HOW TO USE FORMAL AND INFORMAL ASSESSMENT IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM: TIPS FOR DEVELOPING MUSIC EDUCATORS PANEL PRESENTERS: SOO HAN, CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL LAURA E. HELMS, BLOOMFIELD JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL LISA SULLIVAN, MOHAWK TRAILS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MODERATOR: PETER MIKSZA, IU JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

IMEA Professional Development Conference 2014

Introduction: Some Distinctions

¨  Standardized testing ¨  Inauthentic measures

and/or objectives ¨  Curricular narrowing

¨  Information about teacher criteria

¨  Setting and meeting curricular goals

¨  Authentic measures of artistic activity

Testing and Accountability Assessing Student Learning

Helping Students Learn… Helping us improve… Documenting change…

Some Slippery Terms and Concepts

¨  Assessment ¤  The overall process of making analytical judgments about student

learning ¨  Test

¤  A task or series of tasks used to obtain systematic observations presumed to be representative of students’ learning

¨  Measurement ¤  A process that assigns numbers and/or attributes to characteristics of

student learning according to specific formulations or rules ¨  Evaluation

¤  The process through which a value judgment or decision is made with the measures taken

¨  Grading ¤  Reporting results of evaluations to students, parents, and community

Thoughts on “Good” Assessment

¨  Reliable ¤ Measures and evaluations should be objective and free from

bias n  Consistent across students and across evaluators n  Free from subjective preferences

¨  Valid ¤ A test should reflect what it purports to, you should be

testing what you say you are testing ¨  Continuous

¤  students/parents/community should receive regular and continuous feedback about progress in learning n  So information can be applied towards adjustments in learning/study/

practice habits

Lisa Sullivan Mohawk Trails Elementary School

Thoughts on Assessment for Elementary Music

Formal Assessments

¨  Rubrics are the best choice if you want to know what a child can do!

¨  Basic knowledge tests (i.e., note names, music symbols) only assess that the student can “identify,” it doesn’t mean that they can “apply!”

¨  Elementary students need clearly written criteria and they need feedback as soon as they perform so they can make the changes to improve their skills.

Standard 1: Singing alone and with others

Standard 2: Playing an instrument alone and with others

Standard 3: Improvising melodies, variations, & accompaniments

Standard 4: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

Standard 5: Reading, notating, & interpreting music

Informal Class Assessments

¨  Thumbs up or down for ‘yes’ & ‘no’ answers ¨  For same & different – 2 hands in a fist for the

same; 1 hand fist & 1 hand flat open for different ¨  Pointing up & down for ‘moving up’ & ‘moving down’ ¨  Numbers in hands to show 2 phrase numbers that

are alike or different

Great for Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, & describing music Used in many situations, but mostly for standards 6-9

Tracking & Reporting skills

¨  Skills and behavior should be assessed SEPERATELY! ¨  Find a tracking method that works for you

¤  ipad ¤ Seating chart (paper/pencil or dry erase) ¤ Excel spreadsheet

¨  Be consistent & encouraging (but be lovingly honest J) ¨  When choosing material for lessons, think about HOW

you will assess and how you plan to track that data!

Laura E. Helms Bloomfield JR/SR High

Thoughts on Assessment in the Choral Classroom

General Considerations

¨  How do we encourage creativity and love of music while still assessing and holding accountable?

¨  Rubrics are the best way to stay objective. ¤ Shows them exactly what you are looking for – it’s

nothing personal! ¤ Don’t use too many criteria – keep it quick.

¨  Attitude and participation are important, but not everything.

Formal Assessments

¨  SmartMusic or individual hearings for sight-reading. ¤ 2 points per measure. Partial credit can be earned.

¨  Small ensemble (1 per part) hearings for repertoire quizzes. (see rubric)

¨  Pencil & paper quizzes for theory knowledge PLUS…

¨  Bell work compositions to apply theory.

Example Repertoire Quiz Rubric

Repertoire Quiz Rubric      3   2   1  

Part Independence  

Holds own part throughout the excerpt.  

Holds own part throughout some of the excerpt.  

Does not hold own part throughout the excerpt.  

Vocal Technique   Displays proper breathing, blending, and vowel shape.  

Displays proper breathing OR blending, OR vowel shape.  

Does not display proper breathing, blending, or vowel shape.  

Soo Han Carmel High School

Thoughts on Assessment for Secondary Instrumental Music

General Considerations

¨  Need for assessment ¤ Opportunity for group and individual (especially in

ensemble setting) feedback ¤ Assessments/feedback lead to change (student

learning, behavior, skills, habits etc.)

Assessment vs. Feedback

¨  Assessment VS Feedback ¤ Assessment is the SYSTEM --- Feedback is the DELIVERY ¤ Both are important for student learning

Formative and Summative Assessment

¨  Assessment should consist of both, formative and summative approaches ¤ Formative assessment: Short and informal assessments

that occur frequently (“frequently” during individual lesson, “frequently” throughout the week, “frequently” throughout the unit, etc.).

¤ Summative assessment: Formal and more comprehensive evaluation of students’ learning that occurs at major points throughout the school year (end of unit, end of semester, etc.)

Formative Assessment

¨  TEACHER providing constant directions, requests, and feedback that is given from the podium throughout a rehearsal

¨  Informal conversations that can occur between TEACHER and STUDENT regarding their performance

¨  Thumbs up/down (eyes closed – peer pressure!) ¨  Finger count (1- I got it, 2- lets drill a little more,

etc.) ¨  QUICK individual playing (down the line)

Formative Assessment (cont.)

¨  Playing exams ¨  Exit slips ¨  Informal recordings of ensemble ¨  Break into smaller groups ¨  “Echo” teacher demonstrations ¨  Technology tools, Essential Elements Interactive,

SmartMusic, etc.

Example of exit slips in music

Summative Assessment

¨  Concerts and performances ¨  Festivals and contests where feedback is provided ¨  Written essays regarding musical topics ¨  Playing exams ¨  Miscellaneous big projects (production of CD/

album, special performance/production, etc.)

Administering Assessments

¨  Playing exams 1.  Select excerpts using actual parts 2.  Create master list 3.  Plan/map out exam schedule 4.  Assign exams

Selecting an Excerpt

Geor~es Enesco Romanian jithapsody No. 1

la VIOLONS

Creating a Master List

Plan/map out…

Assign

(Sample screen shot)

Assessment and Student Practice

¨  USE ASSESSMENT to strategically teach good concepts you want your student to incorporate in practice ¤ Asks students to perform excerpts at slow, medium, and

‘fast’ tempos n Consider playing exams in class

¤ Prepare excerpts so that students do not always start from the beginning

Assessment and Student Practice (cont.)

¤ Prepare excerpts so that they isolate and check for understanding of difficult techniques/concepts that may not be obvious n Getting into a phrase might have technical and musical

challenges than start at the beginning a phrase

¤ Encourage use of metronome n Force them to play passages for you using it

¤ Check for items that students’ might otherwise ‘blow off’ n So that eventually IT becomes a HABBIT in their playing

Assessment and Rehearsal Planning

¨  USE ASSESSMENT TO GUIDE YOUR LESSONS/TEACHING ¤ Assessments can serve as feedback for TEACHERS to

create/plan their lessons ¤ Write down concepts, techniques students are struggling

with and focus on those concepts in your future lessons, come up with other strategic ways of addressing these items.

¤  If data reveals that MOST students struggle with a certain passage, concept, etc. it is most likely a TEACHER issue…

Rubrics

¨  RUBRICS helps to evaluate MUSIC objectively (as much as possible). ¤ Share the rubric with students to help understand the

expectations ¤ Spend a considerable amount of time designing your

OWN rubric that suits YOUR needs and the needs of YOUR students n My rubrics changes every year depending on students,

needs n One rubric DOES NOT fit all…

Rubric for Advanced Orchestra Class

Rubric for “beginning/intermediate” orchestra class

Playing Exam Excerpt

¨  Demonstrated by ‘middle of the road’ student SLOW

FAST

¤ Teacher learns what needs to be addressed more from this assessment!

Technology and Assessment

¨  These can be a powerful tool to: ¤ Demonstrate student growth ¤ Document students’ work ¤ Use as ‘artifacts’ of musical activities

Some “Hot Topics”

¨  Separating assessment of student KNOWLEDGE vs. student BEHAVIOR

¨  Not allowing ‘0’ as a grade (because it does not assess student knowledge)

¨  Assigning no grades, just feedback

Thank You!

Questions?