Research and Evaluation Committee
Tennessee Music Educators Association
 

Evaluation and Testing in Music Education

Sources of tests

(1) Reviews of tests may be identified online through the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements. This site will help you find reviews, but for the actual reviews, you have to go to a library for hard copy.  CLICK HERE for the Buros test review locator. Once you are in the site, click on "review locator."
 

For a list of music tests, go to the same site and click on Test Locator. This one of the more interesting features. It connects to the Educational Testing Service. Type in "music." One of the 50 descriptions you will see is a screening questionnaire for punk rock delinquents! You may go to the locator directly from this site by CLICKING HERE.

The publisher of a particular test may be found the same way--by going to the Buros site and clicking on "test publisher."

(2) The primary publisher of achievement and aptitude tests in music education at this time is GIA Publications, Inc. They have a website, but it does not list all their tests. For a complete catalog, call 1-800-GIA-1358. CLICK HERE for the GIA, Inc. site. They have a descriptions of two tests, The Primary Measures of Music Audiation (K-Gr 3) and Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (Gr 1- Gr 6), on their site. CLICK HERE for descriptions. They also have a Music Teacher Self-Assessment, a video and book for professional development. It has not been reviewed by the site manager. CLICK HERE for Self-Assessment.
 

(3) Finding information about psychological tests: frequently asked questions. An excellent site compiled by the American Psychology Association. CLICK HERE for questions and answers.

(4) The Council for Research in Music Education maintains a file of hard-to-get tests, mostly used for research. CLICK HERE.
 
 

(1) Test ethics. Music educators who do achievement and ability testing should read the statement on ethics compiles by AERA, APA, and others. (Button not operable at this time). CLICK HERE for statement on test ethics.
 

(2) Standards for teacher competence in educational assessment of students. What teachers ought to understand and know about tests and assessment, a statement by the National Educational Association, the National Council on Measurement in Education, and the American Federation of Teachers.  CLICK HERE for teacher standards.
 
 

The Music Assessment Web Site is operated by Professor Ed Asmus at the University of Utah. It has an important links section.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation. This is a massive site with links and a full text library online. It includes a test locator (Try it. Once at the site, type in "music.")If you want to know more about assessment, testing, and evaluation, this is where to go. CLICK HERE for ERIC Clearinghouse.
 
ERIC has an extensive site on alternative assessment, portfolios, etc.  There is a section of ERIC essays on early childhood assessment; click on alternative assessment and scroll down.

(1) Writing multiple choice tests. An excellent short how-to outline in the ERIC Clearinghouse. CLICK HERE for multiple choice tests.

(2) Full-text papers on evaluation and accountability in the ERIC Clearinghouse. This is the latest on the big issues, and its free. CLICK HERE.

(3) ERIC also provides online texts on "how-to" issues and a list of the top ten titles in assessment and accountability in its full text library (downloadable). Many of these works are issue-related and stand at the forefront of testing and evaluation.

(4) Rubrics is a site operated by Professor Ed Asmus at the University of Utah that is helpful in understanding how we adjudicate and rate the work of music students. CLICK HERE.