Basic Skills Initiative
Student Development Rubric
Responsibility
Competition
Task Precision
Expectations
Non-functioning
Emerging
Making Progress
Evolved
Students exhibit little or no
ownership over their own educational
journey. They display little initiative
to complete tasks or make decisions,
and may retreat from challenges or
problems. They exhibit a sense of
helplessness, and blame external
causes for their shortcomings.
Students exhibit significant struggles
with making decisions and taking
timely action to meet requirements
and deadlines. They may articulate a
desire to succeed, but may wait for
others to tell them what to do, or
express a sense of helplessness when
challenged by circumstances.
Students largely understand that they
have control over their own success
in college, but from time to time,
may fail to follow through on tasks
or responsibilities.
Students understand that
responsibility in college rests with
them. They make decisions and take
action on tasks and projects to
succeed
Students lack motivation or a desire
to succeed, will retreat from
challenging circumstances, and may
exhibit a complete lack confidence in
their abilities.
Students express a desire to succeed,
but find themselves frequently
challenged by obstacles or
circumstances, or have difficulty
persisting through obstacles. They
may exhibit a pattern of retreating in
the face of obstacles.
Students display motivation for
success, and can persist through
many obstacles they encounter.
There may be some circumstances
that they struggle with.
Students are internally motivated to
want to be successful in college –
they have personally important
reasons for wanting to succeed. Their
drive to succeed allows them to
transcend obstacles and difficulties
they encounter.
Students do not regard precision as a
priority. They do not complete tasks
on a timely basis, they display apathy
toward deadlines, and their
communication with peers and
instructors is careless and lacks
purpose.
Students do not take the time to
identify important tasks or write
down deadlines. They often need
prompting or reminding to complete
many tasks, and will miss deadlines.
They need a great deal of structure as
they will not independently complete
tasks, and will leave many tasks
unfinished.
Students are mindful of the
importance of defining tasks from
larger projects or expectations, of
meeting deadlines, and clarifying
vague information, but their efforts
are inconsistent from time to time.
Students have the ability to break
larger expectations into manageable
tasks, can manage details, meet
deadlines, and communicate with
precision.
Students articulate no meaningful
goal or direction, and are drifting
along. They avoid anything that
seems challenging to any degree, and
display little initiative or followthrough. They lack a desire to be
challenged.
Students may set vague,
unchallenging, uninspiring goals, if
at all. They seek to get by with
minimal effort, and stay within their
own peer group or comfort zone.
They are largely risk-averse, and will
need a great deal of prompting to
engage in any task that appears
moderately challenging.
Students may have an articulated
educational goal, but this may be a
“Safe” choice. They seek to pass
courses with respectable grades, and
may follow peers in getting involved
– in that they may be motivated by
wishing to fit in or gain acceptance
from other students.
Students set goals that are
challenging and meaningful to them.
They seek opportunities to learn, and
are risk-takers. They seek to get all
they can from their college
experience.
Students encounter significant issues
relating to stress and health, and
moderate obstacles can overwhelm
them. “Shortcuts” are commonplace
– they display erratic sleep and
nutritional habits.
Students display some elements of
sound habits and balance in their
lives, but may encounter issues at
times of stress and may take
shortcuts when overwhelmed.
Students practice sound habits in
terms of health, nutrition, exercise
and stress management. They seek
help for personal , health and
wellness issues when they need it.
Students do not keep track of
important tasks, and will rely on
others to tell them what is important.
May ignore important tasks, and may
also be indifferent to consequences
of not completing those tasks.
Students attempt to keep track of
important tasks and events in their
head, but will very often forget them.
They may find themselves frequently
overwhelmed by unexpected events.
Students use a management system
of some kind, but may use it
inconsistently. Has an internalized
idea of priority, but at times will
respond reactively to unexpected
events.
Students have a sound system for
planning and prioritizing the
academic and personal tasks. They
carry a calendar/planner with them
and use it to track their completion of
tasks.
Students feel disengaged with college
life as a whole. They do not have
friends on campus, and their
attendance in class (which may be
erratic) may be the only evidence that
they are even there at all.
Students are averse to getting
involved, and may only hang out
with a few trusted peers. The peer
group themselves are averse to
engagement in college involvement.
Students seek “safe” involvement,
which may include peers that they
already know. They may identify a
“clique” and avoid venturing outside
those peers.
Students seek meaningful
involvement in the life of the college.
They have developed a support
network of peers, faculty and other
individuals and groups on campus.
Students have no circle of support
outside of the college, or
overwhelming conflict with those
who are close to them.
Student express significant or
ongoing obstacles or conflict with
family or significant others that
threaten their chances to succeed in
college. Completing tasks and
responsibilities may be difficult in
this context.
Students have family or a circle of
support that recognizes their desire to
go to college, but there may be
periods of conflict or obstacles to
address.
Students are supported by the people
who are most important to them
(family, significant others, circle of
support. This group of people
understands students’ own
educational goals and support them
in a variety of ways.
Wellness
Time Management
College Involvement
Family Involvement