Developing a District – Wide Arts Assessment System Mariann P. Fox Mt. Lebanon School District

Rationale  Chapter 4 requirements Determine degree to which students are achieving academic standards Use assessment results to improve curriculum & instruction practices To guide instructional strategies and to develop future strategic plans Provide information requested by the Department of Education regarding the achievement of academic standards Provide summary information including results of assessments to the general public regarding the achievement of students The local assessment system shall be described in the district’s strategic plan

Why is assessment important?  To help educators guide improvements in arts education planning and delivery  To ensure students develop lifelong skills, rather than merely learn arts education facts.  To focus on student learning & understanding rather than what is taught.  To foster student independence  To improve achievement  To motivate students to learn rather than focus on their grade

Designing an Assessment System  Combines large-scale standardized tests & day-to-day classrooms assessments  Research & classroom-based performance assessments driven by our curriculum & state standards  Special education accommodations  Included in Strategic Plan & report on student achievement for PDE

Our Journey – Step #1  Research ( , Fall 2005) Classroom Assessment Common Assessments Assessment Systems  Understanding by Design ( ) Big Ideas Essential Learnings Pennsylvania Arts & Humanities Standards UbD Exchange -  Communicated Goal (August 2005) Faculty Central Office School Board of Directors

Our Journey – Step #1  Shared Research (Fall 2005)  Established Benchmark years (October 2005) Visual Art – Grades 5 & 8 Music – Grades 3 & 7 Senior High  Created Draft Assessments (January 2006) What is one “Big Idea” or an Essential Learning in the specific grade level? How will the students demonstrate they understand that concept? What will it look like in your classroom?

Our Journey – Step #2  Created rubrics & levels of proficiency (January – March 2006) Rubistar - rubistar.4teachers.org  Established common understanding of proficiency (March 2006) Score projects individually and together as a team Based on criteria, how would you grade that project?  Piloted assessment in one class per grade level (March – May 2006)  Music scored by individual teacher immediately  Art scored together as a team

Our Journey – Step #3 Shared baseline results (May 2006) What worked? Why? What didn’t? Why not? What needs revised?

Our Journey – Step #4  Revised assessments  Established routine schedules for assessments Grade 8 Art vs. other common assessments  Scheduled time for common scoring  Communicated baseline scores and progress Faculty Central Office School Board of Directors  Expanded common assessments All four categories of Pennsylvania Arts & Humanities Standards  Made accommodations for special education students

Making Accommodations  Based on student needs documented in the IEP  Follow least restrictive continuum General Education Curriculum – same lesson, materials & objectives (preferred) Level 1 – Same Activity with adapted materials and/or expectations Level 2 – Similar Activity with modified materials and/or modified expectations Level 3 – Different but parallel activity within the general education classroom Level 4 – Alternative Assessment  Students’ scores are removed from common scoring process; scored individually by the teacher

Elementary Examples  3 rd Grade Vocal Music – Identifying and performing rhythmic and melodic patterns

Elementary Examples  5 th Grade Art – Applying elements & principles to communicate ideas in student imagery of an underwater scene

Middle School Examples  7 th Grade Music – Listening, vocabulary, notation, performance

Middle School Examples  8th Grade Art (New!) – “Re-visioning a Memory” – prompt-based mixed media composition: countour line drawing & mixed-media memory all assembled into one piece  Scores for previous assessment versions:

High School Examples  HS Art – Applying understanding of German Abstract Expressionism  Music Ensembles – Seating  Music Technology – Historical paper, composition, software application (Finale, Sonar, digital audio recording)  Dance – student-choreographed pieces

Common Scoring Process  Teachers administer assessment according to the agreed upon schedule  Teachers select pieces of work they believe represent a “4”, a “3”, a ”2”, and a “1” according to the rubric criteria.  Teachers send all of the student work to me including the ones they’ve selected as “anchors”.  I assign a symbol to each teacher and cover all student names.

Common Scoring Process  I mix all the projects together and divide into 2 piles.  Once together for scoring we begin by discussing the “anchors”. Why & how these projects meet the criteria.  Teachers are divided into 2 groups and silently assess the projects in their pile according to the rubric.  When all works in the piles are finished, they switch piles and assess the 2 nd pile. Each student will be assessed by at least 2 teachers.

Resources  Assessment: ASCD – Transformative Assessment – ASCD Developing a Local Assessment Plan – PDE & PA Association of Intermediate Units  Arts Assessment: Professional organizations (MENC, NAEA) Arts Assessment Guide: Pennsylvania Assessment Through Themes – Office of Educational Research and Improvement, US Department of Education

Resources  Arts Assessments: Assessment in Art Education – Donna Kay Beattie (Davis) Spotlight on Assessment in Music Education – MENC Assessment in Music Education: Integrating Curriculum, Theory & Practice – GIA Scale Your Way to Music Assessment – GIA Pennsylvania Arts Assessment Sampler – keyarts.ws New York State Assessment –

Resources  Arts Assessments: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction – Alaska Department of Education Arts Framework - ble.htm ble.htm Music for Teachers Illinois State Board of Education (Fine Arts) Arts Education Assessment Consortium - Education_Assessment_Consortium/ Education_Assessment_Consortium/

Contact Information  Mariann Fox, Supervisor of Fine Arts, Health & Physical Education Horsman Drive, Pittsburgh PA  Thank you!!