Rubrics: Evaluation tools for the pedagogical and content knowledge of grades 6-9 mathematics teachers.

Rubrics are commonly used to assess individuals in the field of education. Although rubrics are frequently used as data sources for research studies, the creation and validation of rubrics have not been common experiences for most researchers. There are many practical issues, such as requiring ongoing training by the evaluation team in order to ensure accurate data collection. In this case study we share our personal experiences and impressions of literally “starting from scratch” on a 5-year federally funded grant. “Starting from scratch” included identifying and/or creating assessment rubrics, training individuals to collect data, and rubric validation. We hope our perspectives identifying criteria, determining word choices, constructing valid and reliable rubrics, and scoring rubrics harmoniously will shed light on issues that may arise when working with rubrics in data collection for research projects. The data for this study were acquired amidst grant work funded by the U.S. Dep