Create PT - Difference Between Rubric and Written Instructions for 2D

CS Principles AP Prep
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The Create task description states that the abstraction (2D) “must integrate mathematical and logical concepts.” However, on the scoring rubric, row 6 does not mention math and logic in the selection of the abstraction. It just specifices that it must be student created and must meet the definition of abstraction (function, list, etc.)

Is it a requirement that the student developed abstraction incorporate math and logic? If so, I am assuming that it should have both since it says math AND logic?

Thanks for the clarification.

Refer to Rubric
Refer to Written Response Directions.

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Hi @carmichaelc,

Keeping in mind I don’t represent the College Board (so take this with a grain of salt and don’t consider it an official approved response), I think you have good reason to doubt the math/logic requirement for the abstraction. My reasons for thinking this…

  1. Readers grade strictly based on the rubric, not the description. You’re right that the math/logic requirement is not mentioned anywhere in rows 7 and 8, the abstraction sections (for response 2D).
  2. The grading commentary for the sample responses do not mention math/logic for the samples earning points for rows 7 and 8. (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/exam?course=ap-computer-science-principles#anchorSG , see “Create: Commentary” in the 2018 exam materials)

Rubric: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/2018-create-performance-tasks-sg.pdf
Directions (p 13): https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-csp-student-task-directions.pdf

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Here’s an official response from a college board employee -
Crystal Schweickert Furman
In some instances you will see that we have included some flexibility in the rubric. With a limited number of scoring points, decisions have to be made on whether we want to assess students knowledge / understanding of the use of mathematical / logical concepts twice, or is it sufficient to assess this one time on the rubric. It was decided to assess it once with the algorithm.

Students will be most successful, however, if they use the task directions to guide their work, rather than the rubrics. This will ensure that they have met all the requirements regardless of the rubric that is used to score their work.

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official response from college board employee - Crystal Schweickert Furman

In some instances you will see that we have included some flexibility in the rubric. With a limited number of scoring points, decisions have to be made on whether we want to assess students knowledge / understanding of the use of mathematical / logical concepts twice, or is it sufficient to assess this one time on the rubric. It was decided to assess it once with the algorithm.

Students will be most successful, however, if they use the task directions to guide their work, rather than the rubrics. This will ensure that they have met all the requirements regardless of the rubric that is used to score their work.

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That’s odd that Crystal (representing the College Board) said that “Students will be most successful, however, if they use the task directions to guide their work, rather than the rubrics” since evaluators use the rubric to grade more than the directions and teachers have to synthesize both the directions and rubric. Thus, I think the College Board should do a better job ensuring that the directions are equally aligned to the rubric. It kind of reminds me of the Explore rubric how there is no 2B on the rubric but it’s in the directions. Put simply, tell us (teachers, students, and evaluators) exactly what you want. The more specific the better I think that leaving the rubric room for more flexibility will cause more confusion than clarity in this case. We are not legal experts here interpreting jurisprudence, we are teachers simply trying to understand the requirements of a task and the rubric.

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