Child Welfare (Foster Care, Parenting, Adoption, Immigrant Children)

Family Science Policy Impact Paper Rubric

FSPIP
Criteria	Ratings	Pts
Introduction – “What’s the problem?”Students will write a brief summation of the issue and how it impacts families. This should be no longer than a paragraph and should be informed by the content provided in Canvas as well as relevant outside research. APA-style citations should be included in-text to identify relevant source material.	3.0 ptsDetailed and connected to content with citationsThe summation of the issue is detailed enough and strongly connected to the provided source material (including APA citations).2.0 ptsPartial connection to contentThe summation of the issue is only loosely informed by content provided in Canvas0.0 ptsNo connection to source materialThe summation of the issue is not directly tied to the content provided in Canvas	3.0 pts
Scope of the problem – “How big is the problem?”Students will use the resources provided and relevant outside research to describe the scope and impact of the issue on families (include statistics/ number of people or families impacted). Particular attention will be paid to evidence of unequal or different impacts based on gender, race, SES, age, sexual orientation, family structure, or other relevant family demographics. This section should be at least one-half page in length and should include in-text citations for source content.	3.0 ptsGood illustration of scope including citationsThe student fully describes the scope of the issue and its impact on families. They ground their description in the relevant content with in-text citations to the source material.2.0 ptsPartial description of the scope and connections to the source materialSome description of the scope of the problem with some connections to the source material0.0 ptsLittle to no description of scope or connections to sourcesLittle to no description of the scope of the problem and its impact on various families, and/or little to no connection to the source materials.	3.0 pts
Description of the policy – “What has been done to help/ fix the problem?”Using the information provided in Canvas and any relevant outside sources, students will describe a policy or set of policies that aim to address the focal family issue. This section will be no more than one paragraph and should include a brief description of the policy and its purpose along with appropriate APA citations back to relevant source material.	4.0 ptsPolicy well described and citedThe policy(ies) are well described with appropriate citations.3.0 ptsPolicy is covered with some citations, but specifics are left outThe student gave a loose description of the policy with some citations but left out several details.0.0 ptsLittle or no reference to specific policy or connections to sourcesThe student made little to no references to the policies discussed in the source material and/ or left out citations.	4.0 pts
Evaluation of impact – “Did the fix work?”Students will digest information from provided sources and relevant outside source material and prepare a brief (approx. one-half page) summary of the impact the identified policy has had on the focal family issue. Citing relevant sources, using APA, the students will describe how the policy has or has not impacted the family issue (the policy’s intended consequences) as well as any unintended consequences that may have resulted from the policy’s implementation. As with the above sections, this portion should be primarily informed by research and should contain APA in-text citations for used source material.	5.0 ptsStrong description of policy impact with citations to back up claimsThe student thoroughly describes the impact of the policy on families and backs up their claims with citations back to the source material.4.0 ptsSome coverage of impact with citations, but questions remainThe student began to cover the impact of the policy on the focal family issue and included citations, but more depth was needed.2.0 ptsImpact barely covered with little very little citationThe student vaguely describes the impact of the policy on the focal family issue with little connection to the source material.0.0 ptsNo impact evaluation	5.0 pts
Personal reaction – “How do I feel about it?”Having outlined the issue, relevant policy, and its impact, students will conclude their paper with a brief discussion of their own opinions on the issue and policy. Students should describe their opinions in light of the information they included earlier in the paper and should discuss how those opinions were or were not influenced by their research for this paper. As this is entirely based on opinion, there is no right or wrong answer for this section. Instead, points will be based on whether the students clearly articulate their opinion and how they arrived at it.	5.0 ptsOpinion clearly articulated and connected to contentThe student articulated their opinion clearly and discussed how they arrived at that opinion including ties to the contend discussed earlier in the paper.3.0 ptsOpinion articulated clearly but missing connection to contentThe students stated their opinion clearly but did not tie it back to the content that they discussed earlier in the paper.2.0 ptsOpinion articulated vaguely with no connection back to contentThe student vaguely articulated their opinion, but more detail and specificity was needed. There was no connection made to the content discussed earlier in the paper.0.0 ptsPersonal reaction section missing	5.0 pts
Formatting followed/ Writing qualityThe paper should be at least 2 pages plus a reference page and follow APA guidelines including 12pt. Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, double-spaced text, section headings, and APA citations. The writing should be polished and free of grammar, spelling, and syntax errors.	5.0 ptsThe writing is clear and largely free of errors4.0 ptsA few small errors and/ or formatting mistakes2.0 ptsSeveral spelling, grammar, or formatting errors that detract from the message of the paper0.0 ptsPervasive errors and no attempt at following the assigned format	5.0 pts
Total Points: 25.0