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Read - This can be as a class, in small groups, or individually. Reading can occur while reading a rhythm aloud or reading a rhythm during a performance.
Notate - This can be achieved with students notating the rhythm for a known song or by composing a new song using known rhythms.
Sing - Make sure that students are singing both with and without the teacher! By the end of the unit, students should be able to sing expressively and accurately.
Play - Students can practice reading and performing songs and rhythms using xylophones and rhythm sticks.
- Make sure that you are assessing skills that directly align with the standards and with the instruction you have provided. Remember the verbs outlined in the standards!
- Use variations of activities that students have practiced in class. Often young elementary students will respond well to performance assessments in music.
Some examples commonly found in elementary music text books and folk music include:
1. Come and Follow Me
2. Hey, Hey, Look at Me
3. Naughty Kitty Cat
4. Bow Wow Wow
5. Pease Porridge Hot
National Standard for Music Education:
5. Reading and notating music.
State Standards for Music Education (MN):
0.1.2.3.1 Read and notate music using a system of notation such as solfege, numbers or symbols.
0.1.2.3.2 Sing and play with accurate pitch, rhythm, and expressive intent.
- When teachers and schools clearly communicate the rubrics and expectations that go along with standards-based grades, the grading system becomes less abstract and more meaningful.
- Families are more clearly guided down the pathway of what will help a student achieve academic excellence.
- Students are graded on their knowledge instead of their compliance and work habits.
- The playing field is evened out among teachers. There are no longer 'easy' and 'hard' teachers because they are all testing the same standards-based skills and knowledge.
- School becomes less stressful and competitive when they are compared to a standard and not to their peers.
- The opportunity for re-testing and additional learning activities to demonstrate standards takes away the pressure of testing in general.
- They receive personalized feedback that is meaningful more often and helps them understand what they need to do to more completely master a particular standard.
- They help inform teacher instruction and planning.
- Curriculum, instruction, and planning all become more intertwined, leading to more meaningful educational experiences.
- Once the verbs for each standard assessed are identified, grading and tracking mastery becomes much easier to communicate to students and parents.
- Students are graded only against a set standard, not against their peers.
1. Define the standard for which you need to create a standards-based unit and assessment.
2. What verb informs the standards? Will students need to play, compose, or sing? Answering this question is key to creating the proper pathway toward the assessment.
3. What song will most effectively and efficiently help demonstrate this standard? For scaffolding purposes, it is also helpful to pick a song that has concepts that will be assessed at a later date.
4. Begin planning! Include lessons that provide students with ample opportunities to practice and explore the standard addressed. If students will be expected to play a song on the xylophone, for example, allow them an opportunity to practice this skill with multiple opportunities for formative feedback before the assessment.
5. Write the assessment. It is helpful to have an end-goal in mind while planning with the standards. Remember, the assessment can always be altered, but having the standards-based assessment in mind while you lesson plan will help inform your instruction practices and closely ties the content, standards, and assessment together.
Explore the following boxes for an example of
Standards-Based assessment practices!
- If you don't feel that students have a firm grasp on the standards addressed, take time to re-teach and reassess! Search for additional music and performance opportunities to further reinforce learning.
- Track individual student mastery of the standards using a spreadsheet or app. This provides clear communication with classroom teachers and parents on the progress a student is making in the music classroom.
- Teachers have widely varying opinions on the topic of Standards-Based Assessments.
- It is positive because it helps inform and align teaching while preparing students for real-world learning.
- It can be negative due to the aspect of re-testing and re-submitting work that occurs in this model. This is not necessarily a real-world learning format and teachers have reported feelings that all they do is assess, rather than teach.
Standards-based assessments are assessments that grade students solely on their progress toward mastery and mastery of state and national standards.
Needleman, S. (2012, December 18). Why should a parent be excited about Standards-Based grading? [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.jumprope/blog/why-should-a-parent-be-excited-about-standards-based-grading/
Boyd-Batstone, P. (2004). Focused anecdotal records assessment: A tool for standards-based, authentic assessment. The Reading Teacher, 58(3), 230-239. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/203278267?accountid=26879
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (2005). The Benefits of Standards-Based Instruction. Critical Issue. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/sc6bnfit.htm
D'Anieri, J. (2012, August 7). The Implications of Standards-Based Grading [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.jumprope/blog/the-implications-of-standards-based-grading/
Education Commission of the States (ECS). (2002). A Guide to Standards-Based Assessment. No Child Left Behind Issue Brief. Retrieved from http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/35/50/3550.pdf
Pemberton, J. B., Rademacher, J. A., Tyler-Wood, T., & Perez Cereijo, M. V. (2006). Aligning assessments with state curriculum standards and teaching strategies. Intervention in School and Clini, 41(5), 283-289. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211739165?accountid=26879
Miller, J. J. (2013). A Better Grading System: Standards-Based, Student-Centered Assessment. English Journal, 103(1), 111-118. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1031-sep2013/EJ1031Better.pdf
Scriffney, P. L. (2008). Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading. Expecting Excellence, 66(2). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/oct08/vol66/num02/Seven_Reasons_for_Standards-Based_Grading.aspx
Moon, T. R., & Callahan, C. M. (2001). Classroom performance assessment: What should it look like in a standards-based classroom? National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Culletin, 85(622), 48-58. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216038255?Accountid=26879
Twelve TV [twelvedottv]. (2013, January 23). Teachers speak out against standards based grading at Osseo Schools [video files]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube/com/watch?v=H7hjysGMGw...