Arts Assessments for Washington State: Performance Based and Classroom Based Assessments

Arts Assessments for Washington State
Performance Based and Classroom Based Assessments
The Journey in Progress

by AnnRené Joseph

How do you assess the arts? This is the question that we are answering and researching in Washington State. Classroom Based Performance Assessments – CBPAs are providing an avenue to answer the question of how to assess the arts in Washington State, by measuring what we want all students to know and be able to do in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Progress of the Journey in Progress: 2004-2005 Development and Implementation
Our second large-scale statewide and psychometric pilot is occurring from November 15- December 7, 2004. Over sixty (60) school districts and over 400 teachers are participating in this historic pilot! Twenty-six dance, music, theatre, and visual arts classroom-based performance assessments are being piloted at the benchmark levels of Washington State's Arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) of grades five, eight, and ten (high school). We are piloting at least two items at each benchmark level for each arts discipline. Dance and theatre have three items at grade eight that will be piloted.

Letters were sent from the OSPI Assessment and Research Division in September 2004, via email to all district leadership – superintendents, principals, and assessment and curriculum directors, notifying all 296 school districts of the pilot schedule for all subject area assessments for 2004 – 2005.

An additional letter, specifically notifying the field leadership of Goal II CBA Pilots in The Arts, Social Studies, and Health and Fitness, was sent in late September 2004, inviting districts, schools, and teachers to participate in a statewide pilot for these subject areas. As you know, pilots test /measure whether or not the items work with all students across the state – they do not measure student success. The bonus for teachers and districts using the CBPAs in The Arts is that teachers immediately know if their students know and are able to do what we want them to know and be able to do at the benchmark levels of our Arts EALRs. Students know, too. This information happens without a rubric, without sending items off for scoring.

The student samples from this pilot were sent to Riverside Publishing Company, our assessment developer, by the districts, school and teachers piloting these items. Over 250,000 student samples were sent to RPC! These student samples were reviewed in Chicago December 13 – 17, 2004, by RPC staff and AnnRené Joseph, OSPI's Program Supervisor for The Arts. Two-hundred student samples, per item were selected for Rangefinding in January 2005. Members of the Arts Assessment Leadership Team and other arts education teachers reviewed these student samples, and selected samples for anchor, practice, and qualifying sets for these assessments.

An additional twenty-four advanced items have been written by the AALT and are being developed for a limited statewide pilot by the AALT member districts, only, in May 2005. Those items and student samples will be reviewed in June 2005 for members of the AALT.

October 2005 marks the end of the current contract with RPC. OSPI will have sixty (60) Arts CBPAs developed at that time. All 60 items will be posted on the OSPI Arts Home page for downloading and use by the field, 24/7, by January 2006. Fifteen items in each arts discipline – dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, with five each at the benchmark levels of grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in each discipline will be available for use.

The Arts CBPAs are an integral part of instruction. The formula for success with Classroom Based Performance Assessments is:
Curriculum + Instruction + Assessment for/= Learning.
The assessments measure and students demonstrate what we want and expect them to know and be able to do in alignment with the Arts EALRs benchmark levels of expectations at grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in each of our arts disciplines.

Where Will We Be At The End of The RPC Contract?
1. Twelve (12) of the items are being produced as "full training sets" for release and use by the field. These twelve items include ten (10) student samples for anchor, practice and qualifying sets. They include Directions for Administration (DFAs), rubrics, and student samples in the item booklet (for visual arts) and on a DVD for the performing and visual arts. Four of these items are currently "on view" on the OSPI Arts Homepage at: www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts These items came from the limited statewide pilot conducted in 2003 by the AALT. All 12 of these items will be available on the OSPI Arts Homepage by January 2006.
2. Twenty-one (21) items are being produced as "limited training sets". Each of these items will include DFAs, rubrics, and ten (10) total exemplar student samples at levels 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, in an anchor set format. These items will be produced from the student samples received from the 2004 statewide pilot.
3. Twenty-seven (27) items will be produced from the spring 2005 "try-out" by the AALT. These items, under the current contract, will be revised after the try-out, in June 2005, and will include the revised item and rubrics, and the DFAs.
4. On-going and continuous staff development/training/implementation and use of these CBPAs as an integral part of arts instruction will begin the summer of 2004, and continue through the 2005-2006 school year, utilizing the 12 full training sets. Members of the AALT with OSPI Arts Office Staff will conduct these trainings to the field.
5. Training occurred for the field beginning summer 2004 at the OSPI summer institutes and at multiple conferences and events and with ESDs. The items used in 2004 included Dance 5, Music 8, Theatre 10, and Visual Arts 8;
6. Training for the field is currently set for the OSPI Pre-Institutes for Summer 2005 on four more full training sets -Dance 10, Music 5, Theatre 5, and Visual Arts 10), and for conferences and events during the 2005-2006 school year;
7. The final four full training sets – Dance 8, Music 10, Theatre 8, and Visual Arts 5, will be released at the OSPI January Conference for training beginning in 2006.
8. Training for the field is currently set for the OSPI Pre-Institutes for January 2006 and summer 2006 on four more full training sets and for conferences and events during the 2006 – 2007 school years.
9. Plans are being made for the training of staff from all 296 school districts regarding the Goal II CBAs in The Arts, Social Studies and Health and Fitness during the 2005 – 2006 school years and beyond.
Arts CBPA Development from June 2002 – August 2004

Our first large-scale statewide pilot of twelve performance-based and classroom-based assessments was successfully conducted during November – December 2003. The pilot's purpose was to sample the arts assessment items, to determine if they would successfully assess what we want students to know and be able to do, at our benchmark grade levels of 5, 8, and 10 (high school) based upon our Arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements in all four arts disciplines of dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. Over 16,000 student samples were voluntarily sent to OSPI, in January 2004. The student samples included participation from all nine Educational Service Districts (ESDs), in rural, urban, and suburban school districts from across Washington State's 296 school districts. Thirty-six districts participated in the pilot. Thirty-two districts sent completed and usable samples for our review.

These student samples are being reviewed and scored by the Arts Assessment Leadership Team (AALT) members. Packets of anchor, practice, and qualifying student samples in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, at our benchmark levels of grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school), are being prepared for training Washington State teachers during the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's Summer Institutes for 2004, held across the state.

Our arts performance-based classroom-based assessment pilot sampled three items in each arts discipline for a total of twelve items. AALT members organized the participation of districts and teachers in their ESD areas. All of the students, teachers, districts, and the voluntary responses sharing feedback of the arts assessment pilot are anonymous.

Participation in the pilot was much greater than we had anticipated. The success of the pilot and the items was clearly substantiated. The items worked. Teaching changed. Student achievement in the arts has increased. Arts programming and additional courses are being added to district offerings. The feedback from the teachers and students, regarding the items, the directions for administration, the timeline for implementation, and suggestions for staff development to train the field for this work, is being reviewed and implemented.

The AALT will review the Journey in Progress in September 2005, and develop a timeline for next steps in this journey. We will continue to move forward on behalf of quality arts education for all K-12 learners in WA State. Washington State is the only state in the nation developing Classroom Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs) for use on a statewide level with all learners in alignment and compliance with state arts standards and expectations.

Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements or EALRs, include The Arts – defined as dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, as essential, core, and basic education for all Washington State students. House Bill 1209 in 1993, declared The Arts – dance, music, theatre and visual arts as Essential Academic Learning Requirements described as part of the State Learning Goals in education reform efforts for Washington State in Goal II of the bill.

The Four Learning Goals for Washington State are:
1. Goal I: Read with comprehension, write with skill, and communicate effectively and responsibly in a variety of ways and settings;
2. Goal II: Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history; geography; arts; and health and fitness;
3. Goal III: Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and to integrate experience and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems; and
4. Goal IV: Understand the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.
(Source: Washington State Learning Goals of the Education Reform Act of 1993)
RCW 28A.150.210

The Arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and the Arts EALRs at their benchmark levels follow:

Essential Academic Learning Requirements

1. The student understands and applies Arts knowledge and skills.
To meet this standard, the student:

1.1 Understands arts concepts and vocabulary
1.2 Develops arts skills and techniques
1.3 Understands and applies arts styles from various artists, cultures and times
1.4 Applies audience skills in a variety of arts settings and performances

2.The student demonstrates thinking skills using artistic processes.
To meet this standard, the student:

2.1 Applies a creative process in the arts:

· Conceptualizes the context or purpose
· Gathers information from diverse sources
· Develops ideas and techniques
· Organizes arts elements, forms, and/or principles into a creative work
· Reflects for the purpose of elaboration and self evaluation
· Refines work based on feedback
· Presents work to others

2.2 Applies a performance process in the arts:

· Identifies audience and purpose
· Selects artistic work (repertoire) to perform
· Analyzes structure and background of work
· Interprets by developing a personal interpretation of the work
· Rehearses, adjusts, and refines through evaluation and problem solving
· Presents work for others
· Reflects and evaluates

2.3 Applies a responding process to an arts presentation:

· Engages actively and purposefully
· Describes what is seen and/or heard
· Analyzes how the elements are arranged and organized
· Interprets based on descriptive properties
· Evaluates using supportive evidence and criteria

EALR #2 -The Creative Process of Creating, Performing and Responding, (CPR) from the NAEP and adapted with permission of Scott C. Shuler (c) 1993.

3. The student communicates through The Arts.
To meet this standard, the student:

3.1 Uses the arts to express and present ideas and feelings
3.2 Uses the arts to communicate for a specific purpose
3.3 Develops personal aesthetic criteria to communicate artistic choices

4. The student makes connections within and across The Arts, to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work.
To meet this standard, the student:
4.1 Demonstrates and analyzes the connections among the arts disciplines
4.2 Demonstrates and analyzes the connections between the arts and other content areas
4.3 Understands how the arts impact lifelong choices
4.4 Understands that the arts shape and reflect culture and history
4.5 Demonstrates knowledge of arts careers and the role of arts skills in the world of work

1. The student understands and applies Arts knowledge and skills.
To meet this standard, the student:

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

1.1 Understands arts concepts and vocabulary

Identifies and uses visual art, dance, theatre, and music vocabulary and concepts Explains and applies the concepts of visual art, dance, theatre, and music using arts vocabulary Analyzes and interprets works of visual art, dance, theatre, and music using arts concepts and vocabulary

1.2 Develops arts skills and techniques

Identifies and uses basic arts skills and techniques Develops arts skills and techniques Refines and extends arts skills and techniques

1.3 Understands and applies arts styles from various artists, cultures and times

Identifies specific attributes of art works of various artists, cultures, and times using arts vocabulary Applies techniques from various artists, cultures, and/or times Transfers understandings from one artistic style to a larger group of artworks

1.4 Applies audience skills in a variety of arts settings and performances

Demonstrates audience conventions in a variety of arts settings and performances Understands and demonstrates the relationship and interactive responsibilities of the artist/performer and audience Articulates how audience conventions and responsibilities differ according to style and culture

2.The student demonstrates thinking skills using artistic processes.
To meet this standard, the student:

2.1 Applies a creative process in the arts:

Conceptualizes the context or purpose

Gathers information from diverse sources

Develops ideas and techniques

Organizes arts elements, forms, and/or principles into a creative work

Reflects for the purpose of elaboration and self evaluation

Refines work based on feedback

Presents work to others

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

Develops work using a creative process with instructor direction Develops work using a creative process with instructor assistance Develops work using a creative process independently

2.2 Applies a performance process in the arts:

Identifies audience and purpose

Selects artistic work (repertoire) to perform

Analyzes structure and background of work

Interprets by developing a personal interpretation of the work

Rehearses, adjusts, and refines through evaluation and problem solving

Presents work for others

Reflects and evaluates

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

Develops work using a performance process with instructor direction Develops work using a performance process with instructor assistance Develops work using a performance process independently

2.3 Applies a responding process to an arts presentation:

Engages actively and purposefully

Describes what is seen and/or heard

Analyzes how the elements are arranged and organized

Interprets based on descriptive properties

Evaluates using supportive evidence and criteria

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

Applies a responding process to an arts presentation with instructor direction Applies a responding process to an arts presentation with instructor assistance Applies a responding process to an arts presentation independently

3. The student communicates through The Arts.
To meet this standard, the student:

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

3.1 Uses the arts to express and present ideas and feelings

Expresses personal ideas and feelings through the arts Expresses ideas and feelings using artistic symbols in a variety of styles Expresses ideas and feelings through the arts in a variety of forms and styles

3.2 Uses the arts to communicate for a specific purpose

Creates and/or performs an artwork to communicate for a given purpose with instructor direction Creates and/or performs an artwork to communicate for a selected purpose with instructor assistance Analyzes how the deliberate use of artistic elements communicates for a specific purpose

3.3 Develops personal aesthetic criteria to communicate artistic choices

Explains how personal aesthetic criteria is reflected in artwork Explains how personal aesthetic choices are influenced by culture and history Analyzes how cultural and historical perspectives influence personal aesthetic criteria

4. The student makes connections within and across The Arts, to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work.
To meet this standard, the student:

Benchmark 1

Benchmark 2

Benchmark 3

4.1 Demonstrates and analyzes the connections among the arts disciplines

Describes skills, concepts, and vocabulary common among arts disciplines Compares and contrasts attributes of personal artwork with other arts disciplines Analyzes an arts presentation that integrates two or more arts disciplines

4.2 Demonstrates and analyzes the connections between the arts and other content areas

Identifies skills, concepts, and vocabulary common to the arts and other content area Explains relationships between the arts and other content areas Integrates and adapts skills within the arts and other content areas

4.3 Understands how the arts impact lifelong choices

Analyzes how the arts impact personal and community choices Analyzes how the arts impact choices in natural and constructed environments Analyzes how the arts impact economic choices

4.4 Understands that the arts shape and reflect culture and history

Identifies specific attributes of artworks that reflect culture Compares and contrasts specific attributes of artworks that reflect culture and history Identifies specific attributes of artworks that shape culture and history

4.5 Demonstrates knowledge of arts careers and the role of arts skills in the world of work

Describes career roles in the arts, demonstrates arts skills used in the world of work Describes work habits and skills needed for careers in the arts, explains how art skills and knowledge are used in the world of work Assumes roles of arts careers and practices appropriate work habits and skills, analyzes and interprets how arts skills and knowledge influence the world of work

Source: OSPI Website – www.k12.wa.us Arts Education Web Pages– www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts November 2001

The Arts Assessment Leadership Team (AALT) Timeline of work began in Fall 2002. The following timeline records the inclusive, comprehensive, sequential, and district supported work of the AALT with the support of OSPI and The Arts Office. Additionally, Riverside Publishing Company of Chicago has been our testing company contractor, to assist with the training, development, production, and dissemination of this work. Riverside Publishing Company has been the contractor involved with the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The Classroom Based Assessments involving The Arts, and including Social Studies and Health and Fitness will be referred to as Washington Classroom Based Assessments or (WCBAs).

Arts Assessment Leadership Timeline of Events
· June 2002 – A team of forty arts educators, including teaching artists, school administration, State Board of Education staff, OSPI leadership, students, community, business, and Riverside Publishing Company representation, met to discuss the development of Arts Assessments for Washington State. It was determined that selected, constructed and performance-based classroom-based assessments could be developed at the benchmark levels of our Arts EALRs. A vision of the work, based upon what we teach, how we teach, and why we teach the arts, would be developed to determine the direction that these assessments would take, based upon the feedback of this meeting, best practices, research, and what we hoped to accomplish with these assessments for all Washington State students.

· August 2002 – A timeline of work for the school year (2002-2003) was discussed, developed, and approved by OSPI Leadership in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, including the Offices of Fiscal Management and Policy and Partnerships. Plans were determined in alignment and compliance of the current law for statewide assessments, as determined by the 2001 Legislature. (Source: RCW 28A.655.060)

· September 2002 – Call for applications for the Arts Assessment Leadership Team (AALT) – Letters of invitation for application were sent to all 296 school districts, to superintendents, curriculum and assessment directors, building principals, and arts coordinators. District leadership was asked to nominate staff that they felt should be a part of this team and state work.

· October 2002 - November 2002 – Completed applications were reviewed for member selection and participation. The team make-up was to include representation from all nine Educational Service Districts, including rural, urban, and suburban school districts to ensure a psychometric sampling during piloting. Additionally, teachers were to be selected in all four arts disciplines from the elementary, middle/junior high, and high school levels. Over 160 completed and "on time" applications were reviewed by the Arts Program Supervisor, AnnRené Joseph for her selection of the AALT members.

· December 2002 - Successful applicants to the AALT were personally called and invited to participate in the AALT activities for the coming year, with a vision for a three to five year commitment of participation by the individual and his/her district. Thirty-one participants were selected, one being a parent consultant.

· January 2003 – The first meeting of the AALT occurred. Thirty-one arts educators, OSPI Leadership, and Riverside Publishing Company (RPC) staff developed a vision for Performance-Based Classroom-Based Assessments for The Arts. The items would be developed at the benchmark levels of grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school), in alignment with the state law and timeline for arts assessments. Training in item writing and a process for item development was conducted. Research review and best practices were examined. What were other states doing? What did we need and hope to accomplish with these assessments? The vision to guide our direction to address these questions follows

The Vision of the WCBA for The Arts
The Journey Continues – Classroom Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs)

Arts Education will be enhanced, supported, developed, and implemented with WCBAs - CBPAs in the Arts for all students in Washington State!

Curriculum + Instruction + Assessment for Learning will be our guiding focus.

Curriculum + Instruction + Assessment of Learning will be and is the foundation of this work.

Curriculum + Instruction + Assessment will = Learning in The Arts.

The Arts Assessments will measure what we want all students in Washington State to know and be able to do (demonstrate) at the benchmark levels of our Arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) at grades five (5), eight(8) and ten (10)/ high school in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. The Arts Assessments will support and demonstrate the mission of The Arts at OSPI which is: "The Arts – communicating and integrating life, literacy and learning, through experience for all learners."

· February 2003 – Twelve items were selected for the first small scale Arts Assessment "try-out" of items by AALT members with their students and/or in their districts

· March 2003 – Arts Assessment item review by Mr. Greg Hall, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment and Research from OSPI. Items were revised with a focus on authentic, meaningful, transferable prompts to measure the concepts and skills defined at the benchmark levels of the Arts EALRs. Items were sent to the AALT members for a four-week window for the "try-out."

· April 2003 – Item review and revision, including rubric revision by Riverside Publishing Company (RPC) staff and Program Supervisor for The Arts, AnnRené Joseph.

· May 2003 – Item review by the AALT, by discipline. Additional item and rubric revision by the AALT, while viewing student samples. Directions for Administration (DFAs) to teachers were developed to align with the item revision.

· June 2003 – Contract complete with RPC. Items sent to OSPI for next steps in development and implementation.

· October 2003 – AALT review and revision of items. Rubrics deleted for this first statewide pilot. Development of letters to districts, parents, students, and staff. This "Administrative Packet" was included with the DFAs and items for the teachers. AALT members signed up for how many samples per item they would attempt to collect and submit. The Arts Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) title was officially changed to the Washington Classroom Based Assessment, Peformance-Based Arts Assessment (WCBA). AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The ARTS, OSPI personally revised items and DFA's, from the revisions made by the AALT.

· November 2003 – Development of three years of a five-year plan, including item development, teacher training, and implementation was developed and approved by Mr. Greg Hall. Riverside Publishing Company would be contracted to assist with further work, beginning in February 2004.

· November 17, 2003 – December 19, 2003 – Items sent to the AALT for a four-week pilot "window." Historic, first, and voluntary statewide pilot of an Arts Performance-Based Classroom-Based Assessment for Washington State students in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, at grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) was conducted and successful.

· January 2004 – 16,000 arts assessment items arrived at OSPI filling up the Arts Office at OSPI. The arts assessment pilot had been successfully implemented, collected, and shipped for review of student samples. The goal was 300 – 500 samples per item, for a total of 6000 items. The goal was exceeded by 10,000 student samples. The pilot, regarding their teaching and their students' learning, immediately informed Washington State teachers. The students were immediately informed about their abilities and learning. The assessment has positively impacted most who volunteered to pilot it. More art is being taught in all four arts disciplines because of the awareness regarding arts education that the pilot assessment generated. The field met and exceeded our expectations of support and implementation of this pilot!

· February 2004 – Item review, revision and Rangefinding -Dance and Music AALT members met with OSPI Program Supervisor, AnnRené Joseph and RPC staff to review the student samples. Rubrics were revised to measure the revised October 2003 items. AALT members were trained in rubric revision, development, Range finding standards, and scoring. AALT members selected items for anchor, practice, and qualifying sets of samples for training of Washington State teachers at the OSPI Summer Institutes.

· March 2004 – Theatre and Visual Arts AALT members met with OSPI Program Supervisor, AnnRené Joseph and RPC staff to review, revise, and Rangefind the student samples.

· May 2004 – AALT members reviewed the Rangefinding packets for the OSPI Summer Institutes. AALT members scored these samples and offered feedback to OSPI and RPC as to the process. AALT members reviewed items they had written for alignment with the new training they have received. AALT members committed to lead the training at the various Summer Institutes in Spokane, Yakima, and Bellevue, 2004.

May 2004 - A schedule of events for the 2004-2005 school years was reviewed, committed to, and scheduled by the OSPI Assessment and Research Division and The Arts Office – Mr. Greg Hall, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment and Research and AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts.

· June – August 2004 – Training the field at OSPI Summer Institutes in Spokane, Yakima and Bellevue, WA. The feedback will guide and enhance our future work in preparation for the large-scale voluntary state pilot for fall 2004. AALT members led this training.

· September – December 2004 -Our second large-scale statewide and psychometric pilot occurred November 15- December 7, 2004. Over sixty (60) school districts and over 400 teachers participated in this historic pilot. Twenty-six dance, music, theatre, and visual arts classroom-based performance assessments were piloted at the benchmark levels of Washington State's Arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EARLs) of grades five, eight, and ten (high school). Two items at each benchmark level for each arts discipline were piloted. Dance and theatre piloted three items at grade eight.

· September 2004 -Letters were sent from the OSPI Assessment and Research Division in September 2004, via email to all district leadership – superintendents, principals, and assessment and curriculum directors, notifying all 296 school districts of the pilot schedule for all subject area assessments for 2004 – 2005, and posted on the OSPI Arts Home page – http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts

· September 2004 -An additional letter, specifically notifying the field leadership of Goal II CBA Pilots in The Arts, Social Studies, and Health and Fitness, was sent in late September 2004, inviting districts, schools, and teachers to participate in a statewide pilot for these subject areas. Pilots test /measure whether or not the items work with all students across the state. The purpose is not to measure student success. The bonus for teachers and districts using the CBPAs in The Arts, is that teachers immediately know if their students know and are able to do what we want them to know and be able to do at the benchmark levels of our Arts EALRs, via the performance and response. Students know, too. This information happens without a rubric, and without sending items off for scoring. Teachers are immediately informed of student knowledge and can/should adjust instruction accordingly.

· September 2004 – A Goal II Report to the State Legislature Report was sent to the State Legislature regarding development, implementation, funding, and reporting for the CBAs in The Arts, Social Studies, and Health and Fitness. Feedback from Stakeholders in all three subject areas, from the pilots, and from the summer institute trainings was incorporated into this report. The consensus from those willing to share indicated strong support for the work that OSPI had completed, and support for continued development and training by OSPI for this work to the field and districts.

· December 2004 -The student samples from this pilot were sent to Riverside Publishing Company, our assessment developer, by the districts, school and teachers piloting these items. Over 250,000 student samples were sent to RPC for selection for rangefinding in January 2005. These student samples were reviewed in Chicago December 13 – 17, 2004, by RPC staff and AnnRené Joseph, OSPI's Program Supervisor for The Arts. Two-hundred student samples, per item, were selected for Rangefinding in January 2005.

· January 2005 –Rangefinding -Members of the AALT, and other arts education teachers reviewed these student samples, and selected samples for anchor, practice, and qualifying sets for these limited sets. Twenty-one limited sets are being developed from this pilot. Each will include 10 student anchor samples with samples at the 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 levels.

· January 2005 – Trained the field at the OSPI January 05 Pre-Institute in Seattle. AALT members trained over sixty (60) on the summer 2004 released items in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts – dance 5, music 8, theatre 10, and visual arts 8.

· January 2005 – August 2005 – Training the state at multiple conferences and events on the Arts Assessment Items – i.e. ArtsTime 2005 – March 11 – 12, 2005, Foster HS, Tukwila, WA; WERA Spring Conference, March 2005; OSPI 2005 Summer Pre-Institutes; region and district trainings; ESD trainings, etc.

· March 2005 – AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts, reviewed the four training sets and student samples for summer 2005 – Dance 10, Music 5, Theatre 5, and Visual Arts 10. Also reviewed/revised/approved were the twenty-six (26) items to be used for the spring 2005 statewide "try-out" with the AALT Rangefinding Team districts.

· March 2005 – The Washington Education Association (WEA) granted the Goal II Areas of The Arts, Social Studies, and Health and Fitness $20,000 to assist in tuition scholarships for WEA members to attend the OSPI Summer Institute CBA trainings.

· May 16 – June 15, 2005 –The twenty-six advanced items revised by the AALT Rangefinding Team, were distributed for the spring 2005 "try-out" by the AALT member districts. Over 40 AALT members participated with the participation of over 100 teachers and thousands of students.

· June 21 – Wenatchee OSPI Summer Institute- Arts Pre-Conference – AALT members training field with AnnRené.

· June 23 – 30, 2005 -Student samples will be reviewed and revised by the AALT Rangefinding Team from the spring 2005 "try-out" from AALT Rangefinding member districts.

· June – December 2005 – Development of 5-year plan for Arts CBPA implementation and staff development, as well as statewide preparation for the 2008-2009 assessment and reporting process to OSPI regarding student achievement in The Arts. The OSPI Arts Office and the Research and Assessment Division will lead this planning process with the field and the AALT leadership.

· June – August 2005 – OSPI Summer Institute Pre-Conferences and Main Conferences-AALT members and OSPI training the field in Wenatchee, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Spokane.

Wenatchee- June 22-24 (Pre-Conference- June 21);
Tacoma- August 2-4 (Pre-Conference- August 1);
Vancouver- 9-11 (Pre-Conference- August 8);
Spokane- 16-18 (Pre-Conference- August 15)

· September 2005 –OSPI Arts Website posting of the completed Arts Frameworks for grades 7, 9, and 11 available on-line with the other grade level and discipline specific frameworks documents at: www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts (Arts Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) will be developed during the 2007 – 2008 school year for publication on line and in print during the 2008-2009 school year).

· September 2005 – Sept. 24 – 26 – AALT member retreat and reflection. A celebration, reflection, review, and strategizing meeting for "next steps" on this journey.

· October 2005 marks the end of the current contract with RPC. OSPI will have sixty (60) Arts CBPAs developed at that time. The format for access, use, training, release and implementation of these items is under discussion.

· January 2006– All 60 CBPAs will be available for posting on the OSPI Arts Website and for training and use by the field in preparation for the 2008-2009 mandatory assessments and reporting of student achievement in the arts.

· January-February 2006– Statewide training of 296 school districts and their representatives on the Goal II CBAs and CBPAs. Details to be determined.

Where Will We Be At The End of The RPC Contract?

Twelve (12) of the items are being produced as "full training sets" for release and use by the field. These twelve items include 30 student samples per arts discipline - ten (10) student samples for anchor, practice and qualifying sets, at grades 5, 8, and 10 in each of the arts disciplines. They include Directions for Administration (DFAs), rubrics, and student samples in the item booklet (for visual arts) and on a DVD for the performing arts and visual arts. Four of these items are currently "on view" on the OSPI Arts Homepage at: www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts These items came from the limited statewide pilot conducted in 2003 by the AALT.

Twenty-one (21) items are being produced as "limited training sets". Each of these items will include DFAs, rubrics, and ten (10) total exemplar student samples (anchor samples) at levels 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, in an anchor set format. These items will be produced from the student samples received from the 2004 statewide pilot.

Twenty-seven (27) items will be produced from the spring 2005 "try-out" by the AALT Rangefinding Teams. These items, under the current contract, have been revised following the spring 2005 "try-out", and will include the revised item, rubrics and DFAs.

Training for the field is currently set for the OSPI Pre-Institutes for summer 2005 on four more full training sets and for conferences and events during the 2005-2006 school years, including the OSPI 2006 January Conference.

Training for the field is currently set for the OSPI Pre-Institutes for January and summer 2006 on four more full training sets and for conferences and events during the 2006 – 2007 school years.

Plans are being made for the training of staff from all 296 school districts regarding the Goal II CBAs and CBPAs in The Arts, Social Studies and Health and Fitness during the 2005 – 2006 school years and beyond.

Support for Arts Education and Assessments

Support for the work of The Arts Office has been outstanding! OSPI, arts educators, classroom teachers, districts, ESDs, arts organizations, educational organizations, business, community, parents, and students, support these assessments. They have committed their support, time, energy, and resources to do the work necessary for the comprehensive, sequential, standards-based focus for the success of this work with all students.

Currently, House Bill 2195 supports the continued development, implementation, and reporting of the CBAs in Social Studies, The Arts, and Health and Fitness. Additionally, the bill puts the responsibility for the instruction, access to instruction, assessment of instruction, and the reporting of progress in these subject areas with the districts. The districts, working with and through OSPI, will develop, train, and implement these assessments in alignment with the EARLs in these Goal II subject areas. At the writing of this article, HB 2195 has passed the House and Senate and will now be sent to the governor.

The Washington State Arts Alliance, under the leadership of Gretchen Johnston, worked with teacher representatives from the arts, social studies, and health and fitness, and their state organizations on the language for HB 2195. These teachers, along with the Washington Education Association, and with OSPI Program Supervisors for The Arts, Social Studies and Health and Fitness, developed a plan of action, supported by state law, to ensure that these Goal II subject areas would be taught as essential and necessary for the development of the whole child/student, in Washington State, in support of HB 1209. Classroom-based/performance-based assessments would be developed and implemented to ensure that instruction had been taught in these subject areas.

State Arts Graduation Requirement- The Arts

Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts

Washington State is fortunate to define the Arts as dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. The State Board of Education, utilizing this definition, developed new high school graduation requirements to support the teaching and learning of the mandated Essential Academic Learning Requirements and HB 1209. Beginning with the freshman class of 2004, all students will be required to take a visual and/or performing arts class, developed at benchmark three, for one full year of study. This law can be found in the Washington Administrative Code portion of the Common School Manual. The RCW for this requirement is: WAC 180-51-061. School districts have great flexibility in the development of these classes for their districts. The screening tool for a class that will qualify to meet the graduation requirement is the development of the class at benchmark three of the Arts EALRs.

The State Board of Education Executive Director, Mr. Larry Davis, asked Program Supervisor for The Arts, AnnRené Joseph, to ask the state's arts educators to define visual and performing arts. The following narrative was developed by over 4000 arts teachers in Washington State, during spring 2002, when asked by Ms. Joseph what they felt should qualify for visual and performing arts classes for this graduation requirement. The State Board approved the recommendation, and has the following posted on their Web Pages on the OSPI website. The information is also posted on the Arts Home Web Page of the OSPI website under the link Arts Requirement.

ARTS GRADUATION REQUIRMENT • WAC 180-51-061
· The new state minimum high school graduation requirement in the arts (effective for students who begin ninth grade in fall 2004) is one credit (one year of study) in visual or performing arts. This will be a stand-alone graduation requirement. It cannot be met by taking a credit in another subject area.

· The Essential Content of the class shall include The Arts EALRs through benchmark three, plus content that is determined by the district to be beyond benchmark three level content.

· Credit may be satisfied in the visual or performing arts.

ARTS GRADUATION REQUIREMENT BACKGROUND
In Fall 2004, for students who begin the ninth grade that school year (the graduating Class of 2008), new state minimum high school graduation requirements take effect. One of the new requirements is a credit in the visual or performing arts. This new requirement cannot be replaced by coursework in another subject area. The requirement can be found in WAC 180-51-061.

QUESTION: What is/are "visual arts?"
ANSWER: Visual Arts examples include and are not limited to: sculpting, ceramics, glass, painting, calligraphy, drawing/sketching, photography, film, video, TV, animation, holography, graphic design, printmaking, etc. Visual Art forms are created by people with and through multi-medium materials, with animate and inanimate objects. Objects can be felt and described. Visual Arts require a person to see them for ultimate communication.

QUESTION: What is/are "performing arts?"
ANSWER: Performing Arts examples include and are not limited to: music, opera, dance, theatre, film, mime, comedy, puppets, performed poetry. Performing Arts are art forms that are expressed by people that involve all five senses. The people are the art form and the medium.

Questions to be Addressed in the Future
There are still many unanswered questions to this assessment process. The AALT team, with feedback from the field, and collaboration with OSPI leadership and RPC will address the following issues:
· How many CBAs should each student complete?
· Will there be a CBA window for each area?
· How standardized does the work need to be to ensure validity and reliability?
· How can we ensure sufficient training?
· What instructional materials best support the work required for these assessments?
· What results from the CBAs should be reported?
· How should they be reported?
· How will the completion of these CBAs be tied to endorsements on the Certificate of Academic Achievement?
· How does all of this fit with a larger assessment system – CBAs +?
· How will all of this be funded?

Conclusion
Currently, we are enjoying strong support for this work from OSPI leadership, under the direction of Mr. Greg Hall, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment and Research. Additionally, Dr. Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction has been a constant advocate for the development of CBA's for Social Studies, The Arts, and Health and Fitness.

In response to the concerns of the field regarding OSPI's support for these Goal II areas in light of the focus on the mandates of the Federal Law - No Child Left Behind, Dr. Bergeson wrote a letter of support for continued instruction and learning for all students in the areas of Social Studies, The Arts, and Health and Fitness. In this letter, Dr. Bergeson provides an update on the development of classroom-based assessments in social studies, the arts, and health/fitness that will help teachers determine whether their students are meeting the EALRs in these areas. These letters of support are distributed by all three program supervisors when presenting about these CBAs and available on the OSPI subject area webpages.

A statement of support for Arts Education as "essential," by Dr. Bergeson, follows:

The Arts are an essential part of public education. From dance and music to theatre and the visual arts, the arts give children a unique means of expression, capturing their passions and emotions, and allowing them to explore new ideas, subject matter, and cultures. They bring us joy in every aspect of our lives.
Arts education not only enhances students' understanding of the world around them, but it also broadens their perspective on traditional academics. The arts give us the creativity to express ourselves, while challenging our intellect. The arts integrate life and learning for all students and are integral in the development of the whole person.
The Arts communicate and speak to us in ways that teach literacy and enhance our lives. We must continue to find a place for arts programs and partnerships not only for what it teaches students about art, but for what it teaches us all about the world we live in. Dr. Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Summary
· The Arts are defined as dance, music, theatre and visual arts in Washington State.
· The Arts are federal law and a core subject area of the No Child Left Behind/Elementary & Secondary Education Act (NCLB/ESEA) – Title V, part D, subpart 15 (section 5551;
· The Arts are state law in Washington State, and essential academic learning requirements - basic and essential education – HB 1209-RCW 28A.150.210;
· The Arts are a high school graduation requirement beginning with the freshman class of 2004. These classes for graduation credit must be developed at benchmark three and/or above, to count for this credit. – WAC 180-51-061;
· The Arts will be assessed to ensure instruction is being taught HB 2195 passed in 2004 as state law stipulates the following:

State law supports our efforts at OSPI to ensure quality arts instruction in all four arts disciplines and to have measurement tools available to measure that arts instruction and access to arts instruction has been offered to all students in each of the 296 school districts.

House Bill 2195 passed in the legislature on March 8, 2004. This law:
1. ensures that arts education in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts will occur in all 296 school districts;
2. requires all school districts to provide instruction in all four arts disciplines;
3. requires all school districts to provide access to arts education and instruction to all students in their districts;
4. requires all school districts to work with OSPI regarding the development and implementation of classroom-based, performance-based assessments, other assessments, and/or other strategies to measure student achievement in the arts EALRs;
5. requires classroom-based assessment models, other assessment options, and/or other strategies to be available for voluntary use beginning with the 2005-2006 school year;
6. requires plans for staff development in these strategies;
7. requires funding resources necessary to fully implement the recommendations for staff development and implementation of these arts assessments and/or other strategies; and
8. requires all school districts to measure student success in the arts by 2008-2009 and to report their results to the state by submitting an implementation verification report to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI);

You may go to http://www.leg.wa.gov for the complete text of the law. This law replaced RCW 28A.655.060 beginning in the school year 2004-2005.

Federal and state law support OSPI's goal for Arts Education in Washington State. That goal states that all 296 school districts would provide for a comprehensive, sequential, standards-based, K-12 arts program available to all learners in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts, in all schools. We are moving successfully forward on that journey.

Former Secretary of Education, Rod Paige wrote a letter in support of Arts Education as "core" and essential in the NCLB/ESEA Law of January 2002. You may access that letter of support at:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/040701.html

The Arts are a national mandate for the Education Commission of The States (ECS), declared by Gov. Huckabee of Arkansas, and chairman of the ECS. You may access that information at: http://www.ecs.org/html/issue.asp?issueID=211 and http://www.ecs.org/html/projectsPartners/chair2005/Huckabee.asp

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is pleased to announce the July 2004 launch of the Chairman's Initiative on Arts in Education. Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas will lead the initiative commensurate with his two-year term as the 2004-06 ECS chairman. Huckabee is the 40th governor to serve in this prestigious position and the first to focus his initiative on arts in education.

The goal of the ECS Chairman's Initiative on Arts in Education is to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in, learn about and enjoy the arts. These three experiences together represent what is meant by the term "arts in education." Toward that end, state leaders have a responsibility to make - and keep - the arts strong in our schools.

The focus of the initiative stems from more than an appreciation of "arts for arts' sake." As important as that value is - and indeed it is very important - there also is compelling evidence that shows student involvement with the arts can make a significant difference in improving educational outcomes for all kids - in terms of their academic achievement, their engagement in learning, and their social and civic development.

About the author

AnnRené Joseph is the Program Supervisor for the Arts (dance, music, theatre and visual arts), in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), since October 2001. Her contact information follows.

OSPI Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
600 Washington St. SE, Room 320
PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
360.725.6365
FAX 360.725.6017
www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts

Email AnnRené Joseph at: annrene.joseph@k12.wa.us

This article was originally posted in March 2004 by New Horizons for Learning. This article was revised by the author – AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts, OSPI, in December 2004, and revised in June 2005 to continue the progress of this work. Presentations on Arts Assessments – The Journey in Progress, continue to be presented by the author. You may access an updated version at presentations by the author and on the OSPI Arts Website at: http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts

This article is in the public domain and can be freely copied and used in trainings as handouts at parent and community meetings, and in creating your school or district programs. (Please cite all sources of materials you use.)

Original Posted March 2004, revised version Posted September 2005 by
New Horizons for Learning
http://www.newhorizons.org
info@newhorizons.org