Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom

Reviews / Votes

Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom is a practical, hands-on guide full of important information and activities for those who want to use assessment as a process for improving student learning and their own teaching. This must-read book pragmatically demonstrates the connection of assessment to curricular goals, program goals, and planned student outcomes by skillfully guiding the reader through all aspects of assessment, including the often-daunting practice of creating meaningful, functional, and efficient music assessments that result in improved music learning for students. This book encourages assessment literacy and skill building to support career-long interest in understanding how students learn, what they learn, and how best to teach them.

-Ann C. Clements, Director, Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, The Pennsylvania State University

There is a void in the literature for music teacher educators who help undergraduate music education students examine how and why assessment is used in music classrooms. This workbook-style text-with learning experiences, worksheets, and activities-certainly helps fill that void. This book is scholarly, practical, and easy-to-read-a must for collegiate music methods classes.

-Glenn E. Nierman, Past President, National Association for Music Education

Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom is a great resource for developing assessments for specific learning targets, equipping future educators with the tools they need to inspire their students to reach their best potential.

-Denese Odegaard, President, National Association for Music Education

The learning experiences contained here-each stemming from actual practice and supported by years of research-will allow future and current music educators to develop proficiencies that will be applicable on their first day of teaching and throughout their careers. Parkes and Burrack have carefully delineated the best means to assess each of the inherent facets of music learning: the products of student learning; the processes by which they learned; the programs that designed to help them learn; and the best practices of the educators who support their learning. Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom will transform the work of music educators and, more importantly, support the vibrant music-learning community that engages teachers and learners in the amazing experiences only music can provide.

-Douglas C. Orzolek, Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education, University of St. Thomas

With Developing and Applying Assessments in the Music Classroom, the editors and authors contribute a valuable resource for future and current music educators at all levels. Through discussions of general principles and music-specific examples, readers will appreciate this book as a companion and guide through the often-confusing landscape of measurement, evaluation, and testing as it is encountered in the teaching of the musical art. It will be equally valuable to individual teachers in their own classroom contexts as it is for administrative leaders of music programs and program-wide teams designing and aligning music curricula. By approaching assessment of musical learning through the perspectives presented in this volume, as music educators we can increase the effectiveness, impact, and authenticity of our educational practice-to the ultimate benefit of our students.

-Bret P. Smith, Associate Professor of Music Education, Central Washington University