Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment
Teachers Rubric
Individual Version
Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment provides the opportunity to learn about perspectives beyond one’s own experiences and elevates historically marginalized voices. It includes opportunities to learn about power, bias, and inequity and empowers learners to be agents of positive social change.
Instructions: Use the guiding questions below to estimate where (begin italics) you (end italics) think your grade level(s) fall overall on each element of the rubric. Be candid – this activity is most valuable as a formative learning experience. We recommend spending about 25 minutes on the rubric. Save your notes and ratings for future discussions.
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Progression of Engagement
Exploring
Cultural Responsiveness is in its initial phase
Growing
Cultural Responsiveness is practiced in some situations
Utilizing
Cultural Responsiveness is practiced in most situations
Transforming
Cultural Responsiveness is continuously practiced and promoted
Commitments
The extent of school community members’ dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience
Commitments
Curricular Resources Contain Diverse Perspectives
Guiding Questions:
To what extent does the curriculum I use reflect diverse cultures and traditionally marginalized perspectives? Do I make adjustments to curriculum to include a variety of cultures and perspectives, and do I make sure they align with school and district policies?
Exploring
My curricular resources contain few examples from diverse cultures and marginalized perspectives.
Growing
My curricular resources contain few examples from diverse cultures and marginalized perspectives but I sometimes review them to make them more diverse.
Utilizing
My curricular resources contain some examples from diverse cultures and marginalized perspectives and I regularly review them to make them more diverse.
Transforming
I ensure my curricular resources contain multiple examples from diverse cultures and marginalized perspectives and align them with school and district policies.
Selected Rating:
None
Commitments
Multiple Data Sources inform Planning
Guiding Questions:
What kinds of data do I use for curricular and instructional planning beyond external assessment data (e.g. district assessments, benchmarks, state test results, etc.)? Do non-academic data (e.g. attendance, discipline, social-emotional information) help to inform my curricular planning? Do I involve students in the process?
Exploring
My curricular planning is informed only by external assessment data.
Growing
My curricular planning is informed mostly by external assessment data and sometimes by non-academic data.
Utilizing
My curricular planning is informed by both external assessment data and non-academic data and I sometimes discuss with students how this data informs my instruction.
Transforming
My curricular and instructional planning is informed by both external assessment data and non-academic data in collaboration and discussion with my students.
Selected Rating:
None
Commitments
Classroom Assessments Connect to Students' Lives
Guiding Questions:
In what ways are the classroom assessments I create (i.e. homework writing assignments, tests, portfolios, exit tickets, etc.) connected to students' experiences from home, the community and/or their culture?
Exploring
My classroom assessments are rarely connected to students' experiences and culture.
Growing
My classroom assessments sometimes provide students with opportunities to use their experiences and culture to demonstrate their learning.
Utilizing
My classroom assessments regularly provide students with opportunities to use their experiences and culture to demonstrate their learning.
Transforming
My classroom assessments are creative in the ways they provide students with opportunities to use their experiences and culture to demonstrate their learning and I regularly review and revise them to make them better.
Selected Rating:
None
Commitments
Student Involvement in Data-Informed Decision-making
Guiding Questions:
How much do I work with students to explain how their assessment results influence the groups and classes they are placed in? Do I discuss assessment data with them to help them set goals?
Exploring
I rarely explain to students how their assessment results influence the groups and classes they are placed in.
Growing
I sometimes explain to students how their assessment results influence the groups and classes they are placed in.
Utilizing
I regularly explain to students how their assessment results influence the groups and classes they are placed in.
Transforming
I regularly explain to students how their assessment results influence the groups and classes they are placed in and work with them to set goals as part of the process.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
School practices include all school community member voices
Empowerment
Curricular Adjustments Meet Student Needs
Guiding Questions:
In what ways do I adjust the curriculum and pacing calendar in response to the needs and interests of my students?
Exploring
I faithfully follow the curriculum and pacing calendar.
Growing
I sometimes adjust the curriculum and pacing calendar in response to the needs and interests of my students.
Utilizing
I frequently adjust the curriculum and pacing calendar in response to the needs and interests of my students.
Transforming
I frequently adjust the curriculum and pacing calendar in response to the needs and interests of my students and sometimes create entirely different lessons that better meet my students’ needs.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
Curriculum Connects to Students' Lives
Guiding Questions:
How frequently and in what ways do I connect the curriculum to students’ daily lives? Do I encourage students to make their own connections, and if so, how?
Exploring
I rarely connect the curriculum to students’ daily lives.
Growing
I sometimes connect the curriculum to students’ daily lives.
Utilizing
I regularly connect the curriculum to students’ daily lives and offer some opportunities for students to make their own connections.
Transforming
I regularly connect the curriculum to students’ daily lives and encourage and support students to make their own connections by modeling.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
SEL Infused into School Day
Guiding Questions:
How, and in what ways, are social emotional learning experiences integrated into the school day? Do I continually look for new ways to incorporate social-emotional learning?
Exploring
Social emotional learning experiences for students are not part of the school day.
Growing
I rarely incorporate social emotional learning experiences into the school day.
Utilizing
I sometimes incorporate social emotional learning experiences into the school day.
Transforming
I regularly incorporate social emotional learning experiences into the school day and routinely look for resources and strategies to enhance my efforts.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
Authentic demonstrations of student learning
Guiding Questions:
What ways do students have to authentically demonstrate their learning in my classes (e.g. performances, presentations, experiments)? Are students able to choose different ways to show me what they have learned, or do I only assess learning with tests and quizzes?
Exploring
I offer few opportunities for students to authentically demonstrate their learning.
Growing
I sometimes offer students ways to authentically demonstrate their learning.
Utilizing
I collaborate with my students to find ways for them to authentically demonstrate their learning.
Transforming
My students choose creative ways to authentically demonstrate their learning, with my support as needed.
Selected Rating:
None
Relationships
The quality of connections amongst school community members
Relationships
Building relationship with parents and community to improve curriculum & assessments
Guiding Questions:
How and in what ways do I build relationships with parents/caregivers to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments for students?
Exploring
I rarely build relationships with parents/caregivers to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments for students.
Growing
I sometimes build relationships with parents/caregivers to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments for students.
Utilizing
I regularly build relationships with parents/caregivers to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments for students.
Transforming
I regularly build relationships with parents/caregivers increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments for students, and continually seek ways to expand and deepen these relationships.
Selected Rating:
None
Relationships
Local Field trips Connect to Community
Guiding Questions:
How frequently do I take my students on local field trips (e.g. museums, parks, cultural centers, other neighborhood locations) that increase their cultural understanding and connections to the community? In what ways do I help students make connections between the community and what they learn in school?
Exploring
I do not take my students on local field trips.
Growing
I rarely take my students on local field trips that increase their cultural understanding and connections to the community.
Utilizing
I sometimes take my students on local field trips that increase their cultural understanding and connections to the community.
Transforming
I regularly take my students on local field trips that increase their cultural understanding and connections to the community.
Selected Rating:
None
Relationships
Student interests reflected in lessons
Guiding Questions:
How often and in what ways do I incorporate students’ interests into my class lessons? Do I think building relationships with students is a priority for improving their learning experiences?
Exploring
My lessons don’t often connect to students’ interests.
Growing
I rarely incorporate students’ interests into lessons to build relationships and improve learning experiences.
Utilizing
I sometimes incorporate students’ interests into my lessons to build relationships and improve learning experiences.
Transforming
I often incorporate students’ interests into lessons in ways that help them learn because it is my priority to build relationships and improve learning experiences.
Selected Rating:
None
Collaboration
The extent of cooperation amongst school community members
Collaboration
Community Collaborations on Curriculum & Assessment
Guiding Questions:
In what ways do I collaborate with the community to utilize local resources in support of students? How do I strengthen these collaborations to increase the relevance of our curriculum and assessments?
Exploring
I rarely collaborate with the local community to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments.
Growing
I sometimes collaborate with the local community to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments.
Utilizing
I regularly collaborate with the local community to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments.
Transforming
I regularly collaborate with the local community to increase the relevance of my curriculum and assessments and seek ways to expand and deepen the collaboration.
Selected Rating:
None
Collaboration
Collaborative Projects
Guiding Questions:
Do I collaborate with other teachers and/or students to develop long term projects and project based learning that gives students the opportunity to authentically demonstrate their learning?
Exploring
I have few long-term projects or project-based learning units that allow students to more authentically demonstrate their learning over time.
Growing
I rarely collaborate with other teachers and/or students to create meaningful long-term projects and project-based learning activities that allow students to more authentically demonstrate their learning over time.
Utilizing
I regularly collaborate with other teachers and/or students to create meaningful long-term projects and project-based learning activities that allow students to more authentically demonstrate their learning over time.
Transforming
I regularly collaborate with other teachers and/or students to create meaningful long-term projects and project-based learning units that allow students to more authentically demonstrate their learning over time and debrief afterwards to improve my efforts.
Selected Rating:
None
