ARTS EALRs,
REQUIREMENTS AND CBPAs
–by Dave Weatherred, WMEA President 2004-2006
Voice Magazine, January 2005.
After almost two years of traveling
around the state facilitating workshops on the graduation requirements and
classroom based performance assessments (CBPAs), it seemed like it was time to
make all of this as simple as possible and answer some of the questions that are
repeated at each in-service. For this article, I will just concentrate on a
“What this means to you” discussion.
First -
EALRs
The Washington State Essential
Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and frameworks state
what every child should know and be able to do in the arts at each grade level.
The majority of the EALRs are exactly the same for each of the four arts strands
– music, art, theatre and dance. They only vary when the concepts and skills for
each specific art form are listed (EALRs 1.1 and 1.2)
What this means to you:
1. The EALRs were designed to
be taught in “performance-based” classes in art, music, theatre and dance.
This means that the present music ensemble classes offered in the majority
of the secondary schools are a great way to share the EALRs with students.
It should also be noted that it is very difficult to achieve the academic
rigor required in these documents by trying to present these concepts in an
arts “smorgasbord” exploratory offering.
2. If we personally haven’t
studied the EALRs, we will not be able to assure that students learn all of
what the state requires and not just what we are most comfortable teaching.
The goal is to empower students to be independent artists (musicians) by
their graduation from high school.
3. Working in our school
districts in teams of arts educators to assure that every student is
receiving arts instruction through at least one of the four art strands
should be a priority for each of us. As a team, we represent a mandate
by the state of Washington required for each grade level – as individual
music teachers, we teach a subject often looked at as a frill for the
“elite” students or as a prep time provider.
Second -
Graduation Requirement
Washington state has a one-credit
(two semesters) requirement in the arts linked specifically to the third
benchmark level of the EALRs. This requirement starts with the graduation
class of 2008 (the 2004-05 ninth graders) and is not substitutable.
What this means to you:
1. All high schools in the
state must augment their offerings so that the capacity exists for every
student to take a third benchmark level, full year class in at least one of
the four art strands. The educators who are arts experts in each school
district must work closely with the administration to identify the needs
created by this requirement. This change can and will happen over the next
four years, but is not realistically possible if the changes do not begin
now!
2. If students are to be
successful in a third benchmark level class when they reach high school,
they must receive first benchmark level instruction at their elementary
school and second benchmark level instruction at their middle or junior high
school. The high school arts requirement and the “all students should know
and be able to” statement for each grade level in the arts EALRs tell us
that each school district should offer a comprehensive, sequential education
in the arts for all students.
3. Once again - working in our
school districts in teams of arts teachers to assure that every student can
successfully complete a high school, third benchmark level class in the arts
should be a priority. As a team, we represent a requirement by the state of
Washington – as individual music teachers; we teach a subject often looked
at as a frill for the “elite” students or as a prep time provider.
Third -
Classroom Based Assessments in the Arts
Classroom Based Performance
Assessments (CBPAs) in the arts are presently being developed and
piloted at the first benchmark (fifth grade), second benchmark (eighth grade)
and third benchmark (high school) levels. These CBPAs will be voluntary for each
school district in the first years, but will eventually be required. As the name
implies, these assessments will be given in actual classroom settings and, like
the majority of our arts offerings, are also performance-based. Unlike our music
ensemble classes however, the CBPAs will individually assess students in a
“performance” environment.
What this means to you:
1. The most important aspects
related to requiring students to be knowledgeable in the arts are already in
place (arts EALRs and requirements). The assessments just give us a way to
measure our effectiveness in delivering this instruction. If EALRs-based
instruction is in place and the requirements are being honored in each
district in the state, the assessments just become the icing on the cake.
2. Many questions still exist
as to the details of these assessments: how they will be scored, what data
from these assessments will be reported to the state, who will make sure
that school districts comply and a host of other questions have not been
answered as of this date. I have many educated guesses on the answers to
these questions, but it would not be helpful to put them in print at this
time. The most important thing we can do at this point as music educators is
to embrace the CBPAs; try them out and go to scoring in-services. The more
prepared we are when they are finally required, the more successful we will
be in implementing all of the pieces of a comprehensive arts program and
assessments.
3. And one last time (you
might think that I consider this step important!) - working in our school
districts in teams of arts teachers to assure that every student can
successfully pass each of the benchmark level CBPAs in the arts should be a
priority. This can only be accomplished through a sequential, comprehensive
arts program. As a team, we represent a requirement that is assessed
state-wide in Washington – as individual music teachers, we teach a subject
often looked at as a frill for the “elite” students or as a prep time
provider.
In closing
Many music educators are waiting for
someone else with more power to educate their school district on the arts
requirements and CBPAs. If this happens in your district at all, it will
probably happen too late! As stated earlier, changes must happen now,
because waiting until 2008 will just cause administrators to panic and/or
complain about state regulations that cannot be implemented. By starting now, a
district can solve these issues and offer an arts program that meets the
requirements and is seen as a vital part of the overall standards-based, state
assessed school experience. It will probably take an individual music, art,
theatre and/or dance teacher to move a district toward this goal!
Webmaster's note: Since this article was written,
15 CBPAs for
music have been developed by OSPI and are available on their web site.
Music educators are encouraged to download and use all of these resources.
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