Developing a District – Wide Arts

Assessment System

Mariann P. FoxMt. 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 (2002-03, Fall 2005)

Classroom Assessment Common Assessments Assessment Systems

Understanding by Design (2003-04) Big Ideas Essential Learnings Pennsylvania Arts & Humanities Standards UbD Exchange - www.ubdexchange.org

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 #3Shared 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 3rd Grade Vocal Music

– Identifying and performing rhythmic and melodic patterns

3rd Grade Music Common Assessment Scores

96%

73.30%86%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Pilot 2006 2006-07 2007-08

% A

dva

nce

d &

Pro

fici

ent

3rd Grade Music Scores Breakdown

96% 97% 99% 87% 88% 91% 94%79% 73%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Pilot2006

RhythmID 06-07

RhythmID 07-08

MelodicID 06-07

MelodicID 07-08

RhythmPerf 06-

07

RhythmPerf 07-

08

MelodicPerf 06-

07

MelodicPerf 07-

08

% A

dva

nce

d &

Pro

fici

ent

Elementary Examples 5th Grade Art – Applying

elements & principles to communicate ideas in student imagery of an underwater scene

5th Grade Art Common Assessment Scores

62%

72%

36%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Pilot 2006 2006-07 2007-08

% A

dva

nce

d &

Pro

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ent

Middle School Examples 7th Grade Music –

Listening, vocabulary, notation, performance

7th Grade Music Common Assessment Scores

96%

73%86%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Pilot 2006 2006-07 2007-08

% A

dva

nce

d 7

Pro

fici

ent

7th Grade Music Scores Breakdown

96% 98% 93% 78% 92%60% 75% 57%

78%97%

0%20%40%60%80%

100%120%

Pilot 2

006

Liste

ning

06-0

7

Liste

ning

07-

08

Mult

Ch 0

6-07

Mult

Ch 0

7-08

Notatio

n 06-0

7

Notatio

n 07-0

8

Perf 0

6-07

Perf 0

7-08

History

07-0

8% A

dva

nce

d &

Pro

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ent

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:

8th Grade Art Common Assessment Scores

67%60%

48%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Pilot 2006 2006-07 2007-08

% A

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d &

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ent

8th Grade Art Scores by Quarter

67% 59% 51%67% 62%

41% 41%52% 60%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Pilot2006

Qu 12006

Qu 22007

Qu 32007

Qu 42007

Qu 12007

Qu 22008

Qu 32008

Qu 42008

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 2nd pile. Each student will be assessed by at least 2 teachers.

Resources Assessment:

ASCD – www.ascd.org 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 –

www.emsc.nysed.gov

Resources Arts Assessments:

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction – www.k12.wa.us

Alaska Department of Education Arts Framework - http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/frameworks/arts/2table.htm

Music for Teachers - http://www.m4t.org/assessment.htm

Illinois State Board of Education (Fine Arts) - http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/fine_arts/capd.htm

Arts Education Assessment Consortium - http://www.ccsso.org/Projects/SCASS/Projects/Arts_Education_Assessment_Consortium/

Contact Information Mariann Fox, Supervisor of Fine Arts,

Health & Physical Educationmfox@mtlsd.net412-344-20307 Horsman Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15228

Thank you!!