and assessment tool that gives students immediate feed- back. Teachers can use this program to create and send assignments to students, document and grade progress, and provide individualized instruction and evidence of achieve- ment. As a student plays an exercise or selection, Smart- Music’s® assessment feature displays the music and shows correct notes and rhythms in green and incorrect in red. Using a computer, students can record their performance at home and submit the grade, assessment screenshot, and recording to their teacher. Although SmartMusic® only measures accuracy of notes and rhythms, directors can choose to conduct further assessment of tone, intonation, phrasing, and other aspects while listening to the recording (MakeMusic, Inc., 2013).


The Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale (Watkins & Farnum, 1954) for all band instruments (winds and snare drum) is a test that provides etudes and procedures for measuring sight-reading ability from beginning to advanced levels. Directors administer this assessment to each student individually and tracks errors in relation to correct pitches, rhythm, steady tempo, expression, and articulation. The test manual includes an overview of the exam, specific instructions for administrating the instrument, and data supporting reliability and validity. The Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale is available through Hal Leonard at the cost of $9.00. Although the score sheets are recently out of print, directors probably can still order from remaining stock.


Knowledge, Understanding, and Response 2. ______ Orchestral music of the classical era typically features


Band and orchestra teachers also can assess knowledge and understanding of music vocabulary, history, context, and theory through pencil and paper (i.e. psychometric) tests. Although these assessments often involve basic recall of memorized facts and lower-order thinking skills, they pro- vide objective data, lend themselves to pre- and post-test routines, and are convenient to administer and grade.


The validity and reliability of psychometric assessments depends on constructing test items (e.g., multiple choice, matching, short answer) that are direct and clear to stu- dents. Provide study guides that describe the exam in terms of content and format and create tests of reasonable length that allow students to finish in time to check their work. In addition, focus on important information and concepts rather than inconsequential details and make sure indi- vidual questions contain no clues to answers on other items. Avoid true/false questions because there is a fifty percent chance that a student will guess the correct answer rather than demonstrate knowledge or understanding. Match- ing items should only test basic facts and each set should include ten or fewer items that focus on a single topic (e.g.,


a. clear, symmetrical phrases. b. polyphonic texture. c. the brass section.


3. ______ The fourth movement of Mozart’s Symphony #40 is in __________ form. a. ABA


b. sonata-allegro c. strophic


composer and period, tempo terms and definitions). Also, make sure students know when to use an answer more than once (see Figure 2).


Figure 2. Matching – Musical Terms from Second Suite in F for Military Band by G. Holst 1. ______ Allegro


2. ______ 3. ______


diminuendo Fine


4. ______ Andante 5. ______ Tacit 6. ______ 7. ______


a. b.


detached, separated in time


c. at will d. majestic


ad libitum a tempo


8. ______ moderato 9. ______ maestoso 10. ______


staccato


e. moderate tempo f.


g. h. i.


lively, brisk getting softer end


silent l. moderately slow


When constructing multiple-choice items, write an incom- plete sentence (stem) with three to four choices that include one clear answer and three plausible distracters in alphabet- ical or numerical order. The stem should be longer than the choices and have matching grammatical structure. Avoid choices such as “all of the above,” “none of the above,” and “a and c only” (see Figure 3).


Figure 3. Multiple Choice Questions - Symphony #40 in g minor by W. A. Mozart 1. ______ A symphony from the late Classical era has movements arranged a.


fast-minuet-slow-fast.


b. fast-slow-minuet-fast. c.


fast-slow-slow-fast.


Essay and short answer questions should measure students’ ability to make connections, use higher order thinking skills, and demonstrate understanding rather than factual details. When creating a short answer or essay question, figure out what the ideal response should include and write a prompt that will generate this content among students capable of providing it. To insure reliability, create a brief rubric describing varying levels of quality and grade each question at the same time. Repeating this process for at least a portion of the tests will determine if you are scoring answers consistently.


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