Grading Policy for Music
Grade Categories- All Students
Performance/Participation
Students will receive a grade for participating and performing in class. Since music is often a performance subject, in class performance is important. While I am grading students, much of this grade comes down to them doing their personal best. My main focus here is if your student is trying to progress. Students will begin with a certain number of points during class and they will lose points if they are not doing their best. Please note, that student behavior can have a direct impact on this grade because often poor behavior choices will keep the student from participating and/or performing to full potential. |
Assessments/Assignments (Work)
All other work will be grouped together for the other half of student's grades. Assessments Students will be assessed in three ways. First, students will participate in traditional paper based tests at various points during the year. Students may also receive a performance assessments which will be graded on a rubric. Finally, students may be assessed electronically. Parents will be notified of student results using the online gradebook. Assignments Assignments can include a wide variety of things. First, students will have traditional written assignments at various points in the year to assess student progress towards understanding a new concept. This work may be graded for correct answers on part of the assignment, all of the assignment, or may occasionally be given a completion grade. Second, students will participate in group work and group projects. Students will be graded on many elements depending on the demand of these projects. Next, students may have a performance classwork assignment. This will be when their progress is being evaluated on their own or in a small group (depending on the circumstances. Finally, students will have digital classwork in the form of online activities and games designed to help students rapidly improve their skills with immediate feedback. |
Other Grading Information
Homework (3rd - 8th grade only)
With rare exception, homework assigned from music class will be work that a student was unable to complete during class time OR absent work. On the rare occasion an assignment is given outside of class, it will either be because their class is falling behind OR students are learning a new skill they need to practice before their next class in order to be successful. Typically this only applies to music theory and will only happen a couple times a year. Digital materials the might be needed will be in the lessons section of the website. Tutoring
I am more than willing to work with a struggling student when needed and offer tutoring sessions before school (Wednesdays and Fridays) when requested and scheduled. If your child is struggling, please encourage them to complete as much of the homework as they can and then email me. I can often get a much better idea of how to help your child if I can see what they are missing. No name papers
Students who turn in papers with no name on them will receive a zero on the assignment in all grades. I do not keep no name papers. |
Incomplete work
Students who turn in papers that are not finished will miss every item they leave blank. Their papers will also be marked as incomplete in the gradebook. Late Work
Late work will be accepted after the due dates. All work is due the moment it is collected in class. After that, it is a late assignment. Work turned in by the beginning of the next class will lose 10%. Work later than the next rotation will lose 25%. Work cannot be added to the gradebook once grades have been posted for the quarter. Missing work will go into the gradebook as a 0 until it is turned in. Absent Work
Students who are absent should see absent work from general music on their desk (or other location for materials) in their classroom upon their return to school with an attached form giving any necessary information filled out by a neighboring student or the teacher. If that is missing, it is your child's responsibility to come see me when they return to school to get any missing assignments. Please don't wait until the next music class! Normally students will have until their next music class to get the missing work in. If a student is out for an extended period of time (more than three days) and needs more time, students and/or parents need to contact me to set up a plan to get missed work in. Your child's performance grade will be excused for dates they are absent. Work that is unable to be completed outside of the music room will either be made up at school or will be excused on a case by case basis. |
A note about grades
Your child's success in my classroom is extremely important to me. I believe that music education has many benefits and I want to see each child reach their full potential. Music is the one subject that uses both sides of the brain simultaneously and a knowledge of basic music concepts and history will serve your child well no matter what they decide to pursue. I want your child to be successful in my classroom. Students do struggle from time to time because some of these concepts are so new and need to be use together to be able to create music. While I love to see students receive Es (or As) in my classroom, it is much more common to see grades of an S (or a B/C) simply due to the nature of what they are learning. Grades lower than an S (or a C) are a sign that your child is struggling with a concept AND/OR missing 1 or more assignments. While I do my best to contact families when I can regarding low grades, I do teach almost every student in the school and it can be impossible at times to contact families regarding grades. Please check online often. If you have serious concerns about your child's grade, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. PLEASE include your child's full name AND their classroom/homeroom teacher's name in the email as it saves me a lot of time and allows me to get back to you much quicker. |
Why Music Homework?
I get asked this question quite often. Why is there homework assigned in music class? I figured I would take a moment to answer this question. Music Reading I see every child once every six school days. That translates to 8 to 10 real days between classes. This poses a problem with comprehension. Students are learning how to read music in my classroom which is a very technical activity. That music reading will eventually be applied to an instrument. These music reading processes must become almost automatic in order for students to be successful. That simply won't happen if they only practice it once every 8 to 10 days (or at least will take much much longer). Until students have mastered reading music notation, they have to practice it like they practice their math facts. Music History I assign music history homework for similar reasons. When you are learning about something new, you retain the information much better if you work with it more than once. By having the students have to go back through the facts of the history piece or culture we have just covered, students retain more of the information. |