An analytic rubric tells students exactly what a strong piece of work looks like, criterion by criterion, and lets you grade a stack of projects consistently. Writing one by hand takes time: choosing the criteria, defining four levels for each and making every descriptor observable. This guide shows how to create an analytic rubric with Didaktos AI in five steps, with screenshots of the app, using a 6th grade science fair project as the example.
What is an analytic rubric?
An analytic rubric is a table. Each row is a criterion, one part of the task you are assessing, such as the hypothesis or the conclusion. Each column is a performance level, usually from 4 (exemplary) to 1 (beginning). Each cell describes what the work looks like at that level.
A holistic rubric gives one overall score. An analytic rubric gives a score per criterion, so students see exactly where they are strong and what to improve next. That is why it works well for projects, essays, labs and presentations.
How to create an analytic rubric in 5 steps
Step 1: Choose Analytic Rubric
Open Didaktos AI, click the Assessment category and choose Analytic Rubric in Resource Type.
In Assessment, choose Analytic Rubric.
Step 2: Describe the task
Set the Subject, Grade Level and Context / Standard. The Output Format changes to CSV Table by itself, because a rubric is a table. Then describe the task in Topic / Instructions: what students produce, the grade, and the parts you want to assess.
Rubric for a 6th grade science fair project. Assess the question and hypothesis, the procedure, data and graphs, the conclusion and the oral presentation. Students work in pairs over three weeks.
Name the task, the grade and the parts you want to assess; the table format is set for you.
Tip: if you name the criteria, Didaktos uses yours. If you do not, it chooses four to six that fit the task.
Step 3: Review the rubric
Press Generate Resource. You get a table with your criteria in rows and four levels in columns, Exemplary (4), Proficient (3), Developing (2) and Beginning (1), plus a total score and space for written feedback.
Criteria in rows, levels in columns, observable descriptors and a total score.
Check each row: could two teachers read the descriptor and give the same score? If a descriptor says “good” or “nice”, it is not observable yet.
Step 4: Adjust it with Edit
Press Edit and ask for the change in plain words. Some requests that work well:
“Add a criterion for lab safety.”
“Use three levels instead of four.”
“Write the descriptors so 6th graders can self-assess.”
“Give the presentation criterion double weight.”
Add, remove or reword criteria by asking in plain words.
Step 5: Use it and share it
Didaktos updates only what you asked for. When the rubric is ready, copy it or download it: as a Word file to print and hand out, or as a CSV file to open in Excel or Google Sheets.
The new criterion is added; copy the rubric or download it as Word or CSV.
Share the rubric with students before they start the project, not only at grading time. It is the clearest description of success they will get.
Create a rubric from a lesson in one click
If you already generated the lesson or the project guide in Didaktos, you do not need to start again. Press the Create rubric quick action under the preview, and Didaktos builds the rubric from that resource. See how to create assessments automatically.
Tips for a strong analytic rubric
Four to six criteria. More than six is hard to use while grading.
Observable words. “Labels both axes and the units” instead of “good graph”.
One idea per criterion. Split “data and conclusion” into two rows.
Describe the next level up. Students should see what to do to move from 2 to 3.
