Assessment

... I wonder how many potential readers have turned away just by seeing that title.... I think many of my students get a bad taste in their mouth when they hear that word, and wonder why I don't "just say quiz, or test!" I just finished reading an article by author/lecturer Alfie Kohn on the topic, and agree with much of what he says concerning standardization and "rubricization".

One of Mr. Kohn's statements that I can appreciate reads, "Consistent and uniform standards are admirable, and maybe even workable, when we’re talking about, say, the manufacture of DVD players.  The process of trying to gauge children’s understanding of ideas is a very different matter, however." Part of the purpose of this article expresses his feelings that rubrics and very specific assessment criteria are not just a means for students to understand the expectations and how they will be graded (which of course, is important) but that those tactics can lead to standardization in how we assess our students, and also limit students who would have otherwise exceeded expectations. When I think about my students, 95% of them would be happy to meet given requirements if they are certain they will get an A... But, if I were to provide less specific criteria (i.e. meet A, B, and C) I would have a number of students exceeding the requirements (I save the A+ is for the students with A,B,C and perhaps D, and E). Part of me wants to discuss grade inflation, and my feeling that a student could meet a set of requirements and earn a B (and should be very happy with that grade) but let's save that for a rainy day. 

In the BOCJ setting, I often utilize SmartMusic as an assessment tool. If you're not familiar with it, definitely check it out. Essentially, students submit a recording of themselves playing along to a recorded track while seeing their part on the computer screen. The computer follows along and marks missed/incorrect notes and rhythms. In some ways, this is really concrete, however it is not fool-proof - the computer is not a music professional, and occasionally mishears the student. Also, at least from my experience with using smartmusic for Jazz Band, there is no great smartmusic adaptation for drum set or rhythm section players, and the repertoire is somewhat limited. In general though, the concept is fantastic and it is a very helpful assessment tool. 

Other than smartmusic, I often assess students on essential skills (like memorization of scales, for example). I do not hand students a rubric, though I may use one as a guide - but I give concrete details (Play 1 octave Bb Major scale from memory). I do not tell the students a tempo necessarily, and I do not necessarily ask each student for the same exact performance. My students are at very different levels even in the same small classroom. Since it is a small class, I can really get to know their strengths and weaknesses and cater the assessment to the benefit of each student making progress. I often take notes where necessary on each student's performance and consider these for grading. It is more time-consuming to individualize these assessments, but I feel it's what I need to do especially when my students are coming from a wide range of musical backgrounds, and each deserve to progress individually.