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The Challenge Music Educators Must Address

Joseph Manfredo Illinois State University

� PEAC or Performance Evaluation Advisory Council

� Other States: What they’re doing � Math and Language Arts has been designed.

Science is making progress � Music and the Fine Arts has not started

�  IMEA committee has been formed to address music teacher evaluation

� Met with ISBE consultant � Showed a sincere interest in partnering with IMEA

committee � Outlined initial steps to designing the evaluation

process � There will be sessions at this year’s IMEA state

conference addressing teacher evaluation

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� Curriculum � A quick overview of critical ideas & issues

•  All disciplines in education must develop and follow a standards-based curriculum

•  Curriculum = identifying what concepts your students will learn in your class (not literature)

•  See Scott Shuler, President of NAfME, MEJ article � His recommendations on what students should learn � Simplifies the process of curricular design

� When designing a standards-based curriculum, you should be able to define the SCOPE and SEQUENCE

� This is difficult for music teachers, for we 1) aren’t curriculum specialists, nor 2) do we have a textbook

� The scope of the curriculum is about musical concepts, not the literature or activities

� Use SMART goals that define what your students will learn •  S = Specific •  M = Measurable •  A = Attainable •  R = Realistic •  T = Timely

� Will be guiding principle for designing an effective curriculum that will be critical for YOUR evaluation as a music teacher

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� Shaping Sound Musicians •  Patricia O’Toole (GIA pub)

� Music Curriculum Writing 101 •  Denese Odegaard (GIA pub)

� National Standards for Arts Education •  MENC publication

� Websites of other school music programs � NAfME Website

� Assessment � A quick overview of critical ideas & issues

•  Assessment drives curriculum � What should the TYPICAL student be able to do

•  Design the assessment while you are designing the unit of study & considering the curricular goals

•  Types of Assessment � Formative (formal & informal) � Summative (only formal)

� The “old model” is no longer enough •  Concerts, Contests, or Programs •  If the “group” did well, all students in the group were

“good”. •  NCLB changed the conversation �  It’s about INDIVIDUAL STUDENT GROWTH � No longer can we focus on the “majority rules” principle to

education

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� Challenges for Music Educators •  Designing effective & efficient assessment strategies •  Too many students (compare to your colleagues) •  Not enough time (compare to your colleagues)

� The unspoken challenge •  Will formal assessments in music class (an elective)

hurt enrollment?

� Tools for Powerful Student Evaluation •  Susan Farrell (Meredith Music pub)

� Scale Your Way to Music Assessment •  Kimpton & Harnisch (GIA pub)

� NAfME website

� Evaluation is divided into two measures: •  Formal observation & supervision protocols •  Individual student growth

� The teacher can demonstrate individual student growth within the curriculum of each classroom

� The teacher can collect and present data that clearly demonstrates student growth

� The formal observation process is expanded and clearly defined

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� Observation and Evaluation of “PRACTICE” �  Illinois is using the Danielson model

•  4 Part Framework (See handout) � The four domains are:

•  Planning & Preparation •  Classroom environment •  Instruction •  Professional Development

� Expansion of the traditional process of observation

� Here’s the CHALLENGE for music educators � Ensemble classes, in particular, are about the group

dynamic and ensemble classes � You have to have a clear understanding of:

•  What concepts you want students to learn •  What each student can do or knows •  What material (or content) will you use •  How will you determine that your students have learned the

concepts

� We hope that ISBE/PEAC will agree to include both content knowledge AND performance as two equal components for determining individual student growth

� A series of assessments must be included � Consider the challenges for collecting reliable data:

•  Scheduling of music classes, variety of •  Grade based issues •  Performance classes versus non-performance classes

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� We don’t have a choice! You have to do this! � Educators in all disciplines are facing the same

challenge � An effective strategy is to understand evaluation from

the administrative viewpoint and educate your administration about key aspects of music education that fit into their framework.

� For more information, go to the PEAC website (www.isbe.net/PEAC/default.htm) From the home page > PERA Resources > Teacher Evaluation PPT