Assessment of choral ensembles is often a challenging task for directors. Because much rehearsal time is spent with group activities that are difficult to measure objectively as individual contributions, many directors choose to grade their students on attendance alone. While this helps in building group cohesion, it does not address the issue of individual musical development. As we work to promote advocacy in the arts, it becomes increasingly important that we address assessment in the performing ensemble.
A point system for grading a choral ensemble should take into account such factors as individual musical development, rehearsal deportment, and attendance (Figure 1). Having failed in the past to distinguish easily between excused or unexcused absences, in the new system I have resolved that all absences are excused. If a student misses a rehearsal, I assume that he or she either has a good reason or can certainly make one up. Since the fact remains that the student missed receiving musical information and did not participate in creating a musical experience, he or she should be responsible for the loss. In this grading system, with the exception of one absence, students lose points with each absence or tardiness. The lost points vary depending on the situation: regular rehearsal, dress rehearsal, or concert.
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