Colleen Conway, Editor
It has been my pleasure to serve as Guest Editor for this Michigan Music Educator focusing on music teacher evaluation. In gathering these articles I was struck by how resilient music teachers are and how capable of responding to whatever needs to be done. Authors in these articles do not spend time complaining about teacher evaluation policy being done “to” them but instead take the opportunity to share how they and their colleagues are working within the system to keep music instruction focused on kids and music making. I would encourage readers to share this entire issue with administra- tors and non-music leaders in their schools as these stakeholders could benefit from the insights of this terrific group of authors.
The issue opens with From the Top, Down: Tack- ling Teacher Evaluation Through Policy Develop- ment by Ken Moore from Dexter Public Schools and Rick Catherman from Chelsea Public Schools. Moore and Catherman report on the work of the Partnership for Music Education Policy Develop- ment with regard to teacher evaluation policy in the state and provide a solid overview of the current policy.
The second article, Recommendations of the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness: Im- plications for Music Teacher Evaluation, by Ryan Shaw specifically describes the work of the MCEE and provides music-specific issues to consider in relation to these recommendations. Ryan is cur- rently a PhD student at Michigan State and taught instrumental music in Michigan previous to his work at MSU. Cynthia Taggart’s (also from Michi- gan State) article Assessment of Student Learning and Its’ Role in Teacher Evaluation will help teach- ers to consider various ways of measuring learning in music.
The next four articles examine teacher evalua- tion in relation to specific teaching and learning contexts. In Measuring Student Academic Growth in the Instrumental Classroom Phil Hash from Calvin College provides suggestions for ways in which teachers can develop their own assessments to measure student growth in large ensembles. Hash includes sample performance rubics and test items. In Evaluation of Choral Teaching: A Case Study James Borst from East Grand Rapids Public Schools shares his own teacher evaluation experi- ence and highlights the choral specific concepts
that administrators and evaluators should consider. This article includes a helpful observation form used in Borst’s setting. Mark Kotchenruther from Forest Hills Public Schools and Dan Scott from Jenison Public Schools share string specific crite- ria in Evaluating String Orchestra Teachers. Kelli Graham from Dewitt Public Schools interviewed three elementary principals regarding elementary music teacher evaluation and shares their insights in Teacher Evaluation in the General Music Class- room: The Views of Three Administrators.
Finally, at the end of the issue, Dan Albert, a PhD student from Michigan State University, provides an excellent report on the September 2013 meeting of the Society for Music Teacher Education. This article is not part of the Teacher Evaluation focus but is informational for Society for Music Teacher Education members.
Colleen Conway is Professor of Music Education at the University of Michigan. She is currently Editor in Chief of Arts Education Policy Review.
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From the Editor
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