Grading Students in Performing Groups: A Comparison of Principals' Recommendations with Directors' Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how directors determine grades for students in high school band and choral classes and how the directors' grading systems compare with grading systems proposed by principals. Data were obtained from responses to questionnaires sent to band directors, choral directors, and principals at 98 randomly selected Illinois high schools. Results showed that directors relied most heavily on nonmusic criteria to determine grades; psychomotor criteria related to performance were the next most heavily weighted, followed by affective and cognitive criteria. In contrast, the principals' proposed grading systems assigned the greatest weight to psychomotor criteria, followed by nonmusic, cognitive, and affective criteria. Analyses of variance revealed significant differences ( p > .05) between the two groups of directors and principals: Principals placed more weight on cognitive criteria and on basic performance technique and less weight on attendance at concerts and behavior than did directors. Directors with 5 or more years' experience placed more weight on psychomotor criteria than did directors with fewer than 5 years of experience.