative in nature, but a guide:
- The rubric should be written from left (Novice) to right (Expert) in a progression that models the left-right approach to reading.
- The Practitioner column should represent grade-level expectations.
- The Novice and Apprentice columns should be stepping stones such that a student could start in the Novice column, achieve that, move to the Apprentice column to improve on the work, and so on.
- The Expert column should represent a reach for those who are able to excel.
- The rubric should contain positive, objective language. Refrain from identifying what is incorrect and/or missing.
