Creating Performance Based Assessments in all Disciplines

Mill River Union High School was founded on the premise that core academics, the arts, and athletics are of equal importance in teaching young people to be active and engaged citizens. Our strong music program currently focuses on creating quality student musicians who are capable of the highest level of music performance, as well as helping students develop transferable skills that enable them to be successful adults in the next chapter of their lives. My vision is to replicate the systems and structures that make our music program exemplary within an all school tier-one instructional model focused through the lens of performance-based assessment. I envision this work acting as a catalyst for genuine and sustainable change in school culture by building a climate where teacher expertise is valued and student achievement and leadership is celebrated. The three cornerstones of Mill River arts instruction are high expectations, authentic assessment, and student equity. This is accomplished by modeling musical excellence, utilizing student leadership, providing a safe learning environment, advocating for equity regarding race, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as focusing summative assessment on meaningful and authentic, performance-based learning. As a Rowland Fellow, I plan to create demonstrable and scalable action steps as well as professional development content that serves to increase overall student achievement. Specifically, I want to enable teachers to access the foundational core of high-quality music education in order to implement performance-based assessment as a key component of tier one instruction in any classroom in the school. The ultimate goal of this work would be to create a positive shift in our school culture toward performance as the most authentic representation of learning and assessment while reinforcing the belief that embracing our diversity creates more meaningful learning experiences for all.