Internal Assessment

Internal assessment, or curriculum-embedded assessment, evaluates what students do when they are in the classroom. Internal assessment is a crucial part of the instruction process in art and aids teachers, students, and parents in evaluating student progress. Internal assessment illustrates aspects of student progress that are not typically evaluated in external assessment.

Internal assessment also serves as a basis for professional development. Teachers who analyze the work of their students will see trends in student performance that may be related to instruction. For example, a teacher who sees that the products of his/her art students lack depth may wish to take advanced art courses to elicit more depth in student products.

An ongoing practice of internal assessment enables teachers to monitor learning as part of their teaching process. Teachers can make data-based decisions to adjust instructional strategies so that they accommodate the different needs and learning styles of students. Data also aid students in self-assessment by providing them with critical feedback. Though teachers sometimes design specific tasks to address particular concepts or skills, any student product and learning process can be viewed as an assessment tool and can provide teachers with valuable information on current levels of student performance. Particularly useful examples of internal assessment are checklists, student journals, in-class work, peer reviews, conferencing, and portfolios.

Teachers should align all assessment tools with the TEKS, local curriculum, and instructional strategies. Additionally, teachers should make sure students understand assessment criteria and provide constructive feedback to students. Good, clear assessment preparation will keep re-teaching to a minimum.

External Assessment

External assessment, or standardized assessment, refers to all student testing developed and used by sources outside of the student’s school. Examples of external assessment include criterion-referenced tests, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS); norm-referenced tests, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Stanford Achievement Tests; and college entrance tests, such as the SAT and ACT.

In addition to their role in public accountability systems, fine arts educators can use the results to inform their instruction. By interpreting data in the context of their personal knowledge of students and by using data in conjunction with internal assessments, teachers gain additional tools for understanding and promoting student learning.

Fine arts education may lend credibility to schools and strengthen college applications by boosting external assessment scores. Music lessons have been shown to improve preschoolers’ spatial concept formation, which is crucial for higher brain functions such as complex mathematics (Frances Rauscher, PH.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine). Additionally, there is a direct correlation between improved SAT scores and the length of time spent studying the fine arts. Those who studied fine arts four or more years scored 59 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math portions of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. (Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by MENC, 1995).

Performance Assessment

The following table shows performance assessment formats appropriate for documenting student achievement of the Fine Arts TEKS. The first column is for grades K-6, while the formats in both columns are options for grades 7-12. Multiple assessments provide more complete information on student achievement than any one assessment alone.

Performance Assessment Formats for Grades K-12:

  • Observation

  • Inquiry

  • Class discussion/group critique

  • Interview

  • Portfolio

  • Demonstration

  • Journals/logs

  • Self-assessment

  • Checklist/rating form

  • Projects

  • Oral critique

  • Written critique

Additional Performance Assessment Formats for Grades 7-12:

  • Oral test

  • Written test

  • Oral research report

  • Written research report

  • Critique by experts

  • Products

Teachers should align their assessment practices with the following principles:

  • Assessment provides information on various aspects of how students create fine arts projects.

  • Continual monitoring of student progress provides formative evaluations so that students learn self-assessment and how to explain their thought processes.

  • Teachers assess students only on content or skills that they have had an opportunity to learn.

  • Criteria for satisfactory performance are made explicit before students begin a new task, and students themselves often participate in generating the criteria.

  • The teacher clearly communicates student achievement to students, parents, and other professionals.

  • Targeted feedback (more than non-specific praise) results in improved processes and products.

  • Evaluation does not rely on the grading of the final product; it also includes student self-evaluation.

  • Fine arts teachers provide descriptive evaluation to supplement rigid numerical or alphabetical grading systems. They do not record grades directly on student products.

Rubrics

A rubric is a tool that helps teachers implement effective assessment of the Fine Arts TEKS. Rubrics communicate a clear continuum of performance levels and help students learn to critique their knowledge and skills and to assess their growth. Though rubrics can take many forms, they are often shown in a table.

The first step in developing a rubric is to determine the critical dimensions of the performance or project. As shown below, these dimensions are placed in the far left-hand column of a table. Next, decide on the appropriate number of performance levels. This number determines the total number of remaining columns in the table.

Now provide the criteria for each performance level. This is easiest if a sample of products is available. Group samples by level of knowledge and skill demonstrated and describe common characteristics of each level. In the absence of samples, teachers make their best predictions. Involving students in this process can create a great deal of buy-in on the part of learners. Students can provide descriptions of successful and unsuccessful projects. After using a rubric, make any adjustments for future use. Teachers should also retain sample products that illustrate desirable demonstrations of knowledge and skill. Using multiple samples of strong performances shows learners that there are multiple ways to demonstrate high standards.

Some characteristics of effective scoring rubrics include:

  • A scale based on criteria that reflect the knowledge and skills assessed

  • Specific information about learning that helps the teacher make instructional decisions and communicates to students what they have learned and what they still need to learn

  • Clear and easy to understand descriptors

  • Ease of use

  • Examples of student products

  • Reliable scores (i.e., ratings of various scorers are fairly consistent).

Teachers who have not used a rubric before will experience a learning curve. The development and use of rubrics will become more efficient and effective over time. Here are some cautions for first-time users:

  • Don’t expect to get the rubric exactly right the first time. Like all assessment tools, a rubric must be tested and adjusted based on use.

  • The rubric is not a checklist. The rubric is a guide for analyzing the total project.

  • A student project may not fall neatly into one level. It may have characteristics of more than one level of performance. In this model of scoring, the score assigned should be the one that most closely resembles the performance or project.