Crossing the “Rubricon”: Why You Should Start Making

and Using Rubrics in a School Setting

Agenda• Introduction and definitions• How and Why To Use a Rubric

• Case study/video reviews • Goal/Objective Writing• Treatment Ideas• Opportunities for collaboration

• How to Make a Rubric • Identification of skill • Task analysis • Review

• Questions?

• 5 years working for FCPS• 1 ½ years working for Accotink Academy, Springfield VA• 11 years stay at home mom• 4 years St. Colleta’s Day School, Alexandria, VA• 3 years Northern Virginia Training Center Fairfax, VA• 2 years George Washington Hospital Psychiatric Unit, Washington, DC• 4 years Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC• Master’s Degree in OT from the University North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Patti Turner MS, OTROccupational TherapistFairfax County Public Schools

• Rubric CLT (Collaborative Learning Team) Leader• Started September 2014• All rubrics contained in this presentation were created by

the members of the FCPS Rubric CLT: Jessica Bellusci, Melissa Blancaflor, Jessica Bryant, Erika Craig-Wanchick, Alyce Dow, Gillian Livesay, Christina Sanders, Patti Turner

• Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Patti Turner MS, OTROccupational TherapistFairfax County Public Schools

• Rubric CLT• Begin each year by identifying a “theme”, e.g. self care, mealtime• Work in pairs and create a rough draft• The CLT reviews the draft and edits it

No more than 1 page long• Small groups “alpha test” the rubric and provide feedback to the CLT• Feedback is incorporated and rubric is shared with entire department

Patti Turner MS, OTROccupational TherapistFairfax County Public Schools

• FCPS Rubric CLT RubricsPrewritingWritingScissorsMealtime Utensil UseLunch LineLunch Bag Set Up RestoreLunch Line Set Up RestoreHandwashingMorning Routine

Patti Turner MS, OTROccupational TherapistFairfax County Public Schools

What is a rubric?

Do you know how to get across this river? Nope, wish I had a rubric telling me the steps!

A rubric is

•A rubric is typically an evaluation tool or set of guidelines used to promote the consistentapplication of learning expectations, learning objectives, or learning standards in the classroom, or to measure their attainment against a consistent set of criteria.

A rubric is

•Rubrics are also used as scoring instruments to determine grades or the degree to which learning standards have been demonstrated or attained by students.

When used by related services providers a rubric

• Is used as a data collection instrument to determine the degree to which a specific, identified, skill has been performed or achieved by a student.

• Allows therapists and teachers and other team members to communicate objectively on the same topic

• Is used as a baseline data point and provides information to set goals, objectives and report progress

What are some examples of skills that can be assessed using rubrics?

What are some examples of skills that can be assessed using rubrics?

• ADL’s• Fasteners• Clothing management• Handwriting• Scissor Use• Keyboarding• Mealtime

How to use a rubric?Goal SettingData CollectionProgress MonitoringTreatment IdeasCollaboration/Communication

Case study Mealtime Utensil Use/Goal Setting:

• Randy is a 4th grade student in a self-contained classroom for students with intellectual disabilities.

• She has Down’s syndrome, Significant Intellectual Disabilities, very low muscle tone, a history of a dislocated right hip which was repaired surgically.

• She is non-verbal and can sign “more” when she is strongly motivated but otherwise does not communicate her wants and needs except for reaching for preferred items

• Randy uses a stroller for long distances and is increasing the amount of time she uses a walker to walk during the day.

Randy can and does feed herself using utensils but the teacher reports she is a VERY MESSY eater. She requires someone to open containers and to cut her food but once set up she eats by herself. According to the teacher, she gets food on her face, on her clothes, as well as on the table.

Randy receives OT, Speech, PT and adapted PE services.

Since Randy was a 4th grader, the IEP team was concerned about her lunchroom skills. An OT consult was requested to determined why Randy was such a messy eater.

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Rubric Can Be Used for:Goal SettingData CollectionProgress MonitoringTreatment IdeasCollaboration/Communication

Goal and Objectives Areas of Need: 1. unable to pierce food and

2. did not manage textures• Goal: Randy will swallow all food during lunch without spitting it out

on 4/5 opportunities measured quarterly.

• Objective 1. Randy will eat 50% of her meal without spitting it out on 4/5 opportunities measure quarterly.

• Objective 2: Randy will eat 75% of her meal without spitting it out on 4/5 opportunities measured quarterly

Goal and Objectives Areas of Need: 1. unable to pierce food

2. did not manage textures• Goal: Randy will use a fork to pierce all appropriate food during lunch

on 4/5 opportunities measured quarterly.

• Objective 1. Randy will eat 50% of her meal with a fork on 4/5 opportunities measure quarterly.

• Objective 2: Randy will eat 75% of her meal with a fork on 4/5 opportunities measured quarterly

Treatment ideasUtensil Use: Practice piercing multi-media such

as: playdoh, Styrofoam, food, Practice scooping beans, corn husks,

beads Holding utensils in a functional

grasp

Treatment ideasManaging textures: Cutting items into smaller than bite

size pieces Using sauces to soften and flavor

school lunches Assess food preferences

Opportunities for Collaboration

Other members of the IEP team can use the rubric to collect data and provide feedback

Provides consistent objective language when observing the same skill

Case Study #2 Morning Routine

• Aidan is a 10 year old boy in 4th grade. He has a diagnosis of X Linked Alpha Thalassemia Mental Retardation Syndrome.

• He receives special education services as a child with intellectual disabilities, severe.

• He receives OT, Speech and Adapted PE. • He attends a general education elementary school and is

enrolled in a self contained classroom for children with intellectual disabilities.

• He uses word approximations and gestures to communicate his wants and needs.

Case Study #2 Morning Routine

OT worked with Aidan on prewriting, and scissor skills but he did not make significant progress with these goals due to lack of visual attention. Aidan maintains visual attention to task for about 5-10 seconds at a time. Currently he can scribble within a defined area with verbal and visual prompts. He can match by 1 trait, enjoys placing items into containers, but has difficulties with this task when he has to orient the item to fit the opening since he does not consistently look at the container. Aidan is easily distracted by environmental stimuli, enjoys adult attention and receiving praise. When Aidan’s IEP became due, the occupational therapist decided to use the Morning Routine Rubric to help identify Aidan’s skills in this area.

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

Morning Routine

Strengths:

Needs:

Morning Routine

Needs:

Goals and Objectives:

1.2.3.

Treatment Ideas:

How to Create a Rubric

How to Create a RubricStep 1.Identify your topic

How to Create a RubricStep 2.Task Analysis

How to Create a RubricStep 3.Peer Review

How to Create a RubricStep 4Test It Out

How to Create a RubricStep 5Incorporate Feedback

Handwriting RubricWhere to start?

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Dissemination and Use of this material is permissible with appropriate citation and reference to the Authors

1 2 3 4 5e

Motor Readiness Demonstrates trunk, shoulder arm and hand control

Adult assistance to assume and sustain position

Physical assistance (PA) for set up and occasional (PA) to sustain

3 + tactile, visual or verbal cues to achieve and sustain correct position

2 verbal or visual prompts to achieve and sustain correct position

Elbow bent, directed towards floor shoulder stable, trunk erect, feet on floor without cues

Tool Grasp, Adult assistance

Adult set up and occasional physical assistance to

Verbal and/or visual prompts to

2 or fewer verbal prompts per task to

Independently initiate and maintain efficient grasp for duration of task

Tool Use

Two Hand Manipulation Skills

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Once you start using rubrics in your practice you won’t go back to not using them.