The requirements and expectations of the students in this program are derived directly from the National Standards for Arts Education. The Howard County performance curriculum is also based directly on these standards and presented in the form of goals and objectives. Central to this program and to music education everywhere is the idea that music, like any other subject, can be taught to and assessed consistently for ALL students.

The Instrumental and Choral Music Evaluations (Appendix A and B) will be sent home with each child's report card for every quarter. Parents must sign and return these to their child's director within one week of the receipt of the evaluation. Grades on the Instrumental and Choral Music Evaluations will use the following grading criteria:

• A      Highest Level of Performance
• B      High Level of Performance
• C      Acceptable Level of Performance
• D      Low Level of Performance
• E      Unsatisfactory Performance

Each of the areas of the Instrumental and Choral Music Evaluation can be divided into three general areas of Attitude, Demonstrated Performance, and Practice/Homework.

Attitude     Attitude is the single greatest factor that will determine the musical success of any individual. In general an "A" student shows positive leadership and interest in assisting rehearsal procedures. He or she is self-disciplined, punctual, dependable, and cooperative. The "A" student has outstanding progress in self-improvement through constant individual practice and ensemble participation. In summation, the "A" student cares deeply, wants to succeed, and demonstrates this through quality work. Categories on the Instrumental and Choral Music Evaluations that correspond to attitude are: Participation/Effort, Preparedness, On-time Attendance, and the Learning Behaviors.

Demonstrated Performance     How well a student plays and sings compared to their ability. Students will be assessed individually either in the large ensemble through the use of recordings or by live performance in sectionals. Categories on the Instrumental and Choral Music Evaluations that correspond to this area are for all students: Note Reading, Theory, Articulation, Tone Quality, and Intonation. For wind and percussion students they include: Hand and Body Posture, Embouchure (winds only), Overtones (brass only), Fingerings/Slide Positions (winds only), and stick control and rudiments (percussion only.) For choir students they include: Supported Tone, Consistent Vowel Production, Correct Singing Posture, Correct Vocal Breathing, and Part Independence. For orchestra students they include: Left and Right Hand Positions and Bowing Techniques.

Practice/Homework     A grade based on how many minutes of home practice per week: 150 minutes or more = A, 120-150 minutes = B, and 105-120 minutes = C. A letter grade will also be given for written homework, classwork, and exams throughout the year.