band
students to improve and use your feedback in a constructive way. Formative assess- ment is also important for us because it should guide our next steps in instruction. Recently, my seventh grade band students have been reviewing how to count dot- ted quarter-single eighth notes as well as eighth-quarter-eighth syncopation. Several weeks before giving the summa- tive rhythm exam, I wanted to check in and see how everyone was progressing so I gave a short formative quiz – four measures in which they had to write in the counting. The results of that quiz told me that two-thirds of the ensemble still didn’t understand the concepts and I needed to try again with a different approach. It also gave me data about specific students’ weak areas so I now know who I need to check up on during future counting instruction.
Using Rubrics
Thanks to our WSMA Solo & Ensemble festivals, most of us are already pretty well-versed in the use of rubrics. In a ru- bric, achievement is measured by levels of performance, not percentages. Rubrics can use numbers 4-3-2-1 or descriptors such as Exceeds – Mastery – Near Mastery – Remediation. Personally, my favorite set of descriptors is written in kid-friendly language: Wow! – Got It – Almost – Not Yet. Along with the rubric itself and your numbers or descriptors, you and your colleagues also need to agree what each level of proficiency looks or sounds like. What does mastery of snare drum stick grip look like? What does a correctly played marcato articulation sound like? Achievement levels must be discussed and clearly defined in advance of giving the assessment as well as shared with the students.
Multiple Opportunities to Show Learning In real life, people are allowed to retake their SATs, driver’s tests, the bar exam, medical licensing exam, etc., so why shouldn’t we allow a band student to retake his/her major scale playing test? Allowing retakes does not mean that you give a student an infinite number of chanc- es to try again without additional effort on
Wisconsin School Musician
their part. But giving a second chance after a student provides proof of further study or practice means that you care about ev- eryone mastering the essential skills, even if it takes some people more time. In our district, we allow band students to retake their playing tests when they can show evidence of additional practice such as counting written in, problematic fingerings noted or music symbols defined.
Getting Rid of Traditional Practice Charts The topic of practice charts is discussed and debated frequently. There aren’t many practice chart fans out there, but lots of people still use them because practice is a critical component to student success and
Continued on page 18
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