In the Marzano Research Laboratory online course I’m taking on Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading a distinction was made between Rubrics and what are known as Proficiency Scales. I have to admit that I’m having a difficult time understanding the difference between the two. Honestly, they both seem like rubrics to me!
This blog post written by the Science_Goddess helps:
Proficiency Scales: The Next Frontier
I searched for proficiency scales vs rubrics and found this Prezi by Kathy Verschoor too:
I’m getting it, slowly, but I need to see more examples so I looked at some proficiency scales and some rubrics on the topic of the water cycle to see if I could maybe see the difference. Here are some rubrics I found online when I searched for water cycle rubrics:
Here is a proficiency scale that someone, I’m so sorry but I don’t remember where I got this from, made using Marzano’s proficiency scale outline using the WA State Science Standard for the water cycle (pre-NGSS).
They are quite different and frankly, for scoring a student’s understanding of the water cycle I find the proficiency scale much more helpful. The rubric seems like an all purpose, project guide. I might share a rubric with students way before I share the proficiency scales with them.
Here’s a website from the Marzano Learning Center for creating your own proficiency scales:
5 Steps to Creating Successful Common Core Scales for Student Learning
Here’s a proficiency scale bank from Marzano Research:
Proficiency Bank
