How to Create AP Dynamic Rubrics

AP takes a different approach to rubrics. If you can create an outline in a document, you can create a rubric in AP. No tables or “add row” clunkiness.

Rubrics are a feature of AP Feedback Forms. Which means you can combine rubric logic with checkboxes and text fields to create a dynamic form for providing feedback and a grade. To use AP Rubrics you need to be an AP+ individual subscriber or an institutional user. Rubrics are available for the AP Chrome Extension. They will be available for the AP Word Add-in and web Feedback Builder experience soon.

AP rubrics are intended to generate a narrative response that is inserted into a destination like Canvas’ Assignment Comments, a gradebook text field, an email, or the body of a Word/Google doc.

Like any AP content, rubrics are intended to be shared. A school district could define rubrics for use across grade levels and academic disciplines and efficiently share with hundreds of faculty.

A rubric used with Word Online allowing for both selectable criteria and text fields prompting specific points to be added. 

To create a rubric in an AP form you need at two ingredients:

1. At least one criteria with a point value assigned.
2. Performance indicators, each with a point value assigned.

Note: At this time AP rubrics only support point values and not percentages or letter grades. You can use any point scale you like, however: 1-5, 0 to 100 etc.

Denote point values, in the AP editor, by placing double ‘#’ signs around them. A criteria should be written like this:

Argument (##25## points)

Denote performance levels using AP’s checklist feature and assign a point value.

In the screenshot below, we see a criterion (“Thesis & Argument”) worth a potential of 25 points in the AP editor. The criterion is broken into 5 performance levels, each with a point value indicated. Notice the ##number## styling and the use of AP checkboxes. The hashmarks tell AP to use the number as a calculation and to only allow the choice of ONE performance level from each criterion.

Editing a rubric in AP.

Below, we see the rubric in use to choose performance levels and provide feedback. Notice that each performance level can have nested checkboxes, making it easy to provide granular feedback on each performance level.

Selecting any indented or sub-point will automatically select its respective parent point. For example, in the below screenshot, clicking “Argument is mostly…” automatically selected the 20 point performance level.

Using an AP rubric.

Selecting a different checkbox for a given criterion removes any previous selection. In the image below, checking the 25 points option deselected both the 20 points option AND the indented “Argument is mostly…” comment.

Some best practices to consider:

1. Consider using H4 headers for the criterion headings. These headings do NOT use checkboxes.
2. Consider bolding the point values and including performance descriptors like “Exceeds” or “Proficient” but make sure to include a point value. Like: Exceeds (##25## points).
3. Consider adding bulleted text below a checkbox to include it ONLY if the parent checkbox is selected.

AP rubrics automatically calculate the total possible points. For example, the following 4 criteria would generate a total grade of 20:

1. Argument (##5## points)
2. Organization (##5## points)
3. Evidence (##5## points)
4. Mechanics (##5## points)

You can create holistic rubrics with a single criterion worth 100 points:

1. Presentation Feedback (##100## points)

The total selected points are displayed at the bottom of the Feedback Form along with the total possible points (see screenshot below for an example). You cannot override the point values in AP (yet!) but when you insert the entirety of the rubric you’ll be able to make any changes you’d like.

Point Deductions

AP Rubrics can also deduct points. This works best when put as its own section of the rubric, since only one option can be selected per section, however a rubric can have a negative score anywhere. A rubric section is created by four hashtags: ####

The above image displays two ways to create a deductions section. The first option “Deductions ####” will always insert the text “Deductions” even if none are selected. #### is never inserted or shown outside of the editor. The second option creates a section without a title but doesn’t explicitly show a “Deductions” header. The results of both approaches can be seen below: