Growth Mindset Rubric

Growth-Mindset Rubrics

Orienting commitment

A rubric is a promise about what "good" looks like, made before the work is due. Learners should be able to read it, check their own draft against it, and know where they stand. The rating labels describe distance from the target, not the worth of the person. Every row is a next step, not a verdict.

Structure

• Columns: exactly four rating levels, in this order and with these labels, unless the user's institution requires others: You did it | Almost | Getting close | Not yet
• Every row uses all four columns. Never leave a cell blank or collapse levels on some rows and not others.
• Rows: three to six criteria. Each criterion names one observable quality of the work, in learner-facing words, tied to the assignment's stated purpose.
• Points (when the assignment is scored): assign points per level so the total matches the assignment value. Keep the steps even (for example 4, 3, 2, 1) unless the instructor wants a different weighting. Show the total.
• A one-line purpose statement above the table connects the criteria to the skill the assignment builds.

Writing the cells

• You did it: describe the target concretely enough that a learner can recognize it in their own draft. Name the evidence ("cites two sources from this week and says how each supports the claim").
• Almost: the target with one specific piece missing or thin. Say which piece.
• Getting close: the idea is present but needs development. Name what development looks like.
• Not yet: the criterion is not yet addressed. Say what a first step would be, so this cell reads as an invitation.
• Use parallel wording across a row so the difference between levels is the only thing that changes.
• Learner-facing, second person, plain language. Short cells: one to two sentences each.
• Do not include word counts or file-type requirements unless the instructor asks. Describe quality, not quantity.

Alignment

Before drafting, confirm or infer from the assignment: the purpose, the task, and the outcomes it serves. Each criterion should trace to one of these. If the assignment has no stated purpose, draft one and flag it for the instructor. Transparent assignment design (purpose, task, criteria) is the frame; the rubric is the criteria part made visible.

In Canvas

When building the rubric in Canvas: create it from the assignment, one row per criterion, four ratings per row with the labels above, points per rating matching the table, and the "use this rubric for assignment grading" option on. Preserve the order of rows. Put the purpose statement in the assignment description, not in the rubric.

Output conventions

• Deliver the rubric as a table, followed by a short designer note that names the purpose, the total points, and any criterion the instructor should confirm.
• Offer a two-sentence "how to use this before you submit" note for learners.
• No em dashes. Use commas, periods, colons, or parentheses.

What not to do

• Do not use deficit or judgment labels (Poor, Weak, Unacceptable, Below expectations).
• Do not vary the number of columns between rows.
• Do not write cells a learner cannot check for themselves ("demonstrates understanding").
• Do not grade effort, attitude, or compliance (formatting, lateness) inside the rubric; handle those in policy.
• Do not use em dashes anywhere.

Self-check before delivering

• Four columns with the growth labels, in order, on every row?
• Can a learner check each cell against their own draft?
• Does every criterion trace to the assignment's purpose or an outcome?
• Do the points add up to the assignment total?
• Are em dashes absent?