Grading a Points-Based Rubric Assessment

This article will show you how to grade a rubric assessment that uses a points-based grading scale.

If you want to see the article for grading a rubric assessment that uses a standards-based grading scale (for example: Mastery, Near Mastery, Approaching, Below...) select the button below.

Grading a Standards-Based Rubric Assessment

First, you'll need to access the rubric.

Click on the assessment in your Assigned Assessments module.

Whole-Class Grading

When you initially enter the assessment from the assigned assessments page, you will see the whole-class grading page.

See below for information regarding:

Total Score
Assessment completion status
Assessment submission status
Portfolio and Comments
Scores
Auto-Fill Scores

➡️ Total Score

This is the total score the student has earned on the assessment.

➡️ Assessment Completion Status

These statuses are given automatically; they are not able to be manually adjusted.

Possible options: not started, in progress, turned in, graded. For more information on how each completion status is determined, click here.

➡️ Assessment Submission Status

This column will display the date the student submitted the assessment until it is graded or manually given a different status (see below).

Possible options: on time, missing, late, excused, excluded. Fore more information on how each submission status is used, click here.

💡 Tips from the Otus Team:

Any submission status can be manually changed.
Any score given for assessments that have been marked as excused or excluded will not add into the student's total class grade, but the points will still be visible in the points gradebook.

➡️ Portfolio (Star) and Comments (Comment Bubble)

You can select the star icon to add the assessment to the student's portfolio. You can leave a comment on the overall assessment by selecting the comment bubble

➡️ Scores

Select from the dropdown menu to choose a score.

➡️ Auto-Fill Scores

You can give multiple students the same score at the same time.

Step 1: Select their names.
Step 2: Score the first student in your selection.
Step 3: The scores will autofill for the names you selected.

Individual Student Grading

Select any student from the whole-class grading page to see their assessment in greater detail.

The individual grading page will look slightly different based on If the student has submitted attachments with the rubric or not. See below:

With Student Attachments

Without Student Attachments

Below you will find details for:

➡️ Scoring Each Descriptor

You can score a descriptor in two ways:

By selecting a score from the options (image left below).
By typing in a score (image right below). This is best for when a student earns a point value that isn't an available choice.

Do you need to see the descriptions for each of the descriptors? Select the expand button indicated below. To collapse the expanded version, select the collapse button.

➡️ Point Adjustments

If you need to add or deduct points without changing the score of a descriptor, you can use this feature.

In the example above, an adjustment of -2 was given to the score, changing the total score from a 7.5 to a 5.5.
Adjustments are used based on teacher discretion to add or deduct points to the overall assessment score.

➡️ Leaving Comments

You can leave a comment on either the assessment as a whole (which can be viewed in the Gradebook and main grading page as well), or on each individual descriptor.

Option 1 in the above example indicates how to leave a comment on the assessment as a whole.
Option 2 indicates how to leave a comment on the individual descriptor.

➡️ Viewing or Changing the Status

Possible options: on time, missing, late, excused, excluded. For more information on how each submission status is used, click here.

➡️ Viewing Attachments

If the student included attachments on the rubric assessment, they will be visible to the right of the rubric.

A student can add up to 5 attachments.
Each type of attachment has its own icon. Selecting the icons from the top will display each attachment. The example below shows an image, file upload, video, link, and audio recording attachment, respectively.

Leaving Feedback

You can leave feedback for a student to view on a rubric assessment! The type of attachments you can leave here are the same ones that you can add to the assessment when building it.

Where you begin will look slightly different based on if the student has submitted attachments with the rubric or not. See below:

With Student Attachments

Without Student Attachments

💡 Tip from the Otus Team: If you've already added the maximum of 5 attachments when you built the assessment, not to worry! You can add up to 3 additional attachments as feedback, for a total of 8 teacher attachments if needed.

If you would like further details on how to leave audio or video feedback, select the button below:

Leaving Audio and Video Feedback on Rubric Assessments

Otus Live

Below is a video from our Otus Live series on how to grade a points based rubric.

Next Steps

How Students Submit a Rubric Assessment

Leaving Audio and Video Feedback on Rubric Assessments