The rubric evaluates project design based on whether it incorporates best practices of project-based learning. It assesses features such as the driving question, student voice, collaboration, critical thinking, formative assessment, and duration. A well-designed project according to the rubric has an academically rigorous inquiry, authentic work, opportunities for student choice and independence, targeted 21st century skill development, aligned assessments, and an appropriate timeframe.

1. School: Woodland H.S. Teacher: Worsham Project: A Week of Eating
:
Rubric for Project Design *
LACKS ESSENTIAL NEEDS FURTHER
INCORPORATES
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE PBL DEVELOPMENT
BEST PBL PRACTICES
The project has one or more of The project has essential PBL features but
The project has the following strengths:
the following problems in each area: has some of the following weaknesses:
The “project” is more like an activity or • Inquiry is superficial, e.g., information- + Inquiry is academically rigorous: students
Overall Idea applied learning task, rather than an gathering is the main task. pose questions, gather & interpret data,
extended inquiry. • Inquiry focuses on only one too-narrow ask further questions, and develop &
- Focused, in-depth, The “project” is unfocused, more like a topic, OR it tries to include too many evaluate solutions or build evidence for
extended inquiry unit with several tasks than one project. issues, side topics, or tasks. answers.
+ The topic & Driving Question (DQ) reflect
The topic and/or Driving Question (DQ) • The topic & Driving Question (DQ) do authentic issues or challenges that concern
do not reflect authentic issues or not completely reflect authentic issues or
- Authentic Work students, their communities, and/or
challenges that concern students, their challenges that concern students, their professionals in the field.
communities, and/or professionals in the communities, and/or professionals in the + Tasks & products replicate (rather than
field. field. resemble) the kind of work done in the
Tasks & products do not resemble the • Tasks & products resemble (rather than world outside of the classroom, or are
kind of work done in the world outside of replicate) the kind of work done in the actually used for a real purpose beyond
the classroom. world outside of the classroom. the classroom.
Students are not given opportunities, if • Students are given limited opportunities + Students have opportunities to express
Student appropriate, to express “voice & choice” to express “voice & choice,” generally “voice & choice” on important matters,
Voice & Choice, (i.e., to make decisions affecting the with less important matters, e.g., e.g., the topics to study, questions asked,
Independence content or conduct of the project). deciding how to divide tasks within a texts & resources used, products
Students are expected to work too much team or which website to use for created, use of time, and organization of
on their own, without adequate guidance research. tasks.
from the teacher and/or before they are • Students are expected to work + Students have opportunities to take
capable. independently from the teacher to some significant responsibility and work
extent, although they have the skills and independently from the teacher.
desire to do even more on their own.
There is no DQ. • The DQ relates to the project but does + The DQ captures the main focus of the
Driving Question not capture its main focus; it may be project.
The DQ is seriously flawed, e.g.: more like a theme. + The DQ is open-ended; it will allow students
o It has a single or simple answer. • The DQ meets some criteria for an to develop more than one reasonable,
effective DQ, but lacks others, e.g., it complex answer.
o It is not engaging to students, e.g., + The DQ is understandable & inspiring to
may lead students toward one particular
it sounds too “academic,” like it students.
answer, or it may be hard to answer
came from a textbook or appeals
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2. only to a teacher. thoroughly with the resources & time + To answer the DQ, students will need to
available and/or by students in this gain the intended knowledge, skills, &
class. understanding.
The project is more like “parallel • Different content areas make simplistic + Each content area makes substantive
Interdisciplinary teaching” with the same theme but with and/or limited contributions to the overall contributions to the project, e.g., the
Features different products in each subject. project (e.g., the math teacher helps with products students create require the
calculations or the English teacher helps integration of knowledge & skills from
(If Applicable) with writing). different disciplines.
• In some subjects the project may not + Teachers of different subjects use the
focus on key standards of the discipline. project to teach important parts of their
curriculum.
+ If the project is centered around one
subject, it is because other subjects plan to
take turns being the major substantive
focus of various projects.
Content outcomes are not specified. • There are too few OR too many content + Specific content outcomes are aligned with
Content Outcomes Content outcomes are not aligned with outcomes key national, state, or district standards,
and represent essential skills and
national, state, or district standards. • The project emphasizes additional
understandings needed to successfully
standards that students do not need to
complete the project.
know to complete project tasks.
st
The development of 21st Century Skills • Too few or relatively unimportant 21st + A limited number of important 21st century
21 Century Skills is not included. Century Skills are targeted, OR too skills are targeted to be taught & assessed.
It is assumed that some 21st Century many to be adequately taught & + There are adequate opportunities to build
Skills will be gained by students, but the assessed. 21st Century Skills and they are rigorously
assessed, e.g., with a rubric and feedback.
project does not explicitly scaffold the • The project scaffolds the development of
development of these skills. 21st Century Skills to some extent, but
+ Students work in collaborative teams that
there may not be adequate opportunities
employ the skills of all group members
to build skills or rigorously assess them.
- Collaboration Students do all project tasks as when completing project tasks.
+ Students may collaborate with people
individuals. • Students work in teams, but it may be beyond the classroom.
more cooperative than collaborative, e.g.
- Presentation & the work of individuals is pieced + Students present culminating products and
Defense Students do not present or defend their together. defend them in detail & in depth, e.g. by
culminating product(s). explaining reasoning behind choices
• Students present their culminating they made, their inquiry process, etc.
products, but their defense is limited to a
short, superficial question/answer + Students are asked to analyze & solve
- Critical Thinking Students are not asked to think critically session. problems and think critically, in depth and in
or solve problems. a sustained way.
• Students are asked to analyze & solve
problems and think critically, but not in + Technology enhances the project in
- Technology Technology is not used, or is used depth or in a sustained way. especially creative ways and/or in ways that
inappropriately, e.g.: greatly improve the quality of student skills,
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3. o It distracts or is unnecessary. • Some technology is used, but more engagement, and work.
o It takes too much time away from could be added to build engagement &
gaining other skills & key content skills and improve the quality of student
knowledge. work.
No major/culminating products are • Major/culminating products address the + Major/culminating products provide an
Major/Culminating included, only a series of smaller Driving Question, but do not align answer to the Driving Question and align
Product(s) assignments. closely enough with standards & other with standards & other outcomes.
and The major products are not aligned with outcomes (i.e., will not provide adequate + Major/culminating products require
Presentation the Driving Question, i.e., they do not evidence of learning). innovation; students create something new,
Audience answer it or solve the stated problem. • Students are asked to create products e.g., a written product, piece of media or
that are mainly replications of others’ art, or their own presentation after analysis
Students do not present or exhibit their work, e.g., a report of information or an of information or synthesis of ideas.
work to an audience. artifact based on a model.
+ Students present or exhibit their work to an
• The audience for student presentations audience that includes other people from
is limited to classmates & the teacher. both within and outside the school, which
may include online audiences.
No entry event is planned. • The entry event will gain student + The entry event will powerfully engage
Entry Event Day one of the project will feel like any attention but it will not begin the inquiry students, both emotionally & intellectually
other day (or worse, because it seems process by creating a “need to know” or (i.e., make them feel invested in the project
like more work than usual). generate questions about the topic of & provoke inquiry).
the project.
The project has no formative • Assessments are not used often enough + Assessments frequently monitor student
Formative assessment to monitor student learning to identify student learning needs or learning of important content & skills and
Assessment prior to the submission of final products. difficulties with project work. student work on project tasks, so the
teacher can improve instruction.
• Assessments do not cover all essential
+ Assessments provide information to
content & skills.
students so they can create high-quality
products through critique & revision.
No summative assessments are • Summative assessment focuses on only + Summative assessment focuses on both
Summative planned. one major product. team-created products and individual
Assessment There are no summative assessments of • Expectations about the quality of work learning, with the proper weight for each.
individual student learning; e.g., all required are not clearly communicated + Summative assessment targets all
grades are determined by team-created to students, e.g., rubrics are unclear or important content & skill outcomes.
products. incomplete. + Expectations about the quality of work
Expectations about the quality of work required are communicated to students
through rubrics and other devices.
required are not communicated to
+ Rubrics are complete and of high quality.
students through rubrics and other
+ Product exemplars are created or found, to
methods.
illustrate the quality of expected work.
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4. Time frame is too short to accomplish • Time frame may be overly optimistic + The project is long enough to adequately
Duration project tasks. about how quickly some tasks can be answer the Driving Question and complete
The project is too long to justify what is done. high-quality work, including time for
gained. • The project is too stretched-out; revision, presentation, and reflection.
students become disengaged or
unfocused.
* NOTE: This rubric may be used when a project is being planned, to fine-tune its design, or after it is conducted, as a design review. Use BIE’s forthcoming Project Implementation
Rubric after the project to assess outcomes and the quality of implementation, including the degree to which learning goals were met and students were engaged, and how well time was
used, teams were managed, lessons and other scaffolding were provided, and an effective classroom culture was developed.
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