Where Do the Standards Fit In the Music Curriculum Planning Process?
How do the standards figure into the curriculum planning process? Or would you ever plan with the standards leading the way?
I feel really…. at the mercy of the standards. They have to be really well written, and they are sometimes confusing to me. I know I have a legal obligation to meet them all, but it is sometimes hard for me to do what I think is best and let the standards drive the instruction. I’m lucky in that (___state this person teaches in__) generally does a great job with what they include, but it’s still another angle to pacify.
It’s still another angle to pacify.
Short answer: Curriculum should align to the standards you’re supposed to use
Can feel like the highest expectation with the least amount of training
What are the standards for Music Education?
State Standards
We have many states!
National Standards
We have many nations out there!
AERO standards
School outside the US
A Quick History of the Music Standards
We didn’t always have them! They have been years and years and decades in the making.
Their development parallels the evolution of American history and politics, global history (Russia), our understandings of child development, our philosophies as musicians and educators, and our values as a nation.
Music education existed in what we call The United States for thousands of years
Religious, social, pragmatic (work) education.
Boston Public Schools, 1838 - singing in the congregation - the belief that everyone has a talent from God, and when we ignore that by not educating, we are being disrespectful to God.
Early music teachers were singing school teachers who were previously working with the congregations.
1921 - A Standard Course in Music from Music from Teachers National Association (MTNA)
Aims:
Every child shall have acquired a repertory of songs which may be carried into the home and social life, including “America” and “The Star Spangled Banner.
The children shall have developed a love for the beautiful in music and taste in choosing their songs and the music to which they listen for the enjoyment and pleasure which only good music can give.
Measurements:
Ability to sing pleasingly a repertory of 30 to 40 rote-songs appropriate to the grade, including one stanza of “America.”
The reduction of the number of “monotones” to 10 percent or less of the total number of pupils.
1936 / 1938 - A Course of Study for Music
Some of the Musical objectives:
To help each individual child to use his singing voice well.
To help each individual child to respond to musical rhythm with free and appropriate movements of his body.
To bring the children into contact with a large amount of good music so that in learning to sing beautiful songs and listening attentively to compositions heard they will gradually come to hear more precisely and analytically and will through their singing and listening learn to understand the details of music better and will therefore appreciate it more keenly.
Measurements:
Can they sing many songs from memory, including a few “community” songs?
1976 and 1986 - The School Music Program: Description and Standards from MENC
This one was a big deal - we were paying attention to what other countries were doing specifically in math and science. As a music community we had the Yale and Tanglewood Symposium
Performing, Organizing, and Describing
1986 revised to Performing/Reading, Creating, Listening/Describing, and Valuing
1994 Voluntary National Music Standards:
Standards:
Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
Reading and notating music
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Understanding music in relation to history and culture
2014 - Core Arts Standards
Development tied to NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Processes:
Create, Perform, Respond, Connect
Eleven anchor standards that are consistent across the Arts
The standards are an indicator of what we value as an educational community. Someone will look back on these in 20 / 30 years and have a commentary about it.
“But They Don’t Tell Me Anything”
Artistic processes vs musical skills
Where Do The Standards Fit in the Curriculum Planning Process
Broad level: artistic processes (the hats we wear as musicians)
Micro level: more nuanced
Why standards-based planning actually doesn’t work (Grade levels and no standardized instruction for music)
The standards are not the curriculum
Quick Tip for Adding More Standards-Based Teaching to Your Plans
Ask why you’re doing the activity
Ask students why they’re doing the activity, why they chose what they chose, what they think about things, etc.
Standards help us develop musical thinkers as opposed to drag-and-drop musical performers.
