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Using Rubrics to Monitor Outcomes in Occupational Therapy
Every practice setting that an occupational therapist, or any other health care provider, works in is demanding accountability and transparency. School-based practice is not immune, gone are the days of a teacher’s or therapist’s opinion. Reports are now required to be a balanced assessment of a student’s abilities, strengths and weakness including both formative and summative data. Occupational therapists need to know how to meet the demands of today’s data driven environment. As a research emergent profession, we are called upon to take data systematically. In an educational environment, occupational therapists should be aligning their data collectionmethods and documentation style with teachers. By aligning our documentation style and data collection methods, a more cohesive picture of the student emerges. This allows for more concise development of the IEP and goals targeted toward the student’s individual needs. Data collection need not be difficult. With a little preparation and smart organization planning, data collection becomes easy. When annual review time comes around, goal progress is also easy to report. This allows better planning for the coming year by the Committee on Special Education. Students also benefit by using rubrics in an occupational therapy setting. Some students cannot see or understand the “hidden curriculum.” These students need the guidelines for achievement that others may not. In using a rubric, you are defining the rules by which you consider a goal achieved. This can potentially improve goal progress and decrease the student’s anxiety about being pulled out or having a therapist in the classroom. For some students, a rubric provides the light at the end of the tunnel. With systematic data collection through the use of rubrics, occupational therapists have a unique opportunity to review and interpret the data collected from his or her students to create pilot or ex post facto studies. This can potentially lead to further research. Rubrics can be a win-win situation.
Topics Included in this book:
Why Should Occupational Therapists Use Rubrics?
Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Judgment
Thinking like a Researcher
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Rubrics for an Assessment
Tips for Rubric Development
How Do Rubrics Relate to the IEP?
Just a Word on Organization
Occupational Therapy Assessment
A Balance between Standardized and Non-Standardized Assessments
Why are Other Staff Members Taking Data on my Goals?
What does Measurable Mean?
Table 1: Types of Rubrics
Table 2: This is an example of a Individual skill rubric with benchmarks for a cutting with scissors goal
Table 3: Sample of Staff Log-In Sheet
Table 4: Methods of Assessment
Table 5: Descriptive Terms to Rate Student’s Performance
Table 6: Sample Holistic Rubric
Table 7: Sample Measurable Goals for IEP
Table 8: Goal Development Chart
Table 10: Interpreting Data Worksheet
Table 11: Double Loop Shoe Tying Assessment Rubric
Table 12: Double Loop Shoe Tying Assessment Data Sheet
Table 13: Adapted Double Loop Shoe Tying Rubric
Table 14: Adapted Double Loop Shoe Tying Assessment Rubric Data Collection Sheet
Table 15: One Hand Keyboarding Assessment
Table 16: Graphic Representation of Data Collected
Table 17: Keyboarding Assessment Rubric
Table 18: Assessment Rubric: Putting on Socks with One Hand
Table 19: Data Collection: Putting on Socks with One Hand
Table 20: Assessment Rubric: Packaging Utensils
Using Rubrics to Monitor Outcomes in Occupational Therapy Using Rubrics to Monitor Outcomes in Occupational Therapy Every practice setting that an occupational therapist, or any other health care provider, works in is demanding accountability and transparency.