Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
When students see their content mastery mapped out, they’re more likely to understand their proficiency––and take ownership of their progress.
Science teacher Eileen Ng has become a believer in the value of visual rubrics to help students see beyond traditional letter or percentage grades. “ I've always thought it's strange for a student to take a test that covers so many different learning objectives in a unit, and then to receive a single number percentage or a single letter grade that somehow summarizes their understanding of the material,” says Ng, an educator at Lexington Christian Academy in Massachusetts. In her high school science classes, she found that students’ self-esteem was taking a big hit on days she gave tests back. “I wanted the act of getting a test back to be something informative and useful and helpful, and not something that was going to detrimentally affect them emotionally—or shift their focus away from the real point of getting feedback, which is to learn from your mistakes, to acknowledge what you did well, and to move forward.”
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#assessment #teachingstrategies #science
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
When students see their content mastery mapped out, they’re more likely to understand their proficiency––and take ownership of their progress.
Science teacher Eileen Ng has become a believer in the value of visual rubrics to help students see beyond traditional letter or percentage grades. “ I've always thought it's strange for a student to take a test that covers so many different learning objectives in a unit, and then to receive a single number percentage or a single letter grade that somehow summarizes their understanding of the material,” says Ng, an educator at Lexington Christian Academy in Massachusetts. In her high school science classes, she found that students’ self-esteem was taking a big hit on days she gave tests back. “I wanted the act of getting a test back to be something informative and useful and helpful, and not something that was going to detrimentally affect them emotionally—or shift their focus away from the real point of getting feedback, which is to learn from your mistakes, to acknowledge what you did well, and to move forward.”
For more strategies on assessment, visit: edutopia.org/assessment
Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: edut.to/3wEVHUh
*Follow us here:*
Official Website: https://edutopia.org
YouTube: youtube.com/c/edutopia
Facebook: facebook.com/edutopia
Instagram: instagram.com/edutopia
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org
#assessment #teachingstrategies #science
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
