In a class focusing on co-created assessments, which approach to rubric design is most aligned?

• A. Teacher-created rubrics without student input
• B. Collaboratively designed rubrics
• C. Rubrics with only numerical scores
• D. Standardized district rubrics

Answer: (B)

Co-created assessments work best when students help define what success looks like. When the rubric is designed collaboratively, both students and the teacher contribute criteria, descriptors, and levels of performance that reflect shared expectations. This makes what counts as a strong, satisfactory, or developing piece of work clear to everyone, and it gives students a concrete basis for self-assessment and progress. The language on the rubric is more meaningful to learners because it’s created with their input, and it’s easier to see how to improve.

If a rubric is created only by the teacher, it lacks student voice and may not fully capture the learning goals or the ways students actually demonstrate understanding. If a rubric relies solely on numerical scores without descriptive criteria, students may not know what the numbers mean or how to reach the next level. Standardized district rubrics can offer consistency, but they often don’t reflect the specific learning goals of a particular class or include student perspectives.

So, collaborating with students to design the rubric best matches a co-created approach.