Steps to Designing Authentic Assessments for Students with Disabilities in Music Classes

Abstract

Classroom assessments are an opportunity to monitor student learning and in turn inform instructional decisions. Assessments also provide opportunities for students to participate in authentic music-making experiences. Using classroom music-making experiences as assessments may be particularly suitable for students with disabilities. Due to the nature of their disabilities, these students may not be able to participate in more formal types of assessments. This article includes information on authentic classroom assessments, typical accommodations used in administering tests for students with disabilities, and examples of alternative grade books that can be used in the music classroom.

Keywords

accommodation alternative grade books assessment authentic assessment classroom assessment disability music-making Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

How can music teachers best evaluate the progress of their students with disabilities? Here are some ideas to consider.

Accurately assessing students in music is not always easy, and assessing students with disabilities in these classes can be even harder. Yet, assessment is vital for teachers to track and monitor student progress within the curriculum as well as for self-reflection on their own teaching and adjustment as needed. With the implementation in the United States of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2016, authentic assessment of the skills attained in the music curriculum may now be required for all students.¹ While this law includes language that encourages states to adhere to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which should provide a framework to help guide music educators as they design their curricula, the remaining question is, “How can music teachers design assessments that fairly measure the knowledge gains of students with disabilities in their classrooms?” Traditionally, assessments are an opportunity to monitor student growth; however, assessments can also serve as another means for students to experience authentic music-making. Using classroom music-making experiences to develop and implement assessments may be particularly helpful for students with disabilities. There are several preliminary steps that should be considered before designing each assessment.

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Consider Unique Needs

The learning process for each student with a disability is unique, a fact that necessitates that our instruction and assessment procedures be versatile to meet each student’s needs. Therefore, every learning goal and objective should be taught using various modes of presentation to best reach all students in the classroom. It is also imperative that teachers design authentic assessments that circumvent their disabilities. For example, if a student has limited use of his or her hands, it is not fair to only assess steady beat by playing a drum. The best way to accommodate students’ disabilities is to read their Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and talk with your school’s special education coordinator.

The students’ IEPs, which all teachers are legally allowed to view and access,² can be obtained from the school’s special education coordinator, school office, and/or guidance counselors. There are two sections in a student’s IEP that could be helpful when planning assessments: (1) the student’s current levels of academic achievement and functional performance and (2) the special education and related services and supplementary aids he or she is receiving. The first section includes the student’s most current evaluation/assessment results, as well as statements concerning the individual’s learning characteristics, social development, physical development, and management needs. The second section is probably the most useful for music educators because it can help in the planning of adaptations and/or modifications to the music curriculum and physical environment as well as with how to present the material and measure what is learned. Specifically, this section may address needs in the following areas:

Environmental—preferential and/or planned seating, altered physical room arrangement;

Staff support—classroom companions, paraprofessionals;

Pacing of instruction—frequent breaks, given more time to complete tasks, given a set of materials for use at home, such as copies;

Presentation of the subject matter—taped lectures/rehearsals, sign language, the use of icons to represent the written word and/or music terms;

Materials—large print or Braille handouts/music, assistive technology such as the music or adaptive instruments, shared or help with note-taking/writing conductor instructions within the music score;

Assignment modification—shorter assignments such as less work/practice to be completed at home, taped lessons/rehearsals, instructions broken down into smaller steps;

Self-management—calendar that includes important dates, study skills such as how to practice to be most successful, written sequence of classroom events;

Testing adaptations—read test to the child if giving a formal written assessment, modify the test format (either music performance or written) so that it does not enfold their disability, give the child more time to complete the test, allow the use of adaptations and/or modifications;

Social interaction—facilitate possible circle of friends through using cooperative learning groups, assign a peer mentor/classroom buddy.³

Knowing this information should help teachers create appropriate curricular goals, activities, and authentic assessments that do not disadvantage students because of their disabilities.

The information found in an IEP should also highlight whether additional supports are required. Differentiated learning and instruction is routinely found in the music curriculum (e.g., trumpet parts 1, 2, and 3 in band or modifying a choral octavo for boys going through a voice change in middle school); however, if needed, music educators can incorporate concrete educational supports to adapt their teaching techniques to facilitate student learning and assessment. Specifically, educational supports such as written words, color coding, icons, echoing, buddy systems, visual aids, and small groups or stations have been shown to be highly effective in the music classroom.⁴ These supports can be independent of what other students in the class are receiving as long as they help students learn and achieve measurable goals. As Nesa Sasser, a leading expert in alternative assessments, states,

[a]daptations make provisions for special education students to adapt to the learning environment without modifying course curriculum standards. This can include alterations of environment or use of equipment that allows students to gain access to content or to complete assigned tasks. Modifications change the standards of the instruction and how students are evaluated. These students are not expected to master the same academic content as general education students in the same grade level.⁵

Beyond the information found in the IEP, music educators may find it helpful to elicit suggestions from other school professionals who may be more familiar with a student (e.g., special educators, resource teachers, paraprofessionals, guidance counselors, etc.) on how to adapt and/or modify the music activities and assessments to meet the student’s needs. Figure 1 is an example of a form that can be used to serve this purpose.⁶ Designed for music educators to list the different types of activities, objectives, or assessment tasks within a variety of music settings, this form allows special educators to add their expertise on what adaptations, modifications, and/or supports may be necessary for a student to be successful.

Figure 1

Activity Modification Form

Alternative Assessments

Curricular goals serve as the foundation for all subsequent steps leading from music activities to assessment development. Since music activities can encompass written and verbal responses as well as singing, playing instruments, listening, movement, and composing, it is important to determine what modes of presentation are needed for student achievement. If sufficient planning has taken place regarding curricular goals, activities to teach the concepts, and instruction that incorporates the needed adaptations and/or modifications, then creating authentic and achievable assessments should be a much easier task. While there are many assessment terms used in education, all can be categorized as either formative or summative. Formative assessments are “evaluations that take place while a learner is in the process of learning the stated objectives,” whereas a summative assessment is “the exam/test at the end of a unit.”⁷

Summative assessments are not necessarily the best way to document the growth of students with disabilities in the music classroom; instead, making use of frequent observations and formative assessments is often the most accurate way to evaluate learning. This type of assessment provides information about how students are doing with each specific type of activity and/or objective, and it can be used to plan future activities and assessments. Furthermore, some students may need additional testing accommodations that provide equal access for showing what they know but do not give them an advantage over other students. Some common testing accommodations include the following:

Allow extra time to complete the test.

Read test directions orally.

Repeat test directions as needed.

Ask the student to repeat directions in his or her own words.

Have the student highlight key words in the directions and/or questions.

Allow the student to take the test in a small group setting.

Allow the student to mark his or her answers directly on the test form.

Provide frequent breaks.

Break up the testing into several sessions.

Read specific parts of the test to the student.

Allow the student to answer orally instead of writing the answers.

Various alternative assessments are often allowed for students with significant cognitive disabilities. These assessments might include portfolios, IEP-linked evidence of progress, one-on-one assessments, checklists, paper or computer-generated tests that use a teacher-recorded correct/incorrect forced-choice answer format, and detailed rubrics that address the concept. See Figure 2 for an example of an alternative assessment rubric.

Figure 2

Directions: For each music element, denote how the student demonstrated on the drum

Alternative Grade Books

Once formative assessments are implemented, recording student progress is important. Student progress is typically documented in a grade book. However, due to the unique needs of students with disabilities, multiple data points are often necessary to fairly detail their growth. Alternative grade books are an option for teachers to maintain accurate records about students’ achievement in class. These types of grade books are designed to include more information than a typical grade book, thus allowing music educators to include more detail about the progress of students with disabilities, including their successes and challenges. This information can help teachers be more proactive when planning. The additional information will also help when generating reports for end-of-term grades as well as informing special education teachers, parents, and students of their progress. Figures 3 and 4 provide short examples of what an alternative grade book that displays different formative assessments for a single concept using an alternative rubric would look like.

Figure 3

Alternative Grade Book, Example 1

Figure 4

Alternative Grade Book, Example 2

Be Proactive!

It is imperative that we consider how we assess the progress of students with disabilities in the music classroom so they are not disadvantaged by their disability. For a child who is blind, if an assessment requires that he or she read written rhythms, these should be converted to tactile notation or Braille music. Have multiple modes of presentation and alternative assessment procedures available to satisfy not only the various learning objectives but also the students’ individual needs.

We also encourage you to be proactive and to ask for help and input from the experts in your school. By identifying these needs as well as using information gained from the IEP and experts in the field, music educators should be able to design formative assessments with the necessary adaptations, modifications, and educational supports. These assessments, which occur continuously throughout the school year, will then serve as an authentic way to gauge students’ progress in the development of specific musical skills and learning objectives and/or goals. Remember, assessments should not only be an opportunity to monitor student growth but also serve as another way for students to experience authentic music-making.