Field: Arts and Crafts

 

Revision of Music Achievement Standards

Subfield

Domain

ID

Music

Music Studies

91094, 91276, 91277, 91421, 91422, 91423

Making Music

91093, 91275, 91420

 

The Ministry of Education has completed the revision of the achievement standards listed above. The standards in bold have also been rolled over.

 

Date new versions published                                                          November 2015

 

Planned review date                                                                           December 2018

 

Summary

 

The Secondary Examinations business unit in NZQA raised concerns with the Ministry of Education about issues arising in the assessment of the external music achievement standards.  These issues have arisen because of inconsistent wording within levels, and across levels, in the achievement criteria and in some of the explanatory notes. The presence of bullet lists of content requirements in some standards has also created difficulties.  These matters are making the setting of reliable examinations very difficult.

 

The ministry convened a working group of music experts, with representation from both the ministry and NZQA.  This group has made suggestions to change the wording in the standards so that the progression of performance both within a level (across the grades) and across the three levels is described in a clearer and more consistent way.  The group also has recommended a change in assessment mode in standards 91422 and 91423.  This is because it was becoming difficult to set non-predictable examination questions for 91422 because of the generic nature of what is being assessed.  The outcome of this standard is better assessed within the school.  To preserve the balance of external to internal standards standard 91423 is changing to external and will be able to be reliably assessed by way of examination.

 

While these changes are minor – in that they do not change the outcome being assessed – the ministry did consult with secondary school music teachers on the change in assessment mode in standards 91422 and 91423.  The majority of respondents supported this change.

 

Main changes

 

·      Changes to Explanatory Note 2 that clarifies, and use more consistent language, in the steps up between the three grades, and also provides a clearer progression across the three levels of standards.

·      Detailed lists of content have been removed from the explanatory notes in some standards.  These will be published in an appendix to the Teaching and Learning Guide for Music.

·      The assessment mode of two standards have been changed as described above.

 

Detailed changes are set out in the Appendix.

 

Detailed list of achievement standards – classification, title, level, and credits

 

All changes are in bold.

 

The last date for assessment of superseded versions of internally assessed achievement standards

December 2016

 

Arts and Crafts > Music > Music Studies

ID

Title

Level

Credit

91094

Demonstrate knowledge of conventions used in music scores [External]

1

4

91276

Demonstrate knowledge of conventions in a range of music scores [External]

2

4

91277

Demonstrate understanding of two substantial contrasting music works [External]

2

6

91421

Demonstrate understanding of harmonic and tonal conventions in a range of music scores [External]

3

4

91422

Analyse a substantial music work

3

4

91423

Examine the influence of context on a substantial music work [External]

3

4

 

Arts and Crafts > Music > Making Music

ID

Title

Level

Credit

91093

Demonstrate aural and theoretical skills through transcription [External]

1

4

91275

Demonstrate aural understanding through written representation [External]

2

4

91420

Demonstrate understanding of two substantial contrasting music works [External]

3

4

 


 

Appendix

 

Rationale for Changes to Music Achievement Standards, December 2015

 

What has Changed?

 

Most of the external achievement standards have changes to explanatory note 2.  These changes were made to ensure that there was greater clarity about, and better consistency in, the requirements for the grades in each standard, and also in progressions across the three levels of standards. 

 

The grade descriptors in each achievement standard were expanded and clarified to give clear guidance to assessors regarding the requirements for each grade.

 

Some detailed lists of content have been removed from the explanatory notes.  These will be republished as an appendix to the Music Teaching and Learning Guide on TKI, and may also be published on NZQA’s subject page.

 

AS 1.4 Demonstrate aural and theoretical skills through transcription

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

Detailed information has been removed from EN 3 and has been replaced with a more general reference to the types of features that are relevant.  The detailed information will be published in an appendix to the teaching and learning guide.

 

EN 4 has been added for consistency with the other standards in relation to the use of Māori music.

 

AS 1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of conventions used in music scores

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

EN 3 has been removed and this guidance will now be provided in a Music appendix to be published on the NZQA website.  It is also intended to include this appendix in the Music Teaching and Learning Guide (TLG).

 

Detailed information has been removed from EN 4 and has been replaced with a more general reference to the types of features that are relevant.  The detailed information will be published in an appendix to be placed on the NZQA website and also in the TLG.

 

AS 2.5 Demonstrate aural understanding through written representation

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.  Also detailed information has been removed.  This detailed information will be published in an appendix to the teaching and learning guide.

 

EN 3 has been added for consistency with the other standards in relation to the use of Māori music.

 

 

AS 2.6 Demonstrate knowledge of conventions in a range of music scores

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

EN 3 has been amended to better describe a “range of music scores”.

 

Detailed information has been removed from EN 4 and has been replaced with a more general reference to the conventions that are relevant.  The detailed information will be published in an appendix to the teaching and learning guide.

 

AS 2.7 Demonstrate understanding of two substantial and contrasting music works

 

The title has been amended to include “and” between “substantial” and “contrasting works”, and in subsequent places in the standard.  This does not change the outcome being assessed.  It just clarifies that the music works studied need to be both contrasting and substantial, which was always the intent.

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

There are very minor amendments to EN 3 and 4.

 

EN 7 has been clarified.

 

EN 8 has been removed as this is unnecessary.  This applies to all assessment against achievement standards.

 

AS 3.5 Integrate aural skills into written representation

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.  Also detailed information has been removed.  This detailed information will be published in an appendix to the teaching and learning guide.

 

EN 3 has been amended to clarify a range of musical styles.

 

AS 3.6 Demonstrate understanding of harmonic and tonal conventions in a range of music scores

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.  Also detailed information has been removed.  This detailed information will be published in an appendix to the teaching and learning guide.

 

EN 3 clarifies what the conventions refer to.

 

EN 4 clarifies “a range of music scores”.

 

AS 3.7 Analyse a substantial music work

 

This achievement standard has had a change in assessment mode from external to internal.  There were problems involved in setting non-predictable examination questions from year to year when the questions were generic to allow students to base their analysis on a work they had studied during the year.  These problems are addressed by making this standard internal.  

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

EN 5 has been amended by adding the reference to the Conditions of Assessment.

 

AS 3.8 Examine the influence of context on a substantial music work

 

This achievement standard has had a change in assessment mode from internal to external.  This will redress the balance of external to internal standards at Level 3.  This standard can be readily assessed by way of an examination.  Making this an external will also allow students studying in a wide range of music programmes to gain course endorsement.

 

EN 2 has been amended to show the steps-up from achieved to merit to excellence in a clearer and more consistent way.

 

EN 10 has been amended to include reference to the assessment specifications.