The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) has issued a call for high school arts educators to pilot the National Core Arts Standards Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCAs) in dance, media arts, music, theatre and visual arts during the 2015-2016 school year. MCAs are curriculum-embedded performance-based assessment examples that are designed to model standards-based arts assessment and student achievement. The pilot follows a similar project that was conducted during 2014-15, in which 75 arts educators piloted the MCAs at grades 2, 5, and 8. The 2015-16 pilot teachers, working with the MCAs at the high school benchmark levels of Proficient, Accomplished, and Advanced, will put the example tasks “on their feet,” focusing on students’ application of their knowledge and skills in in authentic and relevant contexts.
Twelve to fifteen pilot educators from each of the five arts disciplines will be selected, with an effort to achieve a balance of rural, suburban, and urban classroom settings across the country. Prior to the launch of the full project in January, 2016, chosen teachers will be asked to pre-pilot the assessment in their discipline with a small test population of 1-2 students in November. Those selected will be asked to participate in online training; secure administrator approval of participation and permissions to share student work; pilot the assessment with their students; select student work; and upload appropriate images, audio, or video files that documents student work.
Applications will be accepted through Wednesday October 21st, 2015. Applicants must complete an online application form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HighSchoolMCA and forward a résumé or CV, along with a signed letter of permission from your principal or school administrator to the Project Manager at projectmanager@seadae.org. NCCAS will contact chosen applicants and announce selected pilot sites by November 5, 2015.
The Model Cornerstone Assessment pilot project is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Questions should be addressed to NCCAS leadership representative Lynn Tuttle at LynnT@nafme.org.
Press Inquiries:
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