Distinguished - Fully and explicitly develops an introduction that includes a well-developed statement for purpose of the presentation.

Proficient - Sufficiently develops an introduction that includes a well-developed statement of purpose for the presentation. The introduction is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Develops an introduction that includes a well-developed statement of purpose for the presentation. The introduction is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - The introduction is present though incomplete. The purpose of the presentation is unclear. The introduction is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The introduction is either nonexistent or lacks the components describes in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Strongly defends the importance of quality, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization.

Proficient - Sufficiently defends the importance of quality, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Partially defends the importance of quality, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood education including some supporting research and a mostly relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to defend the importance of quality, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood education; however, is lacking supporting research and/or a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization, and the defense is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The defense of the importance of quality, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Strongly defends the importance of fostering social justice, equity pedagogies, and culturally-relevant teaching in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization.

Proficient - Sufficiently defends the importance of fostering social justice, equity pedagogies, and culturally-relevant teaching in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Partially defends the importance of fostering social justice, equity pedagogies, and culturally-relevant teaching in early childhood education including supporting research and a contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to defend the importance of fostering social justice, equity pedagogies, and culturally-relevant teaching in early childhood education; however, is lacking supporting research and/or a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization, and the defense is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance – The defense of the importance of fostering social justice, equity pedagogies, and culturally-relevant teaching in early childhood education nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Strongly defends the importance of 21^st-century learning skills in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization.

Proficient - Sufficiently defends the importance of 21^st-century learning skills in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Partially defends the importance of 21^st-century learning skills in early childhood education including supporting research and a contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to defend the importance of 21^st-century learning skills in early childhood education; however, is lacking supporting research and/or a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization, and the defense is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The defense of the importance of 21^st-century learning skills in early childhood education nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Strongly defends how innovative leadership, social justice, and 21^st-century learning are tied to professionalism in the field in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization.

Proficient - Sufficiently defends how innovative leadership, social justice, and 21^st-century learning are tied to professionalism in the field in early childhood education including supporting research and a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic – Partially defends how innovative leadership, social justice, and 21^st-century learning are tied to professionalism in the field in early childhood education including supporting research and a contextual example of ways this concept could be integrated into an organization. The defense is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to defend how innovative leadership, social justice, and 21^st-century learning are tied to professionalism in the field in early childhood education; however, is lacking supporting research and/or a relevant contextual example of ways this concept could be effectively integrated into an organization, and the defense is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The importance of innovative leadership, social justice, and 21^st-century learning in early childhood education nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Thoroughly develops a clear and comprehensive action-orientated mission statement for the organization.

Proficient - Sufficiently develops a clear action-orientated mission statement for the organization. Minor details are lacking.

Basic - Develops a limited action-orientated mission statement for the organization.  Relevant details are lacking or unclear.

Below Expectations - Attempts to develop an action-orientated mission statement for the organization; however, significant details are lacking or entirely unclear.

Non-Performance - The mission statement is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Creates meaningful correlations among experiences outside of the classroom to demonstrate an understanding of the given field of study and to broaden one's own viewpoints.

Proficient - Compares life experiences and academic knowledge to distinguish differences and similarities while acknowledging perspectives other than one's own.

Basic - Recognizes correlations between life experiences, academic texts, and ideas perceived as similar and related to one's own interests.

Below Expectations - Briefly comments about the connections between one's life experiences and academic texts.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Autonomously synthesizes or draws conclusions by combining examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines. 

Proficient - Autonomously correlates examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Basic - Attempts to correlate examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Below Expectations - Displays inconsistent examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Assesses changes in one's own learning over time, recognizing varied contextual factors (e.g., works with ambiguity and risk, deals with frustration, considers ethical frameworks).

Proficient - Effectively assesses strengths and challenges within specific performances or events to increase effectiveness in different contexts (through increased self-awareness).

Basic - Assesses one's own performances with general descriptions of success and failure.

Below Expectations - Unsuccessfully assesses one's own performances with general descriptors of success and failure.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Written work contains exceptional language that is appropriate in diction, tone, and point of view (third person vs. first person), according to the assignment guidelines and academic writing standards. Key subject matter and academic vocabulary is integrated in a meaningful way throughout the assignment.

Proficient - Written work contains language that is appropriate in diction, tone, and point of view (third person vs. first person), according to the assignment guidelines and academic writing standards. Key subject matter and academic vocabulary is mostly integrated in a meaningful way throughout the assignment.

Basic - Written work contains language that is somewhat appropriate in diction, tone, and point of view (third person vs. first person), according to the assignment guidelines. Key subject matter and academic vocabulary is somewhat integrated throughout the assignment.

Below Expectations - Written work does not contain language that is appropriate in diction, tone, and point of view (third person vs. first person), according to the assignment guidelines and academic writing standards. Key subject matter and academic vocabulary is minimally integrated throughout the assignment.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.

Proficient - Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic - Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations - Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

Proficient - Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors. 

Basic - Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements. 

Below Expectations - Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Proficient - The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Basic - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Below Expectations - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.   

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Proficient - Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Basic - Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

Below Expectations - Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.