Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Applying Model Cornerstone Assessments in K-12 Music: A Research-Supported Approach

Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCAs), that were developed for the National Core Arts Standards in Music, are curriculum-embedded measures designed for music students to apply relevant knowledge and skills while demonstrating learning in the standards that define the artistic processes. They are meant to engage students in tasks authentic to a school's curriculum and honor the intent of the Music Performance Standards. They are created as models to allow for usefulness in a variety of curricular contexts and demographics. The intent of each MCA is to provide research-based assessment tasks that is specifically focused on the expected learning for the performance standards with rubrics that has been tested for scoring consistency. Following substantial development and piloting in schools across the United States, this book provides a thorough background of the MCAs and the confidence measures administered to guide implementation by teachers, administrators, and the educational community. Review This book presents a game-changing addition to the National Core Music Standards that were released in 2014. The Model Cornerstone Assessments in music are collaboratively designed, teacher-tested units with state-of-the-art authentic assessments designed to guide instruction and measure how well students have learned the standards. This book explains why and how these tools can be used, while also providing hard data music educators can use to demonstrate to administrators that their assessments meet rigorous standards for reliability and validity.--Scott C. Shuler, PhD, Consultant, Solutions Music Group; Past-President, NAfME: The National Association for Music Education This book represents a major advancement for the music education profession and heralds a new era of research-based assessment practice for the field. In an unprecedented nationwide collaboration of leading music education researchers and K-12 music teachers, the Model Cornerstone Assessments are aligned with the National Core Arts Standards for music and emerge from the triangulation of results from a mixed design approach that accounts for the complexity of music learning and its measurement in multiple contexts. The MCAs will impact music teaching and learning for many years to come.--Timothy S. Brophy, Professor of Music Education and Director of Institutional Assessment, University of Florida Never before has NAfME created Model Cornerstone Assessments to align with the National Music Standards. These outstanding examples of standards-based lesson plans are a model to help music educators teach the Create, Perform, and Respond Artistic Processes. Included in this publication are rubrics for assessing to the standards. These lessons have been developed over time and tested with music teachers across the country in all types of teaching situations. Their feedback has resulted in the final products in this book. These exemplars are a wonderful insight into teaching and assessing to the standards. I highly recommend this book to guide instruction.--Denese Odegaard, NAfME President About the Author Frederick Burrack is Professor of Music and Director of Assessment at Kansas State University. After teaching music in the public schools for 20 years, he now researches and presents internationally on assessment practice.   Kelly A. Parkes is Associate Professor of Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University directs the student teaching and initial certification program.