Assessment Portfolio

Music 512, Fall 2020

Sarah Wolfe
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Table of Contents
Pre-test/post test………………………………………………………………………………2
Pre-test/post test example……………………………………………………………………..4
Exit ticket……………………………………………………………………………………..5
Exit ticket example…………………………………………………………………………...7
Written exam- constructed response………………………………………………………….8
Written exam- constructed response example……………………………………………….10
Written exam- multiple choice………………………………………………………………11
Written exam- multiple choice example…………………………………………………….13
Performance assessment…………………………………………………………………….14
Performance assessment example…………………………………………………………...16
Journal……………………………………………………………………………………….17
Journal example …………………………………………………………………………….19
Student survey………………………………………………………………………………20
Student survey example…………………………………………………………………….22
Oral exam…………………………………………………………………………………...23
Oral exam example…………………………………………………………………………25
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Pre-test/post test

Definition:

The same test is given at two different points: at the beginning of the learning (lesson,

semester, year) and at the end of the learning. It is used to measure how much the student

has learned.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

This type of assessment can be used in any subject matter. A way that these exams are

often used in the music classroom is to measure the students’ knowledge of musical terms

and symbols. This way we can see what terms and symbols the students are familiar with,

and what terms and symbols still need to be learned or reinforced in our teaching.

Implementation:

A pre-test/post test is commonly taken with paper and pencil. However with the rise in

technology, this could be implemented online. The way you choose to give this test is up

to the teacher and what they see best for their students. This type of assessment can be

administered in any format: fill in the blank, matching, multiple choice, etc. The material

on this test should include some information that the students have already learned. It

should also involve new terms and information that has not yet been learned, but will be

learned by the time the post test is given. Students will notice that they have probably

missed several questions, but it should be established that this is only to see what they

know so far. The information from the pre-test can then be used to shape the learning that

follows, making sure to emphasize the areas that were the least correct on the exam. This

can seamlessly be worked into your everyday teaching. In order to measure how much

the student has learned, the exact same test should be administered as the pre-test and the
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post test. New information should not be added. You can then compare the two exams

and see how much the students have learned from the beginning to the end. If students

are still missing answers on the post test, you can take that information and use it to shape

your instruction for the following year and make modifications to your teaching in order

to allow for better student learning and retention.

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Musical Symbols

Match the music symbol in column A to the definitions in column B.

Column A Column B

A. pp _____ forte

B. _____ tenuto

C. 𝄐 _____ pianissimo

D. mp _____ staccato

E. fp _____ sharp

F. p _____ fermata

G. _____ piano

H. ♮ _____ flat

I. f _____ accent

J. ♯ _____ natural

K. ff _____ mezzo piano

L. _____ marcato

M. ♭ _____ fortissimo

N. _____ forte piano

O. mf _____ mezzo forte

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Exit ticket

Definition:

A formative assessment that measures the students’ understanding of the learning in a

class. It can also help determine whether the students’ learning is superficial or in-depth.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

The use of an exit ticket in a music classroom would not differ much from an exit ticket

used in any other classroom. The main point of an exit ticket should be to ask the students

“What did you learn today?”. This could be applied to any number of concepts and

lessons: key signatures, musical forms, etc. It can also be used to measure the students’

understanding of deeper musical concepts, such as what the music makes them think of,

or takeaways they have from the lesson.

Implementation:

An exit ticket in its truest form would be a piece of paper that is handed to the teacher at

the door as the students leave. A literal “exit ticket”. However, exit tickets come in many

different forms, such as verbal answers, short quizzes, or completing a task before

leaving. Exit tickets can measure if students are learning the information on a deep and

meaningful level, or if they are only learning it superficially. They can also be used to

determine whether the students are learning what you are intending to teach. Another

effective way to implement exit tickets is by making them anonymous. This allows for

the students to not feel embarrassed or ashamed if they do not understand the material

that was discussed that day. When students know that they are anonymous, they are more

likely to admit to not understanding the material. You can then take the answers from the

exit tickets and use the concepts that students did or did not understand to shape your
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future lessons. Concepts can be reinforced as needed, and you can answer any questions

that may appear on the exit tickets as well. The information is being pulled directly from

the students, making the information reliable and relevant to their learning.
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Exit Ticket

Prompt: Write down one key takeaway and one question that you still have from today’s lesson.

● Provide pieces of paper for the students

● Colorful paper will make it easier for them to keep track of the paper

● Hand out pieces of paper at the door, eliminates the time needed for passing them out

during class

● Make sure they all have a pencil, bring extras

● Students will write down their takeaways and turn in their responses to you at the door as

they leave

OR

● If students have 1-1 devices, use an online resource to collect responses

● Apps that make it easy to collect student responses:

○ Google Forms

○ Socrative

○ Flipgrid

○ Padlet

○ Pear Deck

Padlet Pear Deck

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Written exam- constructed response

Definition:

In a constructed response exam, the student must respond to a question or prompt in their

own words. This can come in the form of single word answers, essay questions, etc., but

there are no options for the students to choose from.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

One example of how a constructed response exam could be used in a music classroom is

by giving a key signature quiz. The prompt for the question would be to write the given

key signature in either treble clef or bass clef. The staff could be provided for the

students, and then they write the appropriate key signature. This could also be done in the

opposite fashion: provide the key signature on the staff for them, and they must write out

the name of the key signature.

Implementation:

There are several ways that constructed response exams can be implemented. They can

be given paper and pencil with written prompts, verbal prompts, or electronically. This

can vary based on what is best suited for the content or skills being assessed. The key to

giving an accurate constructed response assessment is that the answers are coming from

the students’ brains in their own words. This leads to reliable results because you can

then assess each student’s understanding of the knowledge or skills. Constructed

responses can also show where students’ knowledge is lacking, due to the gray area that

is allowed in responses. Constructed responses are not always 100% right or 100% wrong

as they can be in other forms of assessment. Students can receive partial credit to show

that they are on their way to fully understanding the concept, but still have room to grow.
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It can often be helpful to have a checklist of points that students should talk about in

constructed response assessments for exams when this is the case. You can then take this

knowledge and use it to your advantage in your future teaching. You can take the

questions that were most missed or had several students not give complete answers and

use that to influence your instruction by reinforcing certain ideas before building on

them. These assessments can be used formatively or summatively, measuring knowledge

during the learning process or once the learning is complete.

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Key Signature Quiz

Write out the following key signatures in treble clef or bass clef.

C major F major

G major B flat major

D major E flat major

A major
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Written exam- multiple choice

Definition:

In a multiple choice assessment, several answers are provided for students and they must

select the answer that is correct. They typically have four options (A, B, C, D) and

promote critical thinking skills.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

Multiple choice assessments can be used to check student understanding if specific

knowledge. Below is an example of a multiple choice assessment that would measure

students’ understanding of program music. I would likely use this specific assessment

directly following the lesson that discusses program music. This would allow me to make

sure that students have an understanding of the main concepts before we engage in deeper

discussion.

Implementation:

Multiple choice assessments, like many other types of assessments, can be administered

in many different fashions. They can be completed with paper and pencil or

electronically. There are several online tools that allow for teachers to create multiple

choice assessments that allows students to complete the assessment virtually. In this type

of assessment, there are right and wrong answers, with no gray area. This allows us to

know that if given several options, can the student identify the correct answer to the

question. An important thing to keep in mind when writing a multiple choice quiz is that

you are assessing the students’ knowledge of the content, and not necessarily assessing

their reading skills. This means that the options should be clear, concise, and not meant to

“trick” students into selecting the wrong answer if not read carefully enough. This may
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lead to unreliable data that does not demonstrate the students’ knowledge of the content.

This type of assessment can be used as a formative assessment or as a summative

assessment. In the example below, I would use this as a formative assessment to check

that students have a basic grasp on the main ideas of program music, so we can then have

deeper discussions regarding that topic. Multiple choice exams can also be used

summatively to assess whether students have learned the material by the end of a larger

period. Since there are right and wrong answers in this style of assessment, it is easy to

see what students still do not understand, therefore making it clear what we still need to

reinforce after the assessment is given in our future teaching.

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Program Music Quiz

1. What is absolute music?

A. Music that expresses ideas, illustrates stories (real or imagined), describes

characters, or illustrates emotions

B. A belief that music was not intended to represent or illustrate something

C. A form of music that originated in the Romantic period

D. The newest punk rock band

2. What is program music?

A. Music that expresses ideas, illustrates stories (real or imagined), describes

characters, or illustrates emotions

B. A belief that music was not intended to represent or illustrate something

C. A form of music that originated in the 1800s

D. The piece of paper you pick up at a band concert that tells you what songs they’re

playing

3. What music period does program music originate from?

A. Baroque period

B. Classical period

C. Romantic period

D. Renaissance period
4. What piece of music are we playing for our upcoming concert that uses the program

music technique?

A. Carrickfergus by Patrick Roszell

B. Fanfare for the Third Planet by Richard Saucedo

C. Bugs by David Shaffer

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Performance assessment

Definition:

A performance assessment is an assessment of a student performing a specific task. In the

sense of the music classroom, this typically means literal “performance” assessments, in

that it is an assessment of the student or students performing their music.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

In the music classroom, performance assessments are often seen as playing tests, where

students will play a section of music and then get feedback on that performance. Another

form of a performance assessment happens when an ensemble performs at large group

festivals. The ensemble will perform their prepared pieces, and a panel of judges make

comments and use a rubric to rate the performance. This information is then given to the

band so they can see their scores and comments and reflect.

Implementation:

Performance assessments can be administered live or they can be recorded and submitted

to the teacher. There are times when live performance assessments do not give an

accurate portrayal of the students preparedness or skill level. For example, if a student

has a hard time playing alone in front of people, that may not yield accurate and reliable

results. This is where the recorded performance assessments can be helpful. Overall, this

is up to the teacher to decide what will work best for them and their ensemble.

Performance assessments are typically graded with a rubric. The rubric should have

varying levels, with specific criteria for each level. The beneficial thing about rubrics is

that when a teacher creates their own rubric, they can decide what criteria they would like

to place emphasis on by grading those specific skills. They can then determine the
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specific criteria for how well students should be performing those skills, based on the age

of students, their playing abilities, and other things that may affect the performance.

There should also always be a way to give additional comments to students when using a

rubric. It is important to explain why you chose to give the student the score that they

received. The feedback that the student needs goes beyond the criteria in the boxes in the

rubric. The student should have access to the rubric following their performance

assessment. This allows them to see their scores and comments and know what they need

to improve on. As teachers, we should keep a copy of the completed rubric or have

students return them to us so we can adjust our instruction based on the results of the

performance assessment.
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“A Childhood Hymn” playing assessment

Students will perform a short excerpt from the music selected for the concert block.

Example:

The student will be assessed using the following rubric:

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Journal

Definition:

A journal in the classroom setting has a similar function as it would in a personal setting.

Journaling can help students keep track of their thoughts on their performances, see

progress, and develop the skill of self-assessment.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

A common way to use a journal in a music classroom is to have students keep a practice

journal. They can purchase their own, or you can provide a worksheet for them, similar to

the one I have created below. Similarly, journals can be used prior to performances.

Journals are a great tool for any activity that you would like students to reflect upon.

Implementation:

Journals are a great display of direct assessment. In order to record the data from the

students’ journals, it is important that you have students turn in their journals so you can read

their reflections. Journal entries do not need to be as structured as the template shown below.

They can be as simple as students responding to a prompt with a couple of sentences. The

important thing is that students are reflecting on a task they have completed. Journals are also a

great place for students to set goals for themselves. By setting goals, students will have more to

reflect on during their post-task journaling. Classroom journaling is a great tool to allow students

to ask teachers questions. This can eliminate the embarrassment of not understanding something

and having to ask for clarification on a subject. A way to ensure that students are completing

their journals is to have specific class times set aside for students to write in their journals. A

great time to do this would be directly following a rehearsal, when the ideas are still fresh in their

minds. A way to ensure journaling for practice sessions would be to place a pass/fail
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participation grade on the entries. Journaling allows students to reflect on their practice sessions,

performances, etc. As a musician, reflection is a very important process that helps us know what

we did well and what we still need to improve on. As teachers, having students journal these

thoughts can help us gather this information directly from the students and adjust our instruction

accordingly.
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Practice Journal

Date: Duration:

What am I going to practice during this session?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Goals for this session (check off completed goals after the session):

▢____________________________________________________________________________▢

____________________________________________________________________________▢_

___________________________________________________________________________
I did a really good job at…

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

I had a hard time with…

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

I want to ask my teacher…

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
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Student survey

Definition:

Student surveys are a form of direct assessment in which you ask the students their

opinion on a specific topic or topics. You can then use that information as a form of

reflection for you and your students.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

A great way to integrate a student survey into the music classroom is a post-performance

survey. This survey should take place within one week of the performance so that the

feelings are fresh in their heads. The survey can include questions about the rehearsals

leading up to the performance, the performance itself, and what students would like to

improve on for the next performance.

Implementation:

The best ways to give a student survey are verbally or electronically. By completing this

task verbally, it is slightly more informal and allows students to hear each other's thoughts and

ideas. On the other hand, completing this process virtually allows us as teachers to easily and

quickly collect the data we are seeking. The format below would work well as an online student

survey, but could also be adapted to have a discussion-style survey. A rating system allows for

students to give a concise answer to the questions and allows us to collect data very easily on

specific topics. However it is also important to allow students to give additional comments that

may allow them to clarify their answers, say what they would like to improve on, or ask any

questions. It is important that there is some type of reflective process following a performance as

a musician and as a teacher. This allows students to learn from their experiences and grow as

musicians. As teachers, we can see what we need to improve on, and most importantly what the
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students believe we need to improve on. Since this information is collected directly from the

students, it will be easy to direct your future instruction in a way that you know will benefit them

and answer their questions.

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Post-performance student survey:

Rate the following on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest):

Individual playing/performing

▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Section playing/performing

▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Whole band playing/performing

▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Rehearsals leading up to performance

▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Work ethic/attitude:

▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Additional comments/questions:
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Oral exam

Definition:

An oral or verbal exam is similar to a constructed response exam in that students must

produce their answers in their own words. Oral exams are simply given with spoken

words instead of written down on paper. Oral exams can come in many different forms,

such as speeches, review games, or presentations.

Suggested uses in the music classroom:

An example of a way I would use an oral exam in a music classroom is as a review game.

I would use it in tandem with the pre-test/post test in order to review the musical terms

and symbols before the post test. This form of an oral exam would not need to be graded,

but would still allow for a reflective process to occur.

Implementation:

Oral exams can provide an accurate measure of how well students know and understand

information. However, similar to playing exams, oral exams sometimes give students anxiety.

This is why I would choose to use this type of assessment as a game rather than a formal exam

process. This can show you how much the students know without the added pressure of needing

to prepare a speech or a presentation. Since this assessment will be used in tandem with the post

test, it is easy to take questions and concepts directly from the music symbols exam and use this

for the review game. In this case, the reflective process will happen mostly with the students on

their own time. By playing this review game, students will be able to assess what questions they

knew the answers to and which questions they did not know the answers to, and then adjust from

there. They will know if they need to study before the following exam, and what concepts to

study if that is the case. When using an oral exam as a review game, we can know if it was
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effective by using the scores from the post test exam as a measure. If there are still several

questions that are missed, then the review game may not have been effective and should be

adjusted accordingly.
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Review game

Questions from the pre-test/post test will be read aloud to students, and they will answer

verbally. Students will be divided into two teams, and form two lines. The person at the front of

each line will “buzz in” as each question is asked, and whoever “buzzes in” first will have the

chance to answer. If that person gets the answer wrong, the other team will have the chance to

answer the question. Whoever answers the question correctly will earn a point. For the visual

aspect, a slideshow could be made or they could be drawn on the board.

Example questions:

● You see the following symbol on a piece of music: ff, what does it mean?

● You see the following symbol in front of a note: ♯, what symbol is this?

● What is the abbreviation for mezzo piano?

● You see a fermata in your music. What does that do to the note it is attached to?

● You see a staccato over a note. What syllable should you think of when playing that

note?

● What is the abbreviation for forte piano?

● What does an accent look like?

● What is the abbreviation for forte?

● Give the name of the following articulation:

● Give the name of the following articulation: