Band student assessment

May 21, 10:24 PMSt. Louis Music Education ExaminerJacqueline Siddle

Giving a grade for band is a slightly controversial subject.  This article should give you some food for thought on how to do so and enrich their music education while you are at it.

We have all been there:  Your administration wants you to grade your band students in a meaningful and productive way.  You are expected to teach following the state standards and you need to be able to reach each band student individually.  Using the rotating sectional schedule, which was explained fully in my previous article, you can achieve this goal and make your life easier at the same time.

The rotating sectional schedule is all accomplished during the school day during regular class periods.  No extracurricular time is required.  That solves the problem with grading students when they are in your classroom after or before school.

The rotating sectionals also provide you with a weekly assessment of your students on a one on one basis, or at least smaller groups than your normal rehearsals.  This weekly grade will help you show progress through time to parents, teachers and administrators that require status reports regularly.

Now that I have given you some reasons why to use the rotating sectional schedule.  Here are some ways you can go about grading your students on a weekly, monthly and semester basis:

• Weekly Attendance: grade of 10 points:  Tardy students loose 5 points. Students coming unprepared loose 5 points.  Behavior problems loose points at your discretion.

• Weekly Homework Examples: worksheets: theory and music history.  

• Monthly Examples: Playing exams on music or fundamentals (scales, tuning, articulations, rhythms, rudiments).  Points for this work is at your discretion.  Tests on worksheet material from weekly work.

• Semester Examples: Final Exams. Playing exams for concerts.  Points are at your discretion.

The more work you have the students do on a weekly and monthly basis will give you more grades.  The more grades in your book, the less negative impact from a bad or missed assignment.  Also, If the student has problems with attendance to band rehearsals or sectionals, extra homework can help the student improve their grade and you are ensuring they receive a complete music education.  

I encourage teachers to find many ways to grade their band students.  Students will see that they are being held accountable for their actions in band and they can be active in their pursuit for a good grade.

Unfortunately, it is a very rare school to use music grades in GPA or even report cards some of the time.  Patience is required in this case.  Grade your band.  Keep good records.  Show your administration as much as possible how you hold your students accountable and how you follow the teaching standards for music education.  You can use all of that information as ammunition to help you become more recognized in the school and maybe someday, on the report card!

We have to remind ourselves that band is not just for concerts.  Students learn so much more from participating in band than how to play a piece of music with a group of peers.  But, I digress, that will have to wait for another article...