New Horizons Proposals Rubric
Evaluation Criteria
Very Good (3)
Proposal Title, Session
Purpose &
Objective(s)
The title clearly describes
the session and the
purpose and objective(s)
are clearly specified.
Satisfactory (2)
Unsatisfactory (1)
The title generally
describes what the session
will entail. The purpose and
objective(s) are stated, but
may not be focused enough
to enhance session
selection or success.
The title indicates little
about what the session
might entail and the
objective(s) are absent,
incomplete, or unclear.
Instructional
Practices
&
Application
The proposal presents
demonstrated or proven
instructional practices
and/or applications that are
relevant, clear, innovative,
and very useful.
The proposal mentions
instructional practices or
applications in the field
that are relevant to the
context, but may not be
innovative or immediately
useful.
The proposal makes little or
no mention of instructional
practices or application in
the field, or information
provided is too general to
make an accurate
assessment.
Currency, importance,
and appropriateness
of topic to the field
The topic is current,
important, and appropriate
to the field and potential
audience. The session will
positively contribute to the
conference and to effective
educational application.
The topic may not be
completely current or
groundbreaking, but it is
relevant to the potential
audience.
The topic is only
tangentially related to the
conference, and/or to the
potential audience.
Conference attendees may
question the validity of the
inclusion of this session.
The proposal provides
details indicating that the
practices, conclusions, or
recommendations will be
substantiated.
The proposal gives some
indication as to how
practices, conclusions, or
recommendations will be
substantiated.
The proposal makes some
stated or implied reference
to support, but it is not
clear whether sufficient
support will be provided for
practices, conclusions, or
recommendations.
The proposal is clearly
written, coherent, and
suggests that the
presentation will be of very
good quality. A highly
interactive pedagogy or
participant-audience
interaction is described.
The proposal is adequately
written but suggests that
the presentation that may
be uneven or of moderate
quality. Some attention to
designing a well-timed,
engaging, and interesting
session is evident.
The way in which the
proposal is written suggests
that the presentation may
be poor. The proposal is
unclear, the session may be
incompatible with the timeframe, and there is no
attention to participantaudience interaction.
Support for practices,
conclusions, and/or
recommendations
Clarity and
professionalism of
proposal as indicator
of presentation
quality
Factors Disqualifying a Proposal



The committee did not receive the proposal by the deadline.
The proposal is not received through the conference’s web link.
The proposal is incomplete or not completed according to the guidelines.
(This rubric was adapted from the TESOL International proposal rating rubric)