Assessment in the General Music Classroom:

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Assessment in the General Music Classroom

• a.) What are suggested assessment strategies in
  the middle school general music setting, as
  reflected in the literature?
• b.) What are the strategies for assessment
  utilized in the American Music course?
• c.) Based on the literature, what changes would
  enhance the effectiveness of my methods?
• d.) What affect, if any, will these changes have
  on my curriculums content and students learning?

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Literature Review of AssessmentQuestion A

• Sandra Stauffer Music Educators Journal
• Assessing your assessment.
• Dont try to assess too much at once. Focus the
  assessment.
• Use rubrics.
• Joseph Eppinks definition of rubrics as found
  in his Teaching Music article is

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Rubrics

• Rubrics are assessment tools that can foster
  student learning as well as help teachers
  evaluate student progress.
• What is the key to good rubrics?
• According to Eppink clear objectives.

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Steps to Creating An Effective Rubric

• Determine concept or skill to be taught.
• Isolate 3-5 evaluation components.
• Design scoring grid with graduated levels of
  proficiency.
• Determine performance pieces, songs, or games
  that would best help students demonstrate the
  evaluation components.
• Locate materials for assessment and record
  keeping.
• Share rubric with students prior to final
  assessment.
• Source Leonhardt, Angela. Using rubrics as an
  assessment tool in your classroom. General Music
  Today. 191. p.10-16.

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Sample Music RubricMusic of another culture
writing assignment
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Rubrics in the form of rating scales
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Student Created Rubrics

• Students can create the rubrics as well, so they
  are directly involved in the assessment process.
• Student have clear expectations.
• More involved in decision making.

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Assessment Plans

• Assessment schedule informing students when
  assessment will be taking place.
• Embedded assessment or another form?
• Constant reporting of assessment results to
  students/parents.
• Regularly scheduled assessment is important.

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MENC Suggestions

• The School Music Program A New Vision
• Published in 1994.
• Calls for more authentic assessment in general
  music.
• Suggests incorporating portfolio assessment as
  well.

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Authentic/Performance Assessment

• Edward Asmus in his Music Educators Journal
  article, defines authentic assessment as
• Assessment techniques that gather information
  about students ability to perform tasks that are
  found in real world situations.
• Performance assessment is defined as Assessment
  that determines a students ability to perform
  assigned tasks rather than his or her ability to
  answer questions.

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American Music CurriculumQuestion B

• How are students assessed in this class?
• 1.) Performance assessment during in-class
  debates, blues lyrics performances, oral
  presentations, swing dancing, improvisation/compos
  ition activity, MASHUP and Film Music
  presentations
• 2.) Formative assessment written homework,
  reflection assignments
• 3.) Summative assessment written tests
• 4.) Informal assessment through observation.
• A majority of the assessment is performance
  assessment.

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What changes should be made? Question C

• Adding rubrics to the performance assessment
  tasks that my students complete will improve the
  overall assessment of my students.
• Old Assignments vs. Assignments with rubrics.
• Keep track of informal assessment with
  checklists.
• Keep the students and their parents informed of
  my expectations and my assessment plan.

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What affect do changes have?Question D

• Will not affect content. No content will be
  eliminated.
• Added assessment will give a clearer and more
  in-depth grade for students and parents to
  analyze.
• Possible increase in student interest.
• Dorothy McDonald study C.R.I.M.E.
• Allows for more reflection on the part of the
  teacher as well as the student.

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Something to Think About

• If assessments are to be useful, they must
  comprise students actually doing with music the
  things that teachers believe are most important,
  whether singing, playing, composing, or writing
  or speaking about music. They must involve
  students in active tasks that are just like what
  we hope children will do with music beyond
  school. Robert A. Duke, General Music Today,
  1999.