The authors state that, as student create their project, the rubrics remove the mystery about what is required or how the work will be graded. When the tasks are complete, students use the rubric to evaluate their own work and the work of their peers. Any student who does not agree with the peer assessment grade can appeal the grade to the teacher, and the appeal must be based upon the criteria stated on the rubric. The teacher reviews the student assessments and determines the final grade for each project, and then the students reflect upon their performance by compiling unit folders and sharing them with their parents. The first chapter presents the model, and provides a brief introduction to alternative and authentic assessment, rubrics, and a rationale for using student input to develop rubrics.
Subsequent chapters provide additional information about each step.
In addition to teaching students how to write rubrics and carry out the assessment, separate chapters provide guidelines specific to primary and intermediate grades. The final chapters contain a general plan for a two day staff development workshop and ten sample focus questions, tasks, and rubrics for grades K to 6. The kindergarten task, for example, asks students to draw three pictures that illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of a story. The simple rubric uses a smiling face or a straight face to indicate quality. Grade 3 students are asked to identify four major regions of their home state, describe the plants, climate, land, and animals of one region, and use alliteration in the title of the state region.