scholarship essay rubric template

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Using Rubrics to Review Scholarship and Fellowship Applications

Your institution’s programs are one of a kind—and offering scholarships and fellowships can help you share these assets with a wider community. As you design applications and set up review, remember that the first step in any smart process is the creation of a thorough rubric. Rubrics are detailed outlines for how each application will be read and scored. Using rubrics to review scholarship and fellowship applications helps reviewers stay consistent, minimizes personal bias, and provides a useful reference for everyone involved in the process.

Most commonly created by teachers to assess student performance, rubrics are useful for evaluation processes of all kinds. If you create a rubric before building your application, it can help ensure all requested information is relevant and necessary. This saves time for applicants as well as your team.

According to Brown University’s Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, there are a series of vital considerations for creating a successful review system. Here are six steps they identified, refocused for using rubrics to review scholarship and fellowship applications: 

1. Define the rubric’s purpose

Consider the components of your application and how each should be assessed. What would an outstanding application include? How detailed do you want to be with scoring? Should each application component receive a distinct score?

2. Choose between a holistic and analytic rubric

In terms of basic distinctions, the holistic rubric is easier to put together but offers less detail than an analytic rubric regarding specific strengths and weaknesses within an application. For example, a holistic rubric might ask reviewers to assign a score of 1-4 for the application as a whole (where a Level 1 application includes a high GPA, excellent references, and an outstanding essay). An analytic rubric would assess the GPA, references, and essay using distinct scales and criteria.  

3. Define rubric criteria

These criteria identify each component for assessment. For fellowships and scholarships, common review criteria include:

• Academic achievement (GPA)
• Test scores
• Personal statements
• Resumes or CVs
• Application essays
• Supplemental essays
• Letters of recommendation
• Extracurricular achievements

4. Design the rating scale

Although this could include letter grades, for application review, numeric scores are likely to be the most useful. Most scales include 3-5 rating levels.

5. Write descriptions for each rating

Clarity and consistency of language here will help accurately guide reviewers. Focus on observations that can be accurately measured and include the degree to which criteria are successfully met.

6. Finalize your rubric (for now)

Format your rubric for easy access and reference, assess effectiveness, collect relevant feedback, and revise accordingly. Using rubrics to review scholarship and fellowship applications should involve ongoing updates to your system—a rubric is only as effective as it is relevant to current goals. 

Other considerations

A strong rubric not only helps guide reviewers—it also offers the opportunity to deeply assess and streamline your application. If part of your application didn’t make the rubric, do you really need it to review your candidates?

A few additional rubric strategies to employ:

• Assess your rubric carefully for language that could be misinterpreted. It’s important to avoid assumptions about reviewers, especially regarding how they will process the criteria, rating scale, and descriptions you provide.  
• Steer clear of industry jargon or acronyms. Use plain language and where possible and give examples to solidify what you want to say.
• Determine the relative weight of review criteria. For example, will letters of recommendation be more or less important than GPA? Design your rating scale accordingly.

Sharing your rubric for transparency

Anyone who takes the time to apply for your scholarship or fellowship wants to submit the best possible application. Unfortunately, every application process is different and prospective applicants may not know what your organization is looking for. Sharing clear information about your assessment criteria and timeline is a huge help—and rubrics are a great way to do this.

While you don’t have to show the point system or all of your evaluation guidelines, sharing the main criteria for a successful application established in the rubric benefits everyone involved in your process:

• It demonstrates respect for applicants’ time. When they can access assessment guidelines, applicants know where to focus in assembling their application.
• It increases the appropriateness of applications. Clarity around expectations and review criteria can help you receive more relevant applications, saving your review team time.
• It minimizes questions and doubt. If applicants know what to prioritize in their application, they’re less likely to reach out and inquire. That’s one less email for both of you.
• It spotlights your organization’s values. Using rubrics to review scholarship and fellowship applications (and being willing to share from them) demonstrates that you care about diligent, fair, and consistent review. It also shows that you understand the value this information holds for applicants and you’re prepared to support them.

Being more transparent about your process by sharing the criteria in your rubric sets you apart from other institutions, facilitates trust from potential applicants, and brings clarity to the whole process. Just be sure what you share is easy to access and written in a simple, jargon-free format.

Submittable’s custom review forms are perfect for incorporating your rubric. Looking for scholarship management software or fellowship management software ? Submittable is here to help. For more tips on a fair and efficient scholarship and fellowship review process, check out this guide . 

Rachel Mindell is a Special Projects Editor at Submittable. She also writes and teaches poetry. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

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7 Criteria to consider when evaluating scholarship applications

by Bright Ewuru | Mar 25, 2024 | Article

As a scholarship manager, you work tirelessly to unlock the door of opportunity for as many applicants as possible. But, with finite resources and the need to ensure fairness, consistency and alignment with the scholarship’s mission, it’s necessary to have an evaluation roadmap to help identify the most deserving applicants.

Here, we offer ideas and criteria for your rubric to evaluate scholarship applications and run an impactful scholarship program . 

1. Academic accomplishments

If your scholarship is merit-based, you will likely have minimum academic performance requirements. Evaluating the applicants’ academic performance ensures that applicants demonstrate excellence in the academic field and meet the criteria.

It can also be a reliable indicator of an applicant’s potential. It speaks to their work ethic, adaptability and responsibility. Additionally, assessing applicants’ academic achievements guarantees fairness and equity in the selection process by ensuring applicants are not favored by other factors out of their control

A holistic approach is crucial to effectively gauge an applicant’s academic merit. To do this:

• Review the transcripts
• Examine any  awards or recognition in their efforts
• Consider standardised test results
• Observe their academic progression

2. Extra-curricular achievements

Of course, there’s more to a person than their academic interests. Appraising the extra-curricular triumphs of your scholarship applicants paints a more detailed picture of the applicant and can give insight into their passions, personal interests and skillsets. Also, it sheds light on their sense of social responsibility and leadership skills by gauging their interest in community service and leadership initiatives.

What’s more, interest-based scholarships are targeted at supporting those who excel in certain extra-curricular pursuits. For instance, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards , the SAIC , NAIA and the ASCAP Foundation scholarships are awarded to those who shine in community service, arts, sports and music respectively. Gauging applicants’ involvement in these areas ensures that the applicants align with the scholarships’ objectives. 

When assessing applicants’ extra-curricular achievements, examine the extent of their involvement in the list of extracurricular activities they provide. Consider their personal growth as well as the duration and the impact made in leadership roles.

3. Financial need and background information

Applicants’ financial needs and background information are often a critical consideration in scholarship evaluation. This is because it ensures that scholarships are awarded to those who genuinely need financial assistance to pursue their education. Creating opportunities for those facing financial hardships or from underrepresented communities to have access to education fosters social mobility, addresses systemic inequities and embeds equity and diversity in scholarships . 

Ensure that applicants provide authentic documentation that verifies their financial need. This could include their statements of income and expenses, financial aid forms and tax returns. Request information about the applicants’ socio-economic background, educational history and any previous financial aid received previously.

4. Academic and professional plans

Assess your applicants’ educational and career goals to ensure they’re aligned with the mission of the scholarship program. Such alignment helps scholarship programs maximise their impact and invest in future leaders. It also guarantees sustainability while promoting both academic and professional excellence. 

Follow up with questions to understand the applicant’s educational and career plans in detail. Ensure that their expectations and plans are realistic.

5. Personal statements and essays

For proper evaluation of a scholarship application, it’s important to check the applicant’s personal statement and essay. Personal statements and essays demonstrate an applicant’s written communication skills; they also give insight into the applicant’s unique identity, experiences and clarity of purpose.

When evaluating their personal statements and essays, gauge the applicant’s originality, creativity, clarity and coherence. Check for evidence of development but maintain an objective approach.

Consider providing an option of mediums to share their personal story or essay. Offer the option to submit video and photo attachments to help round out any essay requirements. This can give a more complete picture of the applicant and their background and story.

6. Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation is often a criterion in the rubric for scholarship evaluations. It’s a validation of an applicant’s achievements, character, skills and potential by a third party who interacted closely with the applicant.

Such confirmations from a trusted source can speak volumes about the applicant’s credibility and authenticity. Recommendation letters also highlight specific situations that provide context to the applicant’s abilities and victories.

Assess the authority and credibility of the source of the letter. Pay equal attention to the contents of the letter to determine professionalism, objectivity, comprehensive insight and corroboration of the applicant’s account.

Ask for contact information for each recommendation so you can follow up as needed if you have questions or want further background on a candidate.

7. Other specific criteria set by the donor

If your scholarship is funded by a specific donor or organisation, they will likely have their own additional criteria to include in your scholarship rubric.

Review the donor’s guidelines for the scholarship for a clear understanding of their motivations and objectives for the scholarship. Consult donor representatives and relevant stakeholders to ensure an accurate interpretation of the donor’s criteria. Be clear and transparent, when possible, about these criteria to scholarship applicants. And then, include this criteria assessment in your scoring of each application.

There is so much to consider when assessing scholarship applications. With so many deserving candidates, it’s critical to use clear, meaningful criteria to decide which applicants will move forward. These criteria can help in choosing the most deserving applicants, the ones who best align with the objectives of your scholarship program.

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Scholarship Reviewer Scoring Rubric

2024/2025 scholarship reviewer scoring rubric, leadership, activities and service section:, strengths and achievements:.

Identify and describe two (2) of your strengths (examples: creative, problem solver, flexible, reliant) and/or achievements (examples: leadership activities, awards, accomplishments, honors). How did you plan to leverage these to achieve success in your future academic and career pursuits?

Extracurricular Involvement and Community Service/Volunteerism:

Choose ONE of the following to answer below:

• Community Service/Volunteerism: Explain what you have done to make your community a better place to live. Give examples of specific projects in which you have been involved with over the last year.
• Extracurricular Activities: How has your active participation in extracurricular activities shaped your personal growth, leadership skills and commitment to community service and how do you envision leveraging these experiences to make a positive impact in your future academic and professional endeavors? Give examples of specific organizations, clubs, sports, memberships, etc. in which you have been involved with over the last 4 years in high school.

Things to consider:

• The applicant fully answered all parts of each question in both sections.
• The applicant showed dedication and long-term commitment through continued involvement in the stated organization(s) demonstrating a likelihood of campus/community involvement and/or community service at the collegiate level.
• The applicant demonstrated growth either throughout their high school or college career and leadership potential.
• The applicant is aware of their strengths and how they connect to achieving success.
• The applicant depicted a clear sense of why they chose to pursue involvement or service in their stated organization(s) and a deep understanding of their impact.

Essay Section:

Career goals and plans:.

Describe a specific moment or experience that influenced your choice of career path. How do your current academic and extracurricular activities align with your long-term career goals? Discuss any challenges you anticipate in achieving these goals and your strategies for overcoming them.

• The applicant fully answered all parts of the question asked.
• The applicant concisely connected their career goals with their academic, extracurricular and community activities.
• The applicant fully understands the challenges they may/are facing to achieving these goals, but included specific steps to overcome them.
• The writing provided readers insight into the student’s experience.
• The applicant’s writing piqued interest and engaged the reader.

Handling Systemic Challenges:

Reflect on a situation where you encountered a systemic challenge, such as inequality or discrimination. How did this experience shape your perspective on societal issues, and what steps did you take to address or navigate these challenges? Discuss the impact of this experience on your values and commitment to making a positive change within your community or chosen field.

• The applicant thoughtfully described how their experience shaped their perspective and included specific steps to address/navigate the challenge(s).
• The applicant fully understands the impact this experience has had on them and explains how they will make change within their community or through their field of study.

Current Challenges and/or Barriers:

Describe a current challenge and/or barrier you are facing along your educational journey. In describing, explain how a scholarship will support you in overcoming the challenge and/or barrier and outline alternative avenues you have explored or are currently exploring to overcome this challenge.

• The applicant concisely stated their challenge/barrier, and provided detail for context.
• The applicant demonstrated their ability to overcome via methods they have or are exploring.
• The applicant effectively linked what they are/have experienced to how a scholarship will support them.
• The applicant displays skills that will be useful in college and in life (ex: asking others for help, prioritization, time management, money management, utilizing resources, organization, etc.).

PARTNERSHIP 4 KIDS SCHOLARSHIP ONLY

How will the Partnership 4 Kids Scholarship help you attain the American Dream?

• The applicant fully answers the question, as asked.
• The applicant has characterized their version of the American Dream effectively.
• The applicant clearly links the stated reasons to pursuing education at BU.
• The applicant’s writing is sincere and expresses gratitude.
• The applicant displays passion and motivation to achieve his/her/their dreams.

INSTITUTE FOR MEXICAN’S ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP ONLY

Describe how this scholarship will help you to achieve your educational goals and dreams and what specifically will change as a result of receiving this scholarship.

• The applicant concisely stated his/her/their educational goals and dreams, and provided detail for context.
• The applicant fully outlined how the receipt of this scholarship will affect his/her life.
• The essay provided readers insight into the student’s experience.

MILITARY RELATED SCHOLARSHIPS ONLY

Military Service Member: How has your military service prepared you for the next step in your career?

• The applicant provided a full description of his/her military service.
• The applicant effectively links accomplishments in the military to future goals.
• The applicant shows a strong understanding and gratitude for service in the military.

Military Spouse: What are the positive aspects of being a part of your spouse’s military service?

• The applicant provided a thorough description of positive influences of the military.
• The applicant effectively links these positive effects of the military to future goals.
• The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding and gratitude for the military.

Military Dependent-Child: How has your parent(s) military service positively influenced your goals?

• The applicant provided a thorough description of positive influences of his/her parents military service.

MASCOT SCHOLARSHIP ONLY:

Attachments section:.

• The applicant’s resume was nicely laid out, easy to read using bullet points, and inclusive of all relevant information with dates as it pertains to academics, civic involvement, activities, leadership roles and work experience (paid or non-paid).
• The applicant’s resume was formatted correctly, using accurate spacing between sections, conventional margins, typeface, point size, font, and simple, clear, and detailed sentences.
• The applicant’s resume was free of writing errors, including capitalization, punctuation, grammar, parallelism of verbs, verb conjugation, etc.

Personal Statement ( to be included on resume ): Please explain why you should be chosen as the next Bellevue University Mascot

• The applicant fully answers the question.
• The applicant has a strong interest in serving others, pointing to examples of positions, merit, or leadership experiences making them a good candidate.
• The applicant’s intentions and motivations for wanting to be a BU Mascot are clear.
• The applicant demonstrates strong leadership potential.
• The applicant connects his/her/their reasoning for being a Mascot with his/her/their future goals.

Recommendation Section:

Recommendation Request for General and Financial Need Scholarships:

Likert rating scale (0 - 5):

• Leadership ability
• Impact on others
• Commitment to community
• Disciplined work habits
• Ability to set goals and accomplish them.
• Respect of peers and/or authority
• Potential for growth
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral)
• Overall recommendation

Short Answer Questions:

• How long and in what capacity do you know the applicant?
• Briefly describe the applicant’s personal characteristics and attributes, accomplishments and leadership roles you have observed.
• Generally speaking, why do you recommend the applicant to receive a scholarship?

Things to consider when reviewing the online recommendation:

• Demonstrates firsthand knowledge of applicant through specific examples
• Cites applicant’s strengths
• Demonstrates belief in the applicant’s ability to succeed in college
• Recommender is not a family member, relative, close friend, or roommate of the applicant
• Motivation and dedication
• Academic achievement

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Evaluating the Scholarship Rubric and Picking Recipients

Better application management of scholarships, grants, awards, and more..

Choosing your scholarship recipients can be one of the most exciting, and yet also one of the most contentious times in a scholarship program. Establishing a scholarship rubric to evaluate applications is key to optimizing your scholarship program , it eases the pressure in determining both the recipients and the award amounts. Don’t start gathering or evaluating any of your scholarship applications for your scholarship program until you read this post!

What is it about scholarship evaluation that is so time-consuming and heart-wrenching for evaluators? Answer: The vast number of people who seem like they need the money, or really deserve it.

The selection process can become quite emotional as your evaluation team goes through the essays and learns more about your applicants. Dramatic essays and pleas to be chosen can pull at the heartstrings. Because people involved in scholarship programs tend to have a giving nature about them, evaluators sometimes struggle with wanting to give more money than the program allows for. 

Since awarding everyone who submits an application is likely impossible, it’s critical that you create a scholarship rubric to take some of the emotion and difficult decisions out of the equation. Ideally, before you even begin your application process, you should develop a scholarship rubric to determine what you’re looking for in a recipient.

If you’ve already received applications, you may still want to develop an internal rubric for your admin team members in an effort to make the selection activity a little easier.  Our Reports and Autoscore feature can really help your team here.

Determine Scholarship Qualifications

Scholarship qualifications are typically quantifiable numbers that can help evaluation teams quickly dismiss ineligible applicants. They are objective, and therefore require little time or energy using Autoscoring to filter out applicants that don’t meet the requirements you’re looking for in an ideal scholarship recipient. 

Some scholarship qualification examples may include:

• Applicant must have a 3.0 GPA or higher
• To be chosen as a scholarship recipient, they must have completed 150 community service hours during high school 
• Students under age 18 or over age 39 are not eligible
• Annual gross income of the applicant must not exceed $20,000
• Total SAT score must be 1059 or higher  

Before your evaluation team even sees the first application’s answers, these qualifiers can remove ineligible applicants from the potential pool of recipients. The more people you can eliminate right off the bat, the less time you’ll spend in the assessment phase. 

Establish Your Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

After setting your qualifications, you’ll also want to develop some criteria to help your evaluators move quickly from application to application. You can assign defined point values to these criteria to help quantify what would otherwise be considered more subjective responses. For example, you could assign point values to questions based on how the applicant responded. 

Here are some scholarship criteria examples that may help inspire you as you are developing your rubric:

• You could use a scale of 0-5 points with 5 being the most thorough answer to an application question. Perhaps your question is assessing the accomplishments of the applicant. A point value of 5 may be awarded to an applicant who has listed several accomplishments across the board in academia, extracurricular activities, community service, etc…
• You could use a point value for letters of recommendation. For instance, you could assign the highest number of points to a candidate that has a letter of recommendation that provides enthusiastic support, states several reasons why the candidate should receive the award, and also provides multiple examples of the candidate’s merit. The lowest number of points, on the other hand, would be given to a candidate who submits a letter of recommendation that shows no enthusiasm, and barely mentions why they deserve the award. 
• You could also assign points for candidates who filled out every question, went above and beyond in their responses, turned in applications on time/early, used proper grammar and punctuation, etc…

The bottom line: The more defined point values (e.g. multiple accomplishments, leadership positions, etc.) you can assign to subjective answers, the easier it will be to work your way through the submitted applications. While your team may still find themselves in a heavy debate over a handful of candidates as you get closer to choosing your recipients, a rubric will at least significantly reduce the number of applicants being considered . 

Simplify the Development of your Scholarship Rubric with SmarterSelect 

Want access to multiple scholarship rubrics to inspire you in the development of your own? When you work with SmarterSelect to run your scholarship program you gain entry to our community forum and Program Library filled with suggestions and ideas from program administrators who have created applications before you. You can share knowledge and experience, and ask for advice as you build your assessment forms. 

With SmarterSelect, it’s also easy to customize a scoring rubric that fits your scholarship’s unique needs. You can develop custom reports, share notes, create a unique evaluation scheme, and more. 

We’ve helped countless program administrators make quick work of their own scholarships, and we can help you too. Click here to download our in-depth scholarship management guide for program managers.

1. What is the need to develop a scholarship rubric?

It’s critical that you create a scholarship rubric to take some of the emotion and difficult decisions out of the equation, because it is impossible to impossible to award everyone who submits an application.

2. At what stage should we develop a scholarship rubric?

Ideally, before you even begin your application process, you should develop a scholarship rubric to determine what you’re looking for in a recipient.

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• TemplateLab

Rubric Templates

46 editable rubric templates (word format).

A grading rubric template is a type of tool used for assessment. You can use it to express your expectations regarding the work of your students . In it, you’ll define what you will assess. You’ll also describe the criteria for how you will evaluate their work.

You can use this template to articulate what excellent work looks like. This would also help your students understand what they should work on.

Table of Contents

• 1 Rubric Templates
• 2 Where can you use rubric templates?
• 3 Grading Rubric Templates
• 4 Basic components of a rubric template
• 5 Blank Rubric Templates
• 6 Advantages of using rubric templates
• 7 Project Rubric Templates
• 8 Tips for creating a rubric template
• 9 Using your rubrics template

It takes a lot of time and effort to create a superior rubric template. You can make one on your own or download a blank rubric template from here. The important thing is that you first decide what criteria you’ll include in it.

Using rubrics will make it easier for you to assess the work of your students. With it, you can easily determine where your students excelled and where they need help. Although these templates are very convenient and effective, making them is another story.

If you make a template from scratch, you’d need a lot of time and effort. But once you’ve made or downloaded a template, your work becomes easier.

Where can you use rubric templates?

Teaching is one of the noblest professions in the whole world. But this job isn’t for everyone. It involves a lot of patience, determination, time-management skills , and so much more. Although it’s a highly fulfilling profession, there are times when it can be difficult.

As time goes by, curriculum change and methods for teaching are constantly revised. One effective method which teachers follow these days is the rubric method. This is a way to teach and assess the work of students easily and efficiently.

Grading rubric templates are quite popular with teachers. They can help teachers conduct an assessment of their student’s work and performance. But you can also use such templates in different ways, not just for teaching. You can use such templates for:

• Assessments
• Basic analytics
• Blank scoring
• Decision-making
• General math
• Group activity projects
• High school project presentations
• Infographics
• Job interview scoring
• Math projects

Other alternate uses of templates are as follows:

• Poster Grading
• Project-based learning
• Research papers
• Research project presentations
• Resume grading
• Science project
• Scoring guide
• Standard evaluations
• Student teaching portfolios
• Writing assignment grading

These are just some examples of how and where you can use such templates. A blank rubric template is a very useful tool which can make your life easier. If you’re a teacher and you haven’t even tried using such template, you should consider it.

Although it’s time-consuming to make, using it will save time in the long-run. Besides, if you don’t want to make the template yourself, you can download one from here.

Grading Rubric Templates

Basic components of a rubric template

In its simplest definition, a rubric is a tool for scoring. You use it to describe your performance expectations for a piece of work, a task or an assignment. The basic components of a rubric include:

• The criteria which you’ll use for the assessment. You need to describe all the aspects of performance you will grade your students on. You can also present the criteria as the objectives of the task that you’ll evaluate.
• Descriptors or words which will establish the effectiveness of your expectations. You need to identify the characteristics associated with your criteria. Do this by using the descriptors.
• Also, include the performance levels. Present this as a rating or a scale which has 3-4 or even more qualifiers. You can use this scale to identify the level of mastery of your students. You’ll give them a rating for each of your criterion.

You can use rubrics to give feedback to your students regarding their performance. It’s a tool you can use for grading projects, papers, presentations, and more. Along with these basic components, you can also add other information.

Just make sure not to complicate the template too much. Otherwise, it won’t be as easy to use as a basic rubric template.

Blank Rubric Templates

Advantages of using rubric templates

Aside from being very easy to use, rubrics also have other advantages. Their simplicity makes them very appealing. Using such templates would allow you to evaluate your students’ performance. You can do this with much efficiency and ease. Here are some advantages of using rubrics:

• Use them in analyses Such templates can provide you with diagnostic information. In turn, you can provide your students with formative feedback. You can link the rubrics to the instructions for work easily. When you use the rubrics for analyses, you’ll be able to come up with a formative assessment. But with it, you can also come up with a summative assessment. Do this if you need to grade using your students’ overall score.
• They’re holistic When you use rubrics, you can perform scoring and assessment quicker. You won’t need much time to use and understand the templates once you’ve filled them up.
• They can be general or task-specific Rubrics are very versatile. You can share them with your students. Do this to explain your instructions and your assessment methods. You can use the same blank rubric template for different assignments or tasks. All you need to do is modify the criteria and other information. You can also use the templates to ask your students to evaluate themselves. Also, you can even ask your students to help you construct your template. No matter how you plan to make or use the rubric, you’ll definitely benefit from it.

Aside from these advantages, there are more for you to enjoy. A well-designed template can offer a lot of benefits to teachers. They can help you to:

• Reduce the time you spend grading your students . You can do this by referring to the descriptors and the scale so you don’t need to write long comments.
• Help you identify your students’ strengths and weaknesses clearly. Once you’ve done that, you can adjust your lessons or teaching methods appropriately.
• Make sure that you’re consistent across time and graders.
• Reduce any uncertainty which can potentially come with grading.
• Discourage any complaints about your students’ grades.
• Let your students understand your standards and expectations.
• Give your students proper feedback.
• Keep track of and evaluate the progress of your students. You can do this as they work towards the goals you’ve set for them.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, a lot of teachers are now using rubrics. They use it to communicate their expectations to their students. As a teacher, you can use the template to give your students feedback. Give them information on how they’re progressing with their work. You can also use it to come up with your students’ final grades.

Project Rubric Templates

Tips for creating a rubric template

A grading rubric template includes the criteria you will use to assess a specific task. This can be anything from writing a paper to giving an oral presentation, and more. Rubrics permit teachers to convey their expectations to students.

You can also use them to track the progress of a student from the start of the task to the end of it. It provides a reliability of grades which is why students appreciate them too. Here are some tips to guide you when you’re creating a template for yourself:

• Establish the purpose and goal of the task you’ll evaluate Before you start creating your rubric, you should establish the purpose and goal of a task. Go through the learning outcomes associated with the task you’re planning to evaluate. The template you create can only work effectively if you set clear goals . In doing this, you can monitor your students’ progress as they work towards those goals.
• Determine the type of rubric you will use We’ve gone through some common uses of rubrics. This means that there are different types of templates you can create. Again, before you start, determine which type of rubric you will use for your assessment. The type to use may depend on some factors. These include your intended learning outcomes and the nature of the task. Also, consider the kind and the amount of feedback you will give your students.
• Establish your criteria In order to do this, you must go through your learning outcomes again. Also, review the assessment parameters so you can determine the criteria to use. Think about the skills and knowledge your students will need to complete the task. Come up with a list of criteria to evaluate outcomes across varying criteria. Make sure your criteria are distinct and clearly explained. Ideally, you shouldn’t write more than 7 different criteria.
• Establish the rating scale to measure the performance levels The next thing to do is establish your rating scale. No matter what kind of scale you use, make sure it’s clear and it can measure performance levels well. Decide whether your scale will only have numerical values or descriptors as well. Usually, rubrics have 3-5 different levels in their rating scales.
• Write the descriptions for each of your performance levels of your rating scale When you’re making your performance levels, include a descriptive paragraph for each. It should outline the expectations for the level. You can also include an example of the ideal performance within the level. Create parallel, measurable, and observable descriptions throughout your template.
• Test and revise your rubric if needed Before you use your rubric with your students, you should test it first. Arrange for testing conditions. Perform this with a number of graders who can use your template together. After they grade using your template, allow them to grade using a similar tool. Do this to ensure consistency and accuracy of the template you made. After the testing, search for any discrepancies between the 2 grading tools. If there aren’t any, then your template is quite accurate. Now you can share it (along with the testing results) with your colleagues. Ask them to assess your template and give their opinions. If they give you any helpful suggestions for modification, use them. You may also compare your template with templates your colleagues use. All these testing and modifying procedures are very important. Perform them to ensure the effectiveness of your own template.

Typically, your template should fit into a single page. This is ideal so you can quickly see all the criteria and descriptions. If you have a rubric with a lot of pages, you’d have to search through them to find the information you’re looking for.

This would reduce its efficiency. Therefore, you should plan the template well so you can construct it well too.

Using your rubrics template

A grading rubric template is an excellent tool for assessment. We’ve gone through the different advantages of such templates. You can definitely benefit a lot from using them. If it’s your first time to use rubrics, these pointers may help you out:

• When using a rubric, you don’t have to write long comments for each of your students.
• If your student needs feedback regarding his/her performance, refer to your template.
• Learn how to use the template properly. Do this so you don’t have to feel uncertainty when grading your students’ performances.
• Use different templates for different tasks or assignments. Although it may take time to create a template, you can keep on using it. When you need a new one, simply revise your blank rubric template then use it.
• You can also download a template here to save yourself time and effort.
• When you assign your students to a task or project, you can give them a copy of the rubric. This way, they will have an idea of how you’ll evaluate their performance.
• You can use the rubric to save time and effort. All you need to do is give your students grades according to your criteria and rating scale.
• Open your mind to the possibility of having to revise your template. If you discover that it doesn’t work, you need to make the necessary changes. Do this so you can get the most out of your rubric template.

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