Assessment and Orff Schulwerk Pedagogy

This chapter on assessing student learning and Orff Schulwerk examines the foundations of this approach, its focus on creativity, and practical applications of this pedagogy. By reviewing current research literature and international adoptions of the Schulwerk, the chapter focuses on three assessment-related challenges: a lack of clearly defined teaching practices, a de-emphasis of evaluation in the Orff process, and inherent challenges related to assessing creativity. An examination of professional resource documents and recent developments in national standards provides ways to address each of these assessment challenges in Orff-based instruction. A discussion of curricular levels offers more possibilities for enhancing authentic assessment strategies. Practical recommendations for Orff Schulwerk teachers to improve their assessment protocols and implications for teacher-educators conclude this chapter.

Assessing Music in Early Childhood

In this chapter, pros and cons of assessing young children’s music skills and content knowledge are explored. An integrative literature review is included as well as a thematic review lending support to core themes. Several reasons were identified as to the importance of promoting student assessment as children participate in early childhood music. Use of music assessments in the classroom and for research should consider practices consistent with musical age as well as chronological age. Increased recognition of the importance of music in total development of the child supports need for effective early childhood assessment systems especially by the music education research community as they continue to gather evidence regarding the utilitarian value of music in early childhood. Researchers need to be aware of environmental factors that may impact early music learning and cognizant of current best practices in music education for early childhood. Researcher-developed criterion measures often are not investigated for quality characteristics, and thus rigorous guidelines for such criterion measures are needed. It appears there are no definitive policy or ethics statements regarding early childhood music assessment but both should be considered vital priorities for the profession. Most likely only those scholars with profound interest in assessment and teachers with deep understanding of the role of assessment in teaching and learning will volunteer to respond. Everything developed in such a national network will be useful, providing we start with clearly defined, intended outcomes and then develop assessments to document student attainment of those musical outcomes.

Assessment Practices of American Orchestra Directors

After reviewing a small body of literature on the assessment practices of American orchestra directors, this chapter quickly shifts attention to conducting original research. It describes a descriptive survey study with American String Teachers Association (ASTA) members (N = 416) that found performance-based assessments were the most frequently used form of formal assessment to evaluate technique, musicianship skills, creative musicianship, and ensemble skills. Music literacy was nearly equally split between performance-based and written assessments, while evaluation of music and musical performances and historical and cultural elements tended toward written assessments and verbal feedback. Creative musicianship and historical/cultural elements were the top two nonassessed areas, but were still assessed by the vast majority of teachers. Interviews with five string teachers demonstrate that the research participants emphasized performing/playing assessments, focused on student learning/improvement, acknowledged the role of the school district/administration and benefited from its support, and recognized the value in aligning assessment to standards/curriculum.

Assessment and Critical Pedagogy

This chapter aligns the tenets of critical pedagogy with current practices of assessment in the United States. The author posits that critical pedagogy is an appropriate lens through which to view assessment, and argues against the hegemonic practices that support marginalization of students. Grounded in critical theory and based on Marxist ideals, the content supports the notion of teaching and learning as a partnership where the desire to empower and transform the learner, and open possibilities for the learner to view the world and themselves in that world, are primary goals. Political mandates to evaluate teacher performance and student learning are presented and discussed. In addition to the formative and summative assessments that teachers routinely do to students, the author suggests integrative assessment, where students with the teacher reflect together on the learning experience and its outcomes. The chapter includes specific examples from the author’s own teaching that operationalize the ideas presented.

Technical Issues Related to Computerized Music Performance Assessment

When technology is used for assessment in music, certain considerations can affect the validity, reliability, and depth of analysis. This chapter explores factors that are present in the three phases of the assessment process: recognition, analysis, and display of assessment of a musical performance. Each phase has inherent challenges embedded within internal and external factors. The goal here is not to provide an exhaustive analysis of any or all aspects of assessment but, rather, to present the rationale for and history of using technology in music assessment and to examine the philosophical and practical considerations. A discussion of possible future directions of product research and development concludes the chapter.

Evidence-Based Practices for Music Instruction and Assessment for PreK–12 Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This chapter addresses the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) by special education practitioners in instruction and assessment while providing music educators guidance toward implementing these practices in instruction and assessment for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within universal design for learning (UDL) inclusive classrooms. Included are behavioral characteristics of students with ASD that music educators need be cognizant of in inclusive settings; federal education laws and policies that have provided students with disabilities rights to a quality education; and selected special education EBP and accommodations deemed as viable interventions for teaching and assessing PreK-12 standards-based music curriculum for students with ASD. Music educators may determine the PreK-12 music assessments aligned to appropriate EBP and accommodations for students with ASD are beneficial resources when designing and implementing curriculum, instruction, and assessment linked to the 2014 National Core Arts (Music) Standards (NCAS) with supporting Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCAs).

Assessing Music Listening

Music listening is defined as a multifaceted process through which individuals become actively involved in making sense of the sounds, feelings, and associations that are part of the listening experience. This sense-making involves complex mental processes resulting in unique musical experiences created by individual listeners. Listening is a way of doing music. While each listening encounter is highly personalized and covert, various components can be shared through verbal, visual, gestural transductions and these provide a basis for assessing music listening. It is suggested that the emphasis in assessment of music listening be on the degree to which the listener successfully engages in the process of sense-making, rather than being limited to the sounds the listener hears. Examples of assessment strategies are provided.

Assessing Music Learning Through Composition

The proliferation of the use of new media and creativities are expanding the ways that humans engage creatively with music in the twenty-first century. As teachers and researchers, our methods of assessing these creativities need to expand as well. In this chapter the author points to some of the ways that music education has traditionally conceived of both creativity and the measurement of compositional activity in the classroom. However, it should be clear that formative, summative, feedback, diagnostic, and evaluative assessment are all necessary and vital to understanding and justifying the place of composition learning in music education, and that we as a profession have not done an adequate job of it in the past. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Finland, and Australia, have done a better job of creating curricular space for composition than the United States. The rest of the world can learn from these successes.

Assessment in the Music Learning Theory–Based Classroom

This chapter provides a brief history of how instruction and assessment used by music learning theory (MLT) practitioners evolved from Edwin Gordon’s research on music aptitude. It describes aptitude tests created by Gordon, the purpose of these tests, and the ways in which MLT practitioners use this data to inform instruction and evaluate student growth. It outlines the ways in which MLT practitioners assess students’ achievement within the context of classroom activities in elementary general music settings and provides examples of measurement tools teachers may use to assess the students’ development of musical skills. Finally, it includes suggestions for ways in which teachers can use assessment data to individualize instruction, guide curricular decisions, evaluate students’ musical development, and reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching.

Making Assessment Meaningful, Measurable, and Manageable in the Secondary Music Classroom

The purpose of this chapter is to challenge secondary music educators to incorporate assessment best practices in creating music assessments that are meaningful, measurable, and manageable. To do so, music educators must recognize the commonalities between assessment of music and assessment of other disciplines. Assessments also should assess specific performance, written theory, and listening theory skills that directly relate to the music being taught in the classroom. Teachers then will be able to identify individual and ensemble strengths and weaknesses, share visual displays of data, provide specific feedback, and adjust instruction accordingly. Additionally, students must be involved in the assessment process by being given opportunities to self-assess and peer assess, articulate and/or demonstrate standards, set and adjust learning goals, and reflect on progress. As a result of rethinking assessment in the music classroom, music educators have the opportunity to strengthen music’s role as a valuable curricular subject in US schools.