Abstract
A significant amount of literature exists about how to design and implement an effective assessment process for students in a music program, specifically in the classroom setting. This article suggests a framework for incorporating individualized assessment in the private-lesson setting based on effective classroom assessment practices. Many in-service music teachers also teach privately. Applying their knowledge of classroom-based assessments and effective teaching strategies to the private-lesson setting can support student learning, provide effective instruction, and build faculty and student interaction. The private teacher plays a significant role in the education of music students. All music instructors—applied and classroom—should prioritize high-quality instruction, provide formative feedback to students, demonstrate teacher effectiveness to their employer (students, parents, or music educators), and use self-reflection to improve their instruction.
Keywords
Private studio teachers can benefit from some of the assessment techniques used by classroom music teachers.
There is substantial research literature on designing and implementing effective assessment for students in a music education program, including Thomas W. Goolsby’s “Assessment in Instrumental Music,” 1 Edward Asmus’s “Music Assessment Concepts,” 2 Matthew Rotjan’s “Develop a Performance Rubric with Your Ensemble,” 3 and Sheila Scott’s “Rethinking the Roles of Assessment in Music Education.” 4 While these are excellent resources for learning how to use assessment to improve music teaching and student learning in the classroom, they do not specifically address how assessment can improve teacher instruction in a private-lesson setting. Likewise, the private teacher may not realize that incorporating assessments that are effective in the classroom setting can improve instruction, student learning, and retention. This article provides a suggested framework for incorporating assessment in the private-lesson setting based on assessment practices that have historically been effective in the classroom setting. While a number of different assessment strategies are presented in this article, adopting one or two can have a significant effect on student learning in the lesson setting.
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Assessments
The most common activities in the private-lesson setting are students playing an instrument or singing. This is very effective for student progress, because students receive instant and specific feedback from their teacher to improve performance. This traditional activity could, however, be enhanced by adding innovative assessments to improve instruction and the lesson environment. Teachers can reference the National Core Arts Standards to help them develop assessments. 5 This article offers suggested assessments that meet standards but vary from traditional lesson activities.
Students can and should be involved in choosing their lesson repertoire (selection). To engage students in this activity, the teacher can provide the student with a list of appropriate repertoire choices and high-quality recordings. Students can listen to the musical options and communicate their reasons for choices to the teacher. 6 This activity engages students and requires them to respond to varied musical works, and it develops critical-listening skills.
At the conclusion of each year, the private-lesson instructor can arrange for students to perform a work in a recital (covering the standards connecting elements of rehearse, evaluate and refine, and present). Under the guidance of the private teacher, students will refine technical accuracy and expressive qualities, address challenges, and show improvement throughout time in preparation for this recital. 7 In addition to gaining experience performing appropriately for the audience and purpose, this recital will display the student’s musical growth, demonstrate student understanding, provide outreach to the community, and involve parents in student learning. 8
While the Artistic Processes of Creating, Responding, and Connecting may not be traditionally valued in private lessons, they are very important in the development of a musician, and assessments can be written that meet these standards. The process of Creating can be included in lessons by providing the student with a melody and asking him or her to compose an accompaniment. 9 After the student has composed an accompaniment, the teacher and the student could play/sing the work as a duet in a subsequent lesson. The teacher could provide feedback to the student so that he or she could evaluate, refine, and document revisions to the accompaniment. 10 The teacher and the student could perform the final version on a yearly recital. 11 Through this activity, the student would be generating musical ideas for various purposes and contexts (imagine), evaluating and refining musical ideas, and sharing a creative musical work (present). 12 The Artistic Process of Responding can be incorporated in private lessons by recording parts of the student’s weekly lesson. During the lesson, the teacher could play back the recording and ask students to evaluate their performances using personal or teacher-provided criteria, analysis, and interpretations. 13 Students can also use this evaluation to refine their playing. 14 The Artistic Process of Connecting can be integrated into lessons while preparing students to perform at solo and ensemble contests or in a recital. Students can choose their repertoire from a list appropriate to their performance ability and explain to their lesson teacher how their music selection was influenced by personal interest, knowledge, context, and technical skill. 15
An additional resource for assessing students and meeting standards is through games. Many games focusing on music reading, theory, ear-training, and history can be found online. The Music Teachers National Association has a significant listing of links to games on its website. 16 Incorporating the standards will create a richer lesson environment and provide students with a balanced music education. In addition to a student playing/singing in a weekly lesson, assessments can be integrated in private lessons to meet all standards and can add variety to the traditional lesson structure.
Goals, Objectives, and Standards
Long-term goals are chosen to identify desired results of instruction. What should students understand as a result of teacher instruction? Designing long-term goals is important in the private-lesson setting, because these goals give educators direction and purpose to their teaching while providing students with targets that support measurable progress. The National Core Arts Standards provide music teachers with frameworks to help define goals and learning objectives. The standards can be referenced to help private instructors begin composing and ultimately assist students in achieving their educational aspirations. Students can also be involved in defining goals and learning objectives. Open dialogue between the teacher and the student about the student’s personal goals can help the teacher prioritize and organize instruction. Examples of long-term goals are “Students will further develop musicianship through the advancement of the technical aspects of playing the tuba” and “Students will develop critical listening and communication skills by listening to and providing feedback about historically important performance recordings.”
After long-term goals are chosen, learning objectives can be written that support the ultimate goal(s) and drive instruction. A learning objective is a statement that defines a skill, knowledge, or disposition (mind-set) that should be achieved through instruction. The following examples are fitting for the private-lesson setting. An example of a skill-based learning objective is “Students will be able to perform all major and minor scales in sixteenth notes at 60 BPM.” An example of a musical knowledge learning objective is “Students will be able to evaluate a musical work based on their knowledge of form, tonality, and phrasing.” An example of a disposition-based learning objective is “Students will be able to play with an improved tone and musical expressions after hearing the lesson teacher model a musical passage.” Table 1 shows an example of a long-term goal and a learning objective, as well as how these can be met through assessments in the weekly private lesson. 17
Chart showing a sample long-term goal, learning objective, and assessment activity
Long-term goals and learning objectives form the foundation of instruction, because they organize instruction and provide students with measurable goals.
Rubrics
After the standards have been observed, assessments created, and long-term goals and learning objectives decided, the next step in developing an assessment process in the private-lesson setting is to determine acceptable evidence. Rubrics can be used to provide evidence that students are attaining desired outcomes. 18 Two types of rubrics are very effective: a developmental rubric and a checklist.
A developmental rubric is effective because it can define benchmarks of student performance and demonstrate longitudinal growth during a specific period. 19 This type of rubric can also help students rehearse, evaluate, and refine their performance through appropriate criteria. 20 The rubric should include evaluation dimensions, such as posture, tone, bowing, pedaling, diction, and breathing, which will align with the previously chosen learning objectives. Labels, such as Beginning to Understand, Making Connections, and Applying, can contribute to the evaluator more fully understanding the student and his or her specific needs. Descriptors are added for each dimension and under each level of performance. The language used to write the descriptors should make clear how the student’s performance is developing. Include a space for the teacher to write comments to provide students with additional, specific feedback. Table 2 is an excerpted example of a developing rubric for a clarinetist’s embouchure. 21
Chart of an excerpted example of a developing rubric for a clarinetist’s embouchure
The developmental rubric can be used throughout the course of an extended period of study. For example, students beginning lessons in grade school may be expected to perform in the Exploring column, while students who have been studying with the teacher for an extended period and are completing junior high school may be expected to perform in the Applying and Making Connections columns. Using a rubric of this type is very informative. If the beginning grade school students are performing mostly in the Applying column, the instructor is informed through assessment that this is not an area for growth and needs little attention in lessons. Using a rubric to assess student performance provides the teacher and students clear indications of the areas in which improvement is needed.
The second type of rubric that is effective in the private-lesson setting is a checklist. This list can include annual goals that the teacher expects students to achieve after one year of consistent study. The expectations included in each checklist will increase gradually in difficulty with each year of study. Table 3 shows an example of an abbreviated checklist for first- and second-year trumpet players. 22
Chart of an abbreviated checklist for a first and second-year trumpet player
The checklist is effective in lessons because students are able to visualize the number of objectives they have achieved and can see that they are growing along the continuum of musical skills that are aligned with the expectations of the teacher. Furthermore, students take responsibility for their own learning.
The benefits to using rubrics are that they inform students of teacher expectations, document student success, reveal how students can improve their performance, and provide teachers with data that support effective instruction. 23 Discussing the outcomes and showing students their progress support student learning. Faculty and student interactions are also improved because students are made aware of teacher expectations, can distinguish priorities in the practice room, and discover an efficient path toward improved performance.
Diagnostic Assessment
When students begin lessons, diagnostic assessments can be implemented to tailor instruction based on existing strengths and weaknesses. 24 A diagnostic assessment in the private setting could include sight-reading or discussing repertoire the student has already studied. Finding out what students already understand will help the teacher focus on specific skills, review concepts, pace instruction, engage students, choose curriculum, and make student learning central to instruction by personalizing goals and assessments for each student. The learning environment in the private setting can be enhanced when students understand that the teacher’s instruction is specifically tailored to their needs, and assessments are designed to help students reach their personal goals.
Student Growth Measures
According to the Ohio Department of Education, student growth measures are “a method for determining how much academic progress students are making by measuring growth between two points in time.” 25 In the private-lesson setting, measuring student growth can be accomplished by the teacher recording a student sight-reading a selected musical work at the beginning and end of an extended period, such as one year, and assessing his or her performance using a rubric. When choosing repertoire for this activity, the teacher could select a piece that includes skills that are expected to be achieved at the conclusion of the year of study. The checklist, mentioned earlier, could provide guidance for choosing repertoire, because it lists annual goals and teacher expectations.
The teacher and the student should each receive a recording of the lesson, which could be stored in an electronic portfolio and updated throughout the student’s time studying with the teacher. This recording will be helpful to the teacher as he or she reflects on teaching style and clarity of instruction. This recording will be helpful to the student because he or she can hear performance growth, realize his or her preferred learning style, and recognize the areas of performance that can be improved. When students hear their improvement, they will be more confident about their playing and more motivated to continue study and practice.
Student Self-Assessment
A common goal among excellent teachers is for their students to become independent thinkers. Because most students will ultimately move beyond the guidance of a teacher, independent thinking is an important skill to learn initially and can provide students with the skills to be lifelong participants in music-making. Teaching students how to become independent thinkers is important in lessons because students solitarily prepare their lesson exercises, repertoire, and technical studies. Logistically, a teacher cannot provide students with feedback every time they practice; therefore, it is important for students to become their own teachers outside of their instructional time.
To help private-lesson students become musically independent, the instructor should teach them how to assess their performance by critically listening, problem solving, and constructively critiquing themselves. The teacher can help students develop critical listening skills by presenting them with two varying musical examples and asking them specific questions about the music, such as “Which example used accurate and even rhythm?” and “Which example used a higher quality tone, and why?” The teacher can help students learn how to problem-solve by using varying approaches to find solutions during the private lesson. For example, if a student is struggling to play a passage at tempo, the teacher could recommend slowing down the passage, suggest an alternate fingering, or ask the student to play the passage using various rhythms. The approaches taught during the lesson can be used to solve problems encountered while practicing. To teach students how to critique themselves, the teacher could ask the student, “Tell me at least three achievements in your playing of Chopin’s Prelude op. 28, no. 6,” or “What would you like to improve about your performance, and what steps can you take to make these improvements?” Teaching students to hone their critical listening skills, ability to problem-solve, and ability to constructively critique themselves can provide students with the skills necessary to become independent thinkers and self-assess their work.
Reflection is a significant part of self-assessment because it allows one to realize musical successes, or errors; the steps needed for improvement; and the progress that has been made. The private-lesson teacher can require a student to keep a practice log. This log can include a place for students to track what they practiced, how they practiced, and what they wanted to achieve during the practice time (personal goals). For example, a student flutist could write in his or her practice log that he or she worked on the opening of Cécile Chaminade’s Concertino pour Flûte, op. 107, using a warm, resonant, and focused sound. Completing a practice log involves student choice, because it guides student practice, facilitates independent thinking, focuses the direction of the lesson, addresses the student’s specific needs, and compels students to reflect on their work and musical performance. Requiring students to take time to reflect on, self-assess, and analyze their work will make the experience more meaningful and enhance future musical performances.
Teacher Self-Assessment
Classroom teachers are often required to undergo an annual evaluative process to demonstrate and reflect on their effectiveness in the classroom. As part of their evaluation of teaching, music educators may be required to submit a portfolio that includes a written self-assessment of teaching, peer and administrative observations, written goals and objectives, a teaching philosophy, recordings and programs of performances, student work samples, and assessment data. A portfolio is a great tool to enable teachers to self-assess their work, document accomplishments, articulate that standards are met, and demonstrate effectiveness.
Although private-lesson teachers are often not formally evaluated, they should take it on themselves to personally evaluate their work to improve instruction. Private-lesson teachers can self-assess their work by creating a portfolio and including some of the documents mentioned in this article. Journaling about the past—academic successes, setbacks, and lessons learned—helps teachers self-assess their performance and identify changes that can be made to enhance student learning. Private-lesson teachers can also consult classroom teachers about their evaluation process to gather additional ideas for self-assessment.
Recordings can help lesson teachers assess their instruction and realize which strategies were effective or not. Teachers can notice trends in their instruction by listening to multiple recordings. In addition, recordings can help teachers realize how well they balance talking and playing (singing), pace instruction, and balance critiques with positive reinforcement. Through self-assessment, teachers can understand their strengths and weaknesses, recognize progress, realize effective strategies, and grow as music educators.
Closing the Loop
If an assessment process is effective, the teacher should be able to use self-reflection, recorded teaching examples, collected data from rubrics, and portfolio documents to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses. An effective assessment process should also inform the teacher of the curricular changes needed to improve student learning. When assessing their work, teachers may ask themselves the following: Do the assessments align with the learning objectives? In which assessments did students excel or perform unsuccessfully? Is the rubric written so the assessor can get a clear image of student performance? Through the teacher’s self-evaluation, the assessment process can be enhanced, teacher effectiveness improved, and student learning placed at the forefront of education.
Positive Effects
Creating an assessment process for the studio setting can improve teacher effectiveness, student learning, communication, and faculty and student interaction. When teachers are clear about their goals and objectives, and are willing to look inward to enhance student learning through self-assessment, students will be more engaged in learning and responsible for their education. Assessment can have a positive impact in the studio setting, because it will help teachers deliver more organized instruction, understand more deeply their students’ struggles and successes, build students’ self-esteem through proven progress, and heighten standards.
Private-lesson teachers, unlike classroom teachers, are not often required to develop an assessment process. The private-lesson teacher, however, can adopt the same classroom assessment methodologies and adapt them appropriately for the private-lesson setting to demonstrate teacher effectiveness. Incorporating some of the practices presented in this article can have a significant impact on student learning and retention. Once part of the process is established, new components can be easily added. Regardless of instructional setting, private-lesson teachers and classroom music teachers are all music educators whose primary goal is for students to achieve musical understanding and become lifelong participants of music-making. Developing an assessment process in the private-lesson setting can help teachers accomplish this goal.
Footnotes
Jennifer Laubenthal is an associate professor of music and coordinator of student learning at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. She can be contacted at