Handouts are available below

Big Idea

As science teachers, we have students produce graphs all the time – but how do we mark them without spending too much time on it while still maintaining a high standard? In this post, I’m sharing how I use proficiency scales – specifically, a 1-column rubric – to mark graphs more efficiently. 

Why Use a Proficiency Scale?

We all start marking graphs from the same place: we use a checklist and assign or remove points based on what’s included in or missing from the graph.

This is great as a starting place. But, more recent science curriculum like the ngss is grounded in proficiency of science skills and not just content, and using numbers – like a scale out of 10 or 20 – is a very inefficient way to communicate proficiency. For example, if a student gets an 8 out of 0 on a graph and another gets 9 out of 10, aren’t they both just as proficient? It’s like a student who gets 75% and another who gets 76% – practically speaking, there’s no difference. So why go through the whole exercise of tallying up individual marks and computing a score out of 10 or 20? Why not just say, “Proficient”? Seems faster to me. Here in British Columbia, we use a proficiency scale of emerging, developing, proficient and extending to assess a student’s proficiency at a skill as opposed to using numbers.

So, when it comes to marking a graph, I’m starting to use a 1 column rubric. That is, all the items that make a graph proficient will be at proficient level. If a student doesn’t hit these items effectively, then they’re developing or emerging. If they’re able to really dive deep into the graph, they’re extending. But, the key thing we need to stress is that we want all students to get to proficient. Not extending. This is why proficient is all filled in. But, first, I need to decide what proficient looks like. Check the handout for my general criteria.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll talk science again soon.

Resources

Handout(s): Ep47 Handout – One Column Rubric for Marking Graphs

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