1. Skill Based Assessments Skills Singing Playing instruments Moving Listening Composing, Improvising, Arranging Notating (perform, read, write -PRW) Examples Check lists Rating scales Rubrics Standardized tests

2. Knowledge Based Measurements Types of Knowledge Factual – Terminology – Symbols (notation) – Instruments – Genres Procedural (“How to”) – Assemble an instrument – Build a major scale – Perform a concert Examples Quizzes or tests (written) Worksheets Diagrams or graphic organizers (i.e. flow charts, concept maps, Venn chart)

3. Assessing Conceptual Understanding Understanding Concepts Principles Big Picture Examples Questioning (divergent) Journaling Projects

4. Other Considerations Scheduling assessments Documenting evidence Interpreting results – Aggregating Data – Comparing to norms

5. Challenges & Possibilities

6. How to Define Growth Advancement on levels of Proficiency? Achievement on progressive materials? Progress from Pre to Post test? Ensemble improvement based on festival Ratings?

7. Current Reality Will/cannot measure everything we teach May not include all students every year Assessment is quantitative – Multiple choice, true/false [Scantron] – Rubrics possible Performance Essays

8. Legislation w/o Implementation MI: Awaiting Gov’s Council Report by April 30, 2012 – Define rating categories (Ineffective, Minimally effective, Effective, Highly Effective) – Recommend statewide growth tool and teacher evaluation tool NY: Performance tests recommended for beginning band, BUT… – Pre-test in beginning band? – No one who has a vested interested in an assessment may score it! Who?? May take up to 5 days to assess all students!

9. Insuring Integrity Base assessments on curriculum, state standards [validity] Define and follow testing protocol = consistency [reliability] Archive assessment products Be proactive in explaining assessments to stakeholders

10. Possibilities for Music Ed. Greater attention to individual learning Emphasis on curriculum & standards Identify & define music teacher excellence – vs. smoke & mirrors music education – Models & Mentors

11. Music Teachers & Standardized Tests The MDE will provide: Measures For every educator, regardless of subject taught, based on 2009-10 and 2010-11 data: – Student growth levels in reading and math – Student proficiency levels in math, reading, writing, science, social studies – Foundational measure of student proficiency and improvement (same for each teacher in a school) Understanding Michigan's Educator Evaluations, MDE (December 2010) How will this data be used for arts educators? Merit pay?? Solutions = awareness & involvement

12. Challenges for All Teachers Students at various achievement levels do not grow at the same rate. – Less incentive to teach high needs students Research indicates that evaluation on testing may not lead to higher scores/achievement. Competition among teachers reduces incentive for collaboration. Quantitative assessment emphasizes objective knowledge vs. higher order thinking skills. Learning cannot be attributed to only one teacher – Private lessons & exposure to musical experience = more growth – Excellent or poor elem. general music instruction may affect growth in MS or HS

13. Resources

14. Resources from NAfME Music Teacher Evaluation forum on the NAfME page Sample letter to Politicians on the NAfME page

15. Resources from SMTE & Assessment SRIG SMTE Resources and Perspectives on State Initiatives for Teacher Evaluation on the SMTE web page – http://smte.us/teacher-evaluation/ http://smte.us/teacher-evaluation/ Assessment Special Research Interest Group Meeting - Friday: 3:45-5:45 p.m. [Grand B]

16. Arts Education Policy Review Call Special Issue: Teacher Evaluation and Arts Education State-level teacher evaluation policies and their effects on P-16 arts education Local and district-level teacher evaluation policies and their effects on P-12 arts education Teacher evaluation policies in higher education and their effects on preservice arts teacher education Descriptions of innovative approaches to P-16 teacher evaluation in the arts Reports of initiatives taken by P-16 schools and/or arts organizations to advocate for arts-specific teacher evaluation processes The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2012. Submissions and questions can be sent to the Editor-in-Chief, Colleen M. Conway, at: conwaycm@umich.edu. For more information about Arts Education Policy Review

17. Questions/Discussion