The MENC National
Standards for Music Education and
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Recently,
MENC: The National Association for Music Education and the Ohio Department of
Education have each composed a general list of standards for music
education. Although the main goals of
each of these documents are very similar, several differences can be found. The overall objective of both MENC and the
Ohio Department of Education is to help students gain competence in all
different aspects of music during their years of music education. In the end, students should develop a
greater appreciation for the arts because of the abilities they have acquired
during their education. By comparing
and contrasting the MENC National Standards and the The concept for the MENC National Standards for Music Education was formed in January of 1992 when the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST) organized standards for core subjects, such as math, English, science, history, and geography. The NCEST had plans to form standards for other subjects, such as the arts, after the core subjects were completed. Of the other subjects, the arts were the first to receive federal funding. When Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the legislation that covers the development of national standards, was passed, the arts finally began to be viewed as an academic subject. Between June of 1992 and June of 1994, MENC received a total of $1 million from a several groups, including the U.S. Departments of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This money was used by MENC to create voluntary standards for music, visual arts, theater, and dance for grades K through 12; these standards summarize the skills and knowledge students should achieve in these areas over during their basic education. The development of the National Standards for Arts Education was led by A. Graham Down, who the chaired the National Committee for Standards in the Arts. The standards, describing the knowledge, skills, and understanding students need for a well-rounded arts education, were drafted. These standards were constructed with the needs of all types of students in mind. After many meetings of the various groups involved in drafting the standards, these committees began to organize their ideas into a formal document. Currently, the standards are arranged into three different sections by grade level. Each section contains a description, called the Content Standards, of what the students at that grade level should be capable of doing. Near the end of each section are Achievement Standards, which describe the level a student should be at as he passes from one level to the next. Because many students do not choose to study the arts beyond eighth grade, the document incorporates advanced levels of achievement for the high school level; these are meant for students who have decided to further their education in one specific discipline of the arts, and all students are expected to advance to the proficient level in the area of their choice. In
Fall of 1993, drafts of the National Standards for the Arts were presented to many organizations for revision. This act made certain that the national
standards were representative of all artists and educators, as well as nationally
accepted. The National Committee
approved the arts national standards on In
addition to the MENC National Standards for Music Education, the Ohio
Department of Education has outlined its own model for music education. This document, called The main goals of the Music Academic Content Standards are listed in the beginning of the document. The first, Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts, requires students to demonstrate knowledge of many styles of music, as well as the ways in which music has been used in different cultures. In addition to the understanding of musical styles, students should have knowledge of the contributions of significant composers and performers in our culture. Finally, students must be able to explain the social, historical, and political influences on the role of music in society. The second goal, Creative Expression and Communication, describes the ability of students to sing and play instruments. Furthermore, it states that students should be able to improvise, compose, read and notate music. In Analyzing and Responding, the next goal, students need to be able to listen to a varied repertoire of music and describe the music with correct musical terminology. It also requires the student to be capable of applying this knowledge in the creating and performing of music. For the fourth goal, Valuing Music/Aesthetic Reflection, the student is expected to understand why society values music and gain respect for different music preferences, as well as express the importance of music in his own life. Finally, the last goal is Connections, Relationships, and Applications. To achieve this goal, students must be able to compare and contrast music and the arts. Students are made aware that skills learned in music apply to other disciplines and life experiences and are encouraged to further pursue the arts. These five goals are described in greater detail throughout the document. The process of developing academic content standards began in 1997 and was meant to define a clear set of academic standards for students in grades K-12. Academic standards for music education provide guidelines for what to teach in a music classroom, while how the material is taught is left to the individual school district. While developing these goals and the Music Academic Content Standards for each grade level, the Ohio Department of Education attempted to provide clear instructions for accomplishing these objectives. In order for teachers, parents, and students to supervise student progress, the standards for each grade level must be measurable. Also, the standards listed for each level must be realistic so that educators can adapt to time constraints and the needs of students. In
many ways, the MENC National Standards for Music Education and While
these two documents are very similar, many differences can be found. One of the most significant differences can
be found in the organization of the standards in each document. The MENC
National Standards for Music Education are organized by general grade levels,
while The
Ohio Model and the National Standards both explain that the documents can
only provide guidelines for what music educators can teach, not how. In my future teaching career, I believe
that I will try to follow these guidelines as far as the needs of my students
will allow. Many of the standards
included in these documents are ones they I would include if I were to set my
own standards for music education. I
agree that students should be taught all aspects of the arts to become a
well-rounded musician; a student who can discuss musical expression and the
contributions of significant composers in our culture is more likely to
appreciate music than one who can only name notes. In general, I feel that the standards
included in both the MENC National Standards for Music Education and Many years of research have allowed educators and artists to form a set of specific guidelines that can lead to a well-rounded music education. In reviewing these documents several times, MENC and the Ohio Department of Education have successfully developed a definition of a complete music education, as well as a plan to successfully achieve their goals. While these documents differ slightly from one another, their overall goal is the same: to provide students with a music education that will give them the ability to have a comprehensive knowledge of music and to appreciate the arts in the world around them. |
