Why use Rubrics for Staff Development?
Rubrics create transparency. When teachers and administrators work together to define specific performance indicators, there is no secret criteria on which teachers are evaluated. Everyone knows the behavior and evidence that will result in certain performance “scores”.  As useful as this end product is, the process of developing the rubric is far more valuable. Thinking through exactly what it means to be “advanced” or “proficient” in a particular area is very powerful. In addition, teachers have more buy-in to the evaluation process. When teachers define the criteria themselves, you can move from “Us versus them” toward, “We’re in this together”.

Start Small
Making rubrics collaboratively takes a long time. Don’t make the mistake of trying to create a rubric for every subject in one planning day. It’s difficult work. If you have a school-wide focus, begin with that.  Think through categories before you start. While teachers appreciate participating in defining performance criteria, they don’t want to start from zero. It might take several sessions to complete a rubric. You can do your collaborative work on big pieces of chart paper and then compile and type it up when it’s complete.

Communicate Expectations
If your rubric defines “beginning”, “proficient” and “advanced” teaching, tell your teachers where you expect them to be. Maybe you expect all teachers to operate at some baseline. For example, if teachers drop below the “beginning” criteria, they can expect some intervention. In addition, you might expect a certain amount of growth through the year… especially in professional development focus areas.

Using the Rubrics
Ask teachers to periodically use the rubrics for self assessment. Print copies of the rubric and ask teachers to highlight where they are now. They can then articulate their areas of need for professional development. Also use the rubrics for informal observations and evaluation. You might tell the staff, “This week we’ll be focusing on the ‘procedures’ section of the rubric. Our feedback will be related to the criteria outlined there.”