Rock out the Rubric: Self-Regulated Strategy Development to Revise Science Writing

Co-teaching teams of special educators and science educators can collaboratively plan and implement the Rock Out the Rubric revising strategy to improve students’ writing in science class. The strategy is implemented as part of the evidence-based writing practice of Self-regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). In this article, first we describe how secondary students with exceptionalities struggle with discipline-specific elements of writing in science class. Then, we briefly review how teachers can use primary-trait rubrics to develop students’ self-regulation, to monitor students’ progress with writing processes and products, and to focus teacher-student and peer conferences as part of the revising phase of writing-to-learn instruction in inclusive secondary science classrooms. Step-by-step instructions are provided for implementing the Rock Out the Rubric strategy.