Seattle Public Schools | Elem Theatre Assessment kit 4-5

Elementary Theater Arts Assessment Tool Kit:
A Supplement to the Elementary Theater Arts Curriculum Model

Developed with the support of:
Washington Alliance for Better Schools
Washington Arts Commission

Thanks to the individuals who gave their time during the summer to develop these assessments:

Barbara McKean, University of Arizona
Susan Anderson, Northshore School District
Kathy Vitz, Washington Theatre Arts Education Consultant
Cynthia Chesak, Tukwila School District
Sandra Jennings, Yakima School District

The Elementary Theater Arts Curriculum Model offers K-5 students and teachers selected drama/theater activities. The model is organized into 5 theater strands and is divided according to three grade levels (K-1; 2-3; 4-5). All of the activities seek to target the Essential Academic Learning Requirements in elementary theater.

This Assessment Tool Kit is comprised of Performance Assessment Checklists and Rubrics that aid teachers in evaluating the development of students’ theater knowledge and skills. The checklists and rubrics are one type of assessment that should be used along with continual observation and ongoing feedback that occurs as part of good instruction in the arts. Including informal side coaching and critiques as part of the creating and performing process is a natural, invaluable way of giving students feedback which helps them develop their skills and shape their work. The checklists and rubrics presented here should be used to help clarify learning objectives and as a way to assess developed work once students have received instruction and feedback.

The Assessment Tool Kit focuses directly on the complex performance activities presented in the Elementary Theater Arts Curriculum Model. A chart outlining the connections to the Curriculum Model is included with the performance assessment charts.

Since these assessment tools are performance based, the instruments focus on the skills and techniques in theatre as outlined in the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR) in Theatre Arts (1.2). However, embedded in all drama/theater activities are the application of knowledge of concepts and vocabulary of the elements and principles of organization (1.1); the thinking skills using artistic processes of creating (2.1), performing (2.3) and responding (2.3); and the use of knowledge and skills to express and communicate ideas and feelings (3). Holistic assessment of students understanding in these broader areas would include both the performance assessments and pencil/paper types of assessments.

For grades K- 2, the instruments are in the form of criterion-based performance checklists. For 4th and 5th grades, analytic scoring rubrics are used as well as a holistic scoring rubric. As with any progressive assessment, the skills and techniques are cumulative. Teachers may need to begin with earlier grade levels, depending on the experience and instruction students bring to the particular grade level.

Key Traits

All of the assessment instruments focus on the six key traits identified in the EALR 1.2.
These are:
Voice –Imitates and uses vocal sounds, uses voice to produce rhythmic language patterns, speaks in a range of volume within dramatic activities, uses articulation, pronunciation and enunciation in dramatic activities, selects and uses specific vocal qualities.
Movement – imitates and uses movement, uses simple movements to imitate character, demonstrates a range of movements to create characters, selects and uses specific movements in dramatic activities.
Sensory/Emotional Recall – identifies the 5 basic senses, recalls and describes different feelings, identifies character feelings, uses appropriate feelings to create character, uses emotional and sensory recall to create characters.
Focus – identifies focus techniques that enhance dramatic performances, including staging techniques (blocking, relating to audience, etc).
Ensemble (collaboration) – contributes to dramatic play and solving dramatic problems, works with partners and small groups/ensemble to solve dramatic problems in improvisations, scenes and/or plays (includes following directions, etc).
Audience Skills – demonstrates self control, focused attention active listening/viewing, response skills and respect for the artists in a variety of theater arts settings and performances.

Elementary Theater Arts Assessment Tool Kit Contents
• Assessment Connections to Elementary Curriculum Model

• Grades 4-5 Holistic Scoring Rubric

• Grades 4-5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for:
    • Voice
    • Movement
    • Sensory Skills
    • Focus
    • Ensemble
    •Audience Skills

• Arts Assessment Web Site

GRADES 4 - 5 Holistic Scoring Rubric
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness among the full range of the six traits that s student demonstrates within any given activity.

	Voice	Movement	Sensory Skills	Focus	Ensemble	Audience Skills
4 – Consistently Effective	Selects and uses an extensive range of vocal qualities (volume, pitch, tone) to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses an extensive range of movement to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses extensive emotional and sensory recall to communicate ideas and/or character.	Identifies and sustains extensive focus techniques throughout dramatic activity and/or performance.	Identifies and uses extensive ensemble skills while working within dramatic activity and/or performance	Sustains self-control and uses attentive viewing and responding skills during a variety of performance.
3 – Generally Effective	Selects and uses adequate range of vocal qualities to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses an adequate range of movement to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses adequate emotional and sensory recall to communicate ideas and/or character.	Identifies and sustains adequate focus techniques throughout dramatic activity and/or performance	Identifies and uses adequate ensemble skills while working within dramatic activity and/or performance.	Sustains self-control and uses attention and responding skills for most performances.
2 – Sometimes Effective	Selects and uses limited range of vocal qualities to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses a limited range of movement to communicate ideas and/or character.	Selects and uses limited emotional and sensory recall to communicate ideas and/or character.	Identifies and sustains limited focus techniques throughout dramatic activity and/or performance	Identifies and uses limited ensemble skills while working within dramatic activity and/or performance.	Sustains some degree of self-control and some degree of attentive viewing and responding skills for performance.
1 – Rarely Effective	Selects and uses little or no range of vocal qualities.	Selects and uses little or no movement.	Selects and uses little or no emotional and sensory recall.	Identifies and sustains little or no focus techniques throughout dramatic activity and/or performance	Identifies and uses little or no ensemble skills while working within dramatic activity and/or performance.	Demonstrates limited self-control and uses no attentive viewing and/or responding skills during and after performances.

GRADE 4 - 5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for VOICE
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Volume	Diction	Rate	Pitch/Tone
4 – Consistently Effective	Heard by all audience members all the time	Clearly and correctly delivers dialogue all of the time	Appropriately varies rate to support dialogue	Uses a variety of pitch/tone to communicate characters and/or ideas.
3 – Generally Effective	Heard by most of the audience most of the time	Clearly and correctly delivers dialogue most of the time	Sometimes varies rate to support dialogue	Uses pitch/tone to communicate characters and/or ideas
2 – Sometimes Effective	Heard by audience some of the time	Sometimes unclear and incorrect delivery of dialogue	Sometimes too fast in rate	Uses little or no pitch/tone to communicate characters and/or ideas
1 – Rarely Effective	Not audible by audience	Unclear and incorrect delivery of dialogue	Too fast	Does not use pitch/tone to communicate characters and/or ideas

GRADES 4 -5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for MOVEMENT
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Movement
4 – Consistently Effective	Uses all of the elements of movement (time, space and energy) to communicate characters and/or ideas.
3 – Generally Effective	Uses some of the elements of movement to communicate characters and/or ideas.
2 – Sometimes Effective	Limited use of the elements of movement to communicate characters and/or ideas.
1 – Rarely Effective	Does not use elements of movement to communicate characters and/or ideas.

GRADES 4 -5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for SENSORY SKILLS
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Sensory Skills
4 – Consistently Effective	Uses all 5 senses and a variety of feelings to communicate characters/ideas.
3 – Generally Effective	Uses some of the 5 senses and some feeling to communicate characters/ideas.
2 – Sometimes Effective	Limited use of 5 senses and feelings to communicate characters/ideas.
1 – Rarely Effective	No use 5 senses and feelings to communicate characters/ideas.

GRADES 4 -5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for FOCUS
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Focus
4 – Consistently Effective	Sustains focus in all areas (dialogue, voice, movement, character) for entire performance and/or activity
3 – Generally Effective	Sustains focus in all areas (dialogue, voice, movement, character) for most of the performance and/or activity
2 – Sometimes Effective	Limited focus in some areas (dialogue, voice, movement, character) during performance and/or activity
1 – Rarely Effective	Does not sustains focus throughout performance and/or activity

GRADES 4 -5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for ENSEMBLE
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Ensemble
4 – Consistently Effective	Consistently contributes to performance and/or activity and works with others to solve dramatic problems in improvisations, scenes and/or plays (includes following directions, etc).
3 – Generally Effective	Contributes to performance and/or activity and works with others to solve dramatic problems in improvisations, scenes and/or plays (includes following directions, etc) most of the time.
2 – Sometimes Effective	Contributes to performance and/or activity and works with others to solve dramatic problems in improvisations, scenes and/or plays (includes following directions, etc) some of the time.
1 – Rarely Effective	Does not contribute to performance and/or activity or work with others to solve dramatic problems in improvisations, scenes and/or plays.

GRADES 4 -5 Analytic Scoring Rubric for AUDIENCE SKILLS
Score points are used to measure the degree of frequency and effectiveness within the individual trait that a student demonstrates within any given activity.

Score Points	Ensemble
4 – Consistently Effective	Sustains self-control and uses attentive viewing and responding skills during a variety of performances.
3 – Generally Effective	Sustains self-control and uses attentive viewing and responding skills for most performances.
2 – Sometimes Effective	Sustains self-control and uses some degree of attentive viewing and responding skills during performances.
1 – Rarely Effective	Does not sustain self-control and use attentive viewing and responding skills during performance.

Arts Assessment Web Sites
National
ArtsEdge (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/)

Curriculum Studio
• Assessment resources
• Visual art assessment
• State assessment guides

NAEP: National Assessment of Educational Progress (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/arts/)
National Arts Assessment Tests and Results (1997)
• Student tasks for creation, performance, and response in each of the four arts forms and methods for scoring the task.

Project Zero: Harvard University (www.pz.harvard.edu)
• Assessment research in the arts
• Portfolio assessment

State Assessment Links
Office of the State Superintendent of Education (http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts/default.asp)
• Washington State Standards in the Arts
• Update on Assessment of Washington Standards

Artsworks from the Arizona Arts Education Research Center (az.arts.asu.edu/arstwork)
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment