The document discusses concerns with assessment practices in large music classrooms. It notes that grades are often based on non-achievement factors like attendance rather than individual student learning and performance. The author proposes implementing individual performance assessments, written assessments, and grading students based on content knowledge and improvement. A study is outlined to examine how individual assessments affect student accountability, growth, and group performance by collecting data from assessments, surveys, videos, and contest scores. Clear goals, rubrics, and tracking of student progress are recommended to make assessments effective.

1. In a Large Musical Classroom

2.  How are we measuring individual student
performance?
 Are some students getting lost in the large band class
setting and not learning?

3.  It can be far too easy for a performance-based class,
like music, to become solely engulfed by the goal of
the next concert or contest and forget to focus on the
education.
 Attendance and participation should be valued, but
music educators need to know students are learning
something too.

4.  Grades assigned in music classes are mostly based on
attendance and behavior.
“Researchers have found that fine arts teachers in the
United States, in general, tend to favor basing student grades on
non-achievement criteria, such as attendance , behavior, and
participation,” (Conway, Pellegrino & Russell).
“As a new teacher, I didn’t form much of a system for
assessing my students, or setting any type of standard for them
to reach. If I liked the kid and they played well, they got an A. If I
didn’t like them, they got something else. This, of course, didn’t
work very well and my students didn’t learn much aside from
how to play their festival music,” (Blake).

5.  Effective assessment
“Effective assessment should hold students accountable for their individual
performances. It is my position that it is vital that students be evaluated
individually within a group. Individual assessment allows each student to:
a. Perceive his/her own growth and worth;
b. Become personally accountable;
c. Become aware of his/her personal contribution to the group (It's all
too easy for a third clarinet player or a tiny-voiced second soprano to
escape the director's attention);
d. Assess his/her personal development as a musician.”
-Lillian
“For assessment to be effective it is first important to identify what information
or skill is to be learned. Setting clear learning goals and objectives makes the
job of assessment easier, and the assessment itself more effective,” (Antmann).

6.  Students should have a clear understanding of what is expected of
them, be able to track their accomplishments, and know how they will
be graded.
“Research in measuring the feedback provided to students in
relationship to what the teachers ask of the students indicates that,
during the vast majority of rehearsals, students have no way of
knowing whether they are accomplishing what is expected of them,”
(Goolsby).
“Teachers have noted that a particularly valuable result of individual
assessment within a group is improved discipline. Student musicians
become more aware of and seem more likely to be responsible for their
own actions… both musically and behaviorally,” (Killian).

7.  The purpose of my study is to increase student
accountability and growth in the music classroom by
implementing individual performance assessments,
written assessments, and grades based on student
content knowledge and improvement, not solely on
participation and attendance.

8. Research
Questions
Data Source 1 Data Source 2 Data Source 3
How are one-on-
one assessments
improving student
growth?
Pre-Assessments &
Post-Assessments
-Written
-Performance
Student Surveys Video Recordings &
Observations
Is there enough
time to devote to
one-on-one playing
assessments?
Teacher &
Administration
Surveys
Student Surveys Reflection & Self
Organization
Are assessments at
appropriate
knowledge level
and pace?
Assessment
Progress & Scores
Student Surveys Observations
How are one-on-
one assessments
improving group
performance and
behavior?
Difficulty Level of
the Large Ensemble
Music
Contest & Festivals Video Recordings &
Observations

9.  One-on-One Performance Assessments
 Written Content Knowledge Tests
 Student Surveys
 Parent Survey
 Administration & Teacher Surveys
 Video Recordings
 Observations
 Contest & Festival Scores

10.  Written
 Theory
 History
 Vocabulary
 Concepts of
Musical Technique
 Performance test
 Scales and
Arpeggios
 Small Segment of
Current Music for
Large Ensemble
 Rhythm
•Assessments every three weeks
•Two weeks for students to study and practice
•Dedicated time near end of class period for
the class to work on written portion, while
one-on-one performance assessments are
taking place.
•Students will be provided a rubric for how the
are graded in the class and performance tests,
as to provide clear expectations.
•All written and performance assessments will
be kept in a student managed portfolio to
enable them to track their own progress.

11.  Students
 Administration and faculty
 Other music faculty

12.  How to best structure individual assessments in a large
group class.
 How to provide my students with individual
instruction time.
 How individual assessment effects student
accountability.
 If individual assessments improve the group as a
whole.

13.  Antmann, M. (2007). Assessment and grading in the beginning band classroom (Unpublished master's thesis). Florida
State University. Retrieved November 26, 2015, from http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/etd/224/
 Asmus, E. P. (1999). Music assessment concepts. Music Educators Journal, 82(2), 19-24. Retrieved November 28, 2015,
from https://www-jstor-org.glacier.sou.edu/stable/3399585?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
 Blake, D. (2008). Banddirector.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.banddirector.com/article/home-
page-articles/assessment-in-band?resourcelibrary=1
 Goolsby, T. W. (1999). Assessment in instrumental music. Music Educators Journal, 86(2), 31-35, 50. Retrieved November
28, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3399587?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
 Kancianic, P. M. (2006). Classroom assessment in U.S. high school band programs: Methods, purposes, and influneces
(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Maryland. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/3706/umi-umd-3521.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
 Killian, J. N. (n.d.). Assessment in music performing groups: Some practical suggestions [Scholarly project]. In
University of South Florida School of Music. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://music.arts.usf.edu/smef/art-
jk.htmPellegrino,
 K., Conway, C. M., & Russell, J. A. (2015). Music Educators Journal, 102(1), 48-55. Retrieved October 17, 2015, from
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f688b6ef5964%40sessionmgr115&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mah&AN=109194395
 Staley, C. (2105). Tracking student growth through assessment. Illinois Music Educator, 76(1), 54-54. Retrieved October
17, 2015, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.glacier.sou.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=ff964a3a-7d1c-4ba8-a5eb-
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 Wesolowski, B. C. (2015). Tracking student achievement in music performance. Music Educators Journal, 102(1), 39-47.
Retrieved October 17, 2105, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.glacier.sou.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=ff964a3a-
7d1c-4ba8-a5eb-
f688b6ef5964%40sessionmgr115&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mah&AN=109194392