GIA Publications

Scale Your Way to Music Assessment is a hands-on, step-by-step action plan for using assessment to improve your teaching and your students performances.

This book and CD-ROM describe in detail how to teach students to become not only accurate and consistent assessors of musical performance, but how to meaningfully self- and peer-assess and set goals for practicing and improving the performance of a group. Authors Paul Kimpton and Del Harnisch show you how to:
Generate a list of musical skills
Define goals
Build an assessment inventory
Formulate assessments
Collect data

...and more, all with the goal of empowering learners and educators with assessment. The extensive range of topics covered includes:
Tips on developing performance assessments
Music department goals and how they align with district goals
How to develop written assessments
Tips on test writing
Writing course goals
Sample written questions
Helping a program realize its vision
Test-making programs
Developing performance assessments
Test assessment software
Writing course objectives
State and national standards
How to develop listening assessments
School and district goals
How to involve students in taking responsibility for improving skill

Also included are six extensive appendixes with actual written and listening tests, outlines of a four-year testing program for band, choir, and orchestra, a listing of websites and email addresses, a glossary of terms, and more. The accompanying CD-ROM includes sample data, tests, music examples, and reference material.

Everything you need to begin developing a quality music assessment program is right here.

A music educator for over 33 years, Paul Kimpton recently retired from his position as Director of Bands and Department Chairman at Hinsdale South High School (Darien, Illinois).

Delwyn Harnisch is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.