A baseline is a marker you can set on any writing assignment to create a clear point of comparison for student progress. Think of it as a checkpoint that helps you track how writing improves over time.
Why use baselines?
Baselines make your data more meaningful and easier to talk about with Claro Foresight. They let you:
Track progress over time
Compare like-for-like writing samples
Have clearer, more focused conversations in Claro Foresight
For example, you can ask:
“Tell me about student progress between the last 2 baselines.”
“How did Alexandar improve between baseline 1 and baseline 4?”
When should I set a baseline?
Most teachers set baselines on assignments set as Cold Writes or on handwritten activities uploaded to Scribo. Basically, writing that has been completed without scaffolds or AI feedback.
That said, you can set a baseline on any assignment. It depends on what you want to measure.
How to set a baseline
Go to your class assignment list
Find the assignment you want to use
Click the three dots beside the assignment
Select “Set as baseline”
Scribo will number the baseline for you, so you can use it as a reference for the activity.
That’s it! Scribo will now use this assignment as a comparison point in your data.
Note: If you want to talk to Claro Foresight about the baselines, don't forget to re-generate your Foresight data to pick up the change.
How baselines work in practice
Each time you set a new baseline, you create another checkpoint in your timeline.
Over time, this allows you to:
Compare early vs later writing
Quickly compare 2 pieces of writing using their baseline numbers instead of typing out the full activity names
Identify growth trends
Spot students who are improving, plateauing, or slipping
A simple way to use baselines well
Set your first baseline early (e.g. start of term)
Add another after a teaching cycle
Keep spacing them out at key points
Try to use like-for-like grading. For example, using the same rubric with 2 baselines. Though it's not mandatory, this gives the most informative comparison. That said, baselines can be used to compare differences as well. For example, to compare 2 different genres of writing.
Important: Using baselines in Claro Foresight
If you want to ask questions about your baselines in Foresight, don’t forget to re-generate your data after setting or updating a baseline.
Foresight works with the data processed the last time an update was run, so if you skip this step, your baselines won’t show up in your results.