Individual Development Plan Rubric

Project Description
The purpose of the Individual Development Plan assignment is to:

Help you develop and improve goal-setting skills, a critical element for all facets of one’s personal and professional life;

Provide the opportunity for you to take personal responsibility for your development by helping you reflect on where
you are and where you want to go for this term and beyond;

Serve as a guide for conversations between you and your mentors to ensure you are getting the help you need to achieve
your goals.

Category Target Acceptable Unacceptable

Analysis of strengths The student is able to candidly
and areas for and thoroughly evaluate his/her
improvement strengths and areas of
improvement related to all five
categories: academic,
professional, civic, leadership
and personal development.
Student demonstrates high level
of thoughtfulness and insight.
The student evaluates his/her
strengths and areas of
improvement related to all
five categories.
Shows some limited level of
thoughtfulness and insight.
The student answers the
questions in the five
areas using one- or two
word responses
demonstrating very
little or no insight or
thoughtfulness.

Identification of long-
term vision
The student is able to discuss
specifically what he/she would
like to be doing in 5-10 years or
is able to articulate with some
level of detail the types of
activities he/she prefers to be
doing in that time frame.
The student is able to discuss
in vague terms the type of
activities he/she wants to be
doing in 5-10 years.
The student is not able
to articulate with any
specificity the activities
he/she would like to be
doing in 5-10 years.

Summary of goals and
action steps
The student has identified goals
and action steps in each of the
five categories that are: specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic
and have a time–frame
associated with them. The
student demonstrates a clear link
between his/her self-analysis and
the goals.
The student has identified
goals and action steps in each
of the five categories that are:
specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic and have
a time-frame associated with
them. There is some link
between his/her self-analysis
and the goals.
The student has
identified goals and
action steps in each of
the five categories.
They are however,
not very specific,
measurable, attainable,
realistic or time-
framed. There does not
seem to be a connection
between the self-
analysis and the goals.

1
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars
 Ability to summarize
how goals and action
steps for the semester
will impact long-term
vision.
Incorporates feedback
from program advisor
and/or internship
supervisor
Writing style and
format
2
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminar
The student is able to clearly
articulate how his/her goals and
action steps will lead toward a
long-term vision. The student
has been able to identify with
specificity what resources or
further development will be
needed beyond this term to
achieve his/her long-term goals.
Student proactively seeks
constructive feedback from both
the program advisor and the
internship supervisor and
incorporates the feedback in the
IDP.
The student’s writing is clear
and concise. The length is
appropriate. Grammar,
punctuation and spelling are
correct. The correct format is
used.
The student demonstrates
some connection of how
his/her goals and action steps
will lead toward a long-term
vision. The student mentions
some resources he/she will
need beyond the term.
Student incorporates
feedback from either the
program advisor or the
internship supervisor and
includes the feedback in the
IDP.
The student’s writing is clear
and concise. Grammar,
punctuation and spelling are
correct. The correct format is
used.
It is not clear how the
goals and action steps
will lead to the
student’s ability to
achieve long-term
goals. The student does
not identify additional
resources or further
development he/she
needs.
No feedback is sought
and/or no feedback is
incorporated
The student’s writing is
not clear or concise.
There are grammatical
and spelling mistakes.
The correct format is
not used.