Wednesday, October 28, 2015

End of Quarter One and Changes

Good evening readers. It has been a very long time. I'm writing to you tonight because I am wrapping up my first quarter of using my attempt at a standards-based assessing system.

If you read through my blog, you'll know I worked to create a standards-based system to assess band and choir students at the middle school level. I have a learned so much during that process and even more now. To refresh here was my process:

1. Look at the new national music standards. I'm going to be frank - these are a bit much, but there is hope. Fortunately at the ensemble level (strand), educators can choose where their students fall under the categories of Novice, Intermediate, Proficient, Accomplished, and Advanced. Looking at my middle school students I can split them into either novice or intermediate categories.

2. From those standards, I developed learning targets or "I can" statements that help define what will need to be assessed. On the instrumental side of things I shot for big ideas that students could achieve in the ideal world of quarters. Those learning targets are in reference to musical terms, specific notes, and the like. When it comes to vocal music I had to dig a bit more...My school doesn't necessarily have a vocal music curriculum, so I talked to the high school choir director and asked what she would like her students to know by the time they're freshman. Challenge accepted.

This first quarter was the first time I felt totally involved in my instruction. I had absolute NO Behavior to assess. Music Teachers reading this... I didn't grade a single lesson!! I assessed the content of each lesson! I ran interventions during recess and before school. I found that yes, because my system is unfortunately still a points-based (only option presently), that low letter grades were potentially pushing students to succeed, but little did they know... I was able to teach more rigorous content. I was able to ask prompting questions to build a solid foundation in vocal and instrumental music.

The next issues that are arising relate to students on a standards-based student being used with a points-based system is that students may be considered "tone deaf" which in my opinion don't really exist... they just need help getting there. Students may consider dropping because they are unable to do everything being assessed, but I want to challenge schools to do away with a points-based system. It's attaching the stigma of an "F" to a low score... the low score merely means, "I'm struggling, I need help, I only kind of get this." That's when an educator gets to do their job... the fun part!

The struggle is extremely read when we are expected to use the grade report to communicate what the students' current level in any academic discipline is. I shared with my students that they could retake and re-perform to improve their scores, but that can be a tough sale to parents. How do we show that mistakes are almost more important than the final destination?

More to come - Thanks for reading.
-TGZ