K12 Performing Arts

Assessment Commentary
Copyright 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 1 of 3 | 10 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V2_0913
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is permitted only
pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
Assessment Commentary Directions: Respond to the prompts below (no more than 10 single-spaced pages,
including prompts) by typing your responses within the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter
the prompts; both the prompts and your responses are included in the total page count allowed. Refer to the
evidence chart in the handbook to ensure that this document complies with all format specifications. Pages
exceeding the maximum will not be scored.
1. Analyzing Student Learning
a. Identify the specific standards/objectives measured by the assessment you chose for analysis.
[Students will successfully transfer the idea of a balanced ensemble into their band piece is the specific
objective I have chosen as a focus for the following questions]
b. Provide the evaluation criteria you used to analyze the student learning.
[Students will be able to correctly define balance in music as something separate from their definition of balance
in every day life]
c. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes student learning for your whole
class. Be sure to summarize student learning for all evaluation criteria described above.
[












The data shows that 13/20 students that participated were
able to successfully complete the objective. Out of the 6
students who did not successfully complete the objective, 2
were on the right track and could possibly have completed the
objective had they been present for every lesson.]















Student
Number
Correctly define
balance in music as
something separate
from their definition
of balance in every
day life
1 Yes
2 No
3 No
4 Yes
5 Yes
6 Yes
7 No
8 Yes
9 Yes
10 No
11 Yes
12 Yes
13 Yes
14 No

15 No
16 Yes
17 Yes
18 Yes
19 Yes
20 No
21 Yes
22 No - developing
23 N/A
24 N/A

K12 Performing Arts
Assessment Commentary
Copyright 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 2 of 3 | 10 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V2_0913
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is permitted only
pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.




d. Use evidence found in the 3 student work samples and the whole class summary to analyze
the patterns of learning for the whole class and differences for groups or individual learners
relative to creating, performing, or responding to music/dance/theater by applying
artistic skills (e.g., self expression, creativity, exploration/improvisation)
knowledge (e.g., tools/instruments, technical proficiencies, processes, elements,
organizational principles)
contextual understandings (e.g., social, cultural, historical, global, personal reflection)
Consider what students understand and do well, and where they continue to struggle (e.g., common
errors, weaknesses, confusions, need for greater challenge).
[ Overall, this is an amazing group of students. They do not always have the best focus during this time
due to them being pulled from recess, however they put effort into their rehearsal. I found that they had
much more success interpreting the idea of balance into their playing as an ensemble than writing
down a written definition. This surprised me at first however then I recognized that it makes complete
sense for a group of 5
th
grade students. They grasped onto the concept of balance pretty quickly
though in discussion and through performance.]
2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning
Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations.
a. In what form did you submit your evidence of feedback for the 3 focus students? (Delete
choices that do not apply.)
Written directly on work samples or in a separate document;
b. Explain how feedback provided to the 3 focus students addresses their individual strengths and
needs relative to the standards/objectives measured.
[Student A was given positive feedback and leading questions. Her answers in the first assessment
(lesson 1) were not wrong; I just wanted her to elaborate a little more. In the final assessment (lesson
5), the students response was more descriptive and directly answering the question.

Student B put very little effort into their first assessment. I gave feedback asking for more information.
In her final assessment, the student changed their answers, however they still put in little to no effort.

Student C was given positive feedback and was encouraged to expand on the answer for the middle
question of their assessment. The students final assessment resulted in a more extensive response
that directly answered the question.]
c. How will you support students to apply the feedback to guide improvement, either within the
learning segment or at a later time?
[ The feedback given to these students will encourage them to continue asking questions on topics they
do not understand and to dive a little deeper into their thinking of different concepts. ]

3. Evidence of Language Understanding and Use
K12 Performing Arts
Assessment Commentary
Copyright 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 3 of 3 | 10 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V2_0913
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is permitted only
pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
You may provide evidence of students language use from ONE, TWO OR ALL THREE of the
following sources:
1. Use video clips from Task 2 and provide time-stamp references for language use.
2. Submit an additional video file named Language Use of no more than 5 minutes in length and
provide time-stamp references for student language use (this can be footage of one or more
students language use). Submit the clip in Task 3 Part B.
3. Use the student work samples analyzed in Task 3 and cite language use.
When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the clips (using time-stamp
references) and/or student work samples as evidence. Evidence from the clips may focus on one or
more students.
Explain and provide evidence for the extent to which your students were able to use or struggled
to use language (selected function, vocabulary, and additional identified demands from Task 1)
to develop content understandings?
[ My students had difficulties understanding the difference between balance in every day life and
balance in music. When asked to define balance I received responses such as being able to stand on
one foot or it makes me think of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. ]
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
a. Based on your analysis of student learning presented in prompts 1cd, describe next steps for
instruction
for the whole class
for the 3 focus students and other individuals/groups with specific needs
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support (e.g.,
students with IEPs, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or
those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[For the whole class, I would spend more time focusing on applying the balanced sound into their
performances by using different exercises that encourage the students to play with a balanced sound
sometimes without ever realizing they are doing it. For focus students/groups, we could encourage
them to listen to their neighbors to match the sound focusing more on matching sound rather than
grasping the idea of balance.]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of students learning. Support your
explanation with principles from research and/or theory.
[From my analysis of students learning, I discovered that using the term balance was difficult for them
to grasp the concept, however when asking them to perform with different dynamics based on their
group in the ensemble, there was much more success to create a balanced sound. Developmentally
this makes sense. In 5
th
grade, students are capable of accomplishing much more than they let
themselves. By using exercises that reinforce the idea, it gets students to really hear the difference
between sounds and know what they have to do as an individual to create that sound. However, when
writing it down, it is difficult for them to articulate their understanding. ]