What it does
A rubric converts numeric scores into status outcomes automatically, using score ranges you define for one graded course or rotation. Institutions can also publish shared grade standard templates for programs to review, though adopting one isn't self-service yet.
Who it's for
Program administrators with rubrics-management permission build and apply rubrics for their program. Institution administrators publish shared grade standard templates that programs can see on the same setup page.
How it works
Each rubric belongs to one program and one graded course or rotation (GCR). Pick a scale style to get an editable starting template: Letter, Pass/Fail, Percent bands, GPA steps, Qualitative bands, or Raw score bands. Then adjust it:
Letter (A 90–100, B 80–89.99, C 70–79.99, D 60–69.99, F below 60)
Pass/Fail (pass at 60 and above)
Percent bands (Excellent / Good / Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory)
GPA steps (4.0 down to 0.0)
Qualitative bands (Outstanding / Satisfactory / Needs Improvement / Unsatisfactory)
Raw score bands (Excellent / Good / Fair / Poor)
Each range maps a minimum-to-maximum score band to a status label. You can adjust every band's boundaries, add or remove bands, and reorder them. The Rubric configuration is valid and ready to save message confirms there are no overlaps or gaps.
Applying a rubric. Select Recalculate Scores on a rubric's row to run its ranges against every score for its linked course or rotation. Select Preview Impact first. It shows total scores, how many would change, and the resulting status distribution. Grades whose status was manually overridden are left out of recalculation.
Versioning. Select Create New Version to copy the current ranges into a new, editable rubric. The prior version is superseded, so historical grades keep pointing to the version that produced them.
Shared grade standards. On the Gradebook Setup page, the Shared Gradebook Standards card lists institution-level grade scale, score type, rubric, and evaluation-form templates. Each one is marked Adopted or Available. This view is read-only for now. Linking a program's scores to a shared standard isn't self-service yet.
Before you start
You need rubrics-management permission to create, edit, or apply rubrics; gradebook view permission is enough to see them.
Create the graded course or rotation the rubric belongs to first — every rubric attaches to exactly one.
Do this
Open the Grading Rubrics page (
/grades/rubrics) → you should see the rubric list with filters for course/rotation, scale, and status type.Select Create Rubric → the Create Rubric dialog opens with a Select GCR... dropdown and the rubric editor.
Choose the course or rotation from the dropdown, enter a Name, pick a scale style, and adjust the ranges in the dialog → the validation message confirms the configuration is ready.
Select Save Rubric → you should return to the Grading Rubrics page and see the new rubric in the list.
To apply it to existing scores, open the row's action menu and select Preview Impact → the Rubric Impact Preview dialog opens with the affected-score count and status distribution.
Close the preview, then select Recalculate Scores in the same menu → a confirmation toast shows the update completed.
You're done when
The rubric shows in the Grading Rubrics list with its scale type, version, and range count.
After recalculation, the rubric's Applied count reflects the scores it now covers.
Boundaries and limits
Creating and editing rubrics requires rubrics-management permission; viewing them requires gradebook view permission. Learners do not see rubric configuration.
A rubric that has been applied to any score cannot be deleted — deactivate it or create a new version instead. Deleting an unused rubric is a soft removal.
Each range's minimum must not exceed its maximum, and ranges cannot overlap; the editor flags gaps and overlaps before you can save.
A rubric applies to exactly one graded course or rotation. There is no program-wide sweep — recalculation always targets one rubric and its one linked course or rotation.
Deactivating a rubric that's already applied to scores stops it from being used on new scores; existing scores it already touched stay unchanged.
Shared grade standard templates from the institution are visible on the Shared Gradebook Standards card, but adopting one for a program isn't available from the app yet.
Common questions
Q: Will applying a rubric overwrite grades staff set by hand? A: Recalculation skips grades whose status was manually overridden. Use Preview Impact to see exactly how many grades would change before you commit.
Q: How do I change a grading scale without disturbing past grades? A: Select Create New Version on the rubric. Old grades keep their association with the version that graded them; the new version applies going forward.
Q: Can our institution enforce one grading scale across all programs? A: Not directly yet. The institution can publish a shared grade standard template, and programs see it marked Available on the Shared Gradebook Standards card, but adopting it into a program isn't a self-service step right now.
Q: Why can't I delete a rubric? A: It has already been applied to scores. Deactivate it or supersede it with a new version so grade history stays intact.
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