ARTS EDUCATION TEACHER HANDBOOK

MUSIC :: MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT ITEMS

MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT ITEMS

 

Submitted by Rebecca Green and Margaret Rehder, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools

Title:
Playing Assessment

Grade Level or Course:
Grade 8 Orchestra (Can be adapted by teacher for other instrumental classes and levels)

Targeted Goals and Objectives from the 2000 North Carolina Arts Education Standard Course
of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K - 12:

• 2.01 Play at least one instrument with appropriate posture, playing position, and technique.
• 2.05 Show respect for the instrumental playing efforts of others.
• 2.06 Play on at least one instrument, music at an appropriate and increasingly difficult level, with expressiveness and technical accuracy.
• 2.07 Play music written in modest ranges which may include changes of tempo, key, and meter.

Link with other subjects:

Mathematics (relationships)

Type of Assessment:
x Diagnostic
x Monitoring
x Summative

Type of Item:
_ Selected Response
_ Written Response
x Performance
_ Conversation
_ Observation

 

Alignment with NC High School Exit Exam:

Communication

4- listen carefully and thoughtfully to understand, record, and synthesize information.

Processing Information

9- analyze information by comparing, contrasting, and summarizing to make informed decisions
12- organize tasks to accomplish an objective

Problem Solving

15- plan logical steps and organize resources to accomplish a task within a given time frame

Using Numbers and Data

22- apply real number operation and relationships (e.g., absolute value, radical expression, exponents) to solve problems related to home, work, and the environment
26- use relationships among fractions, decimals, and percents to demonstrate understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts

 

Assessment Item:

Student will be assigned a passage of music to perform.? Student should be familiar with the rubric used to grade the passage prior to being assessed.? See the rubric at the end of this item.

Scoring Information:

Score each component of the rubric independently, or combine the scores for all components and take the average for a total score.

Teacher notes:

This rubric can be used for any situations where a student is asked to play something and may be adapted for other instrumental students or various student levels.

 

Playing Assessment
Performance Rubric

Rate the student's performance on the following (1-4) for each category:

 

	Superior(4)	Excellent(3)	Good(2)	Below Standard(1)
Intonation	Shows confident and secure sense of tonality. Plays all notes in tune with correct finger placement.	Shows clear sense of tonality. Plays most notes in tune and quickly and consistently corrects faulty finger placement.	Shows general sense of tonality. Plays some notes in tune and is sometimes able to correct faulty finger placement.	Shows little or no sense of tonality. Most notes are not played in tune and is unable to correct faulty finger placement.
Rhythm	Maintains a steady beat and plays all rhythms correctly.	Maintains a steady beat and plays rhythms correctly with no more than 3 errors.	Unsteady beat. Plays most rhythms correctly, but has more than 3 errors.	No steady beat and no note values played correctly.
Accuracy	Consistently uses correct bowing, rhythm and pitches all of the time.	Uses correct bowing, rhythm and pitches most of the time.	Uses correct bowing, rhythm and pitches about 75% of the time.	Unable to demonstrate correct bowing, rhythm and pitches most of the time.
Tone	Tone is warm, even, clear and appropriate to musical content and period.	Tone is clear. If using vibrato, even and pleasant.	Tone is uneven, weak, shallow, or too rough.	Unpleasant or non-existent.
Posture and position	Consistently demonstrates good balance and correct position throughout playing.	Demonstrates good balance and correct position most of the time. Stands or sits with good balance. Right had has curled thumb and little finger, no squeezing or stiffness. Left hand has straight wrist, elbow positioned to keep fingers curved over strings. Fingers do not collapse.	Demonstrates good balance and correct positioning only some of the time.	Does not demonstrate good balance nor correct positioning.
Musicianship	Consistently demonstrates correct dynamics, phrasing and tempi and makes the performance musically exciting.	Demonstrates correct dynamics, phrasing and tempi most of the time.	Little contrast in dynamics, phrases not always clear, tempi not consistently observed.	No contrast in dynamics, no indication of phrases, no observance of correct tempi.

Intonation_____ Rhythm_____ Accuracy_____ Tone_____

Posture/Position_____ Musicianship_____

Total (avg. of all components) Score_____

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