by Edie Pondillo, yearbook adviser
Riverdale High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Rubrics are valuable because they specifically communicate advisers’ expectations to their staffs. This 3-part rubric is like a contract with the specifications and deadlines spelled out in detail. No confusion. No worries.Much has changed in yearbook publication and production in the past 30 years, but the twofold challenge of grading students in a yearbook class and making deadlines continues to raise its ugly head.
This year, my staff and I found a way to battle that two-headed monster by breaking down a spread’s deadline into three parts. I require students to write and save their copy and captions in a double-spaced word document and submit it to me with a three-part rubric. Now, it is easier for me to both edit and monitor the progress of a spread and offer three grade opportunities in one rubric.
The rubric has three parts: copy, headlines/captions, and deadlines. With a header that includes the yearbook staffer’s name, the title of the spread, the date it is due, and the page numbers, the rubric is passed back and forth between the student and me as each part is completed. The three parts result in three separate grades, so the student has a chance to redeem herself/himself if one part of the project is poorly done. I also allow them to resubmit any part of the page for a better grade, as long as the deadline hasn’t passed. Of course, they are expected to work on the deadline until it is to our standards, but they can’t improve the grade if they’ve already missed it.
Basically the protocol and rubrics break down like this:
1. Once the initial photographs are placed on the spread’s layout, the staff member writes the body copy—not on the layout, but in a double-spaced word processing document that can be printed and attached to the rubric. This is turned in for editing one week ahead of the page’s final deadline. This gives the editor and me a chance to mark up the copy, request changes, and give suggestions based on the rubric checklist. I give a grade at this point in the process, since writing is such an important part of the class. This copy and rubric is returned to the staffer for edits.
2. After the edits have been made and the copy is placed on the layout, both captions and headlines are also submitted on a word document. These are stapled behind the previously-marked copy, and the rubric is returned to me again—three days before the final deadline. This time, the editor and I use the headline/caption portion of the rubric to give feedback. In addition, we double-check earlier copy edits and return all of this to the staffer once again. The second grade given on a double-page spread is given based on the captions and headlines.
3. Finally, when the staff member feels the page is in publish-worthy shape, the whole packet (rubric, copy, captions, headlines) is returned to me one more time—this is their indication that the page is done. Their third grade is based on meeting that final deadline. I file the rubric and its attachments as evidence to show the progression of a student’s skills.
We’ve had great success with this model and the process provides students with more frequent feedback. The use of the rubric has improved both their writing and their ability to understand how to improve their spreads. The added bonus is that we are able to keep a closer eye on those who are falling behind and a means to give some extra help when needed.
Excerpt from Elements magazine “How’d You Do That?: Get 3 Grades for One Deadline.”
Riverdale High School’s yearbook can be purchased here.
