Assessments. Whats the point? are we getting it right?
Assessments in professional dance training within
the UK are a necessity. We are constantly assessing students and ensuring they
are on track. But are we effective? This is a constant question that I keep
returning to. How can we make this better? can we make the system better? are
the students gaining a positive experience, or do they find the experience
stressful? Do the staff value these assessments or do they see it as an
unwelcome interference into the training regime?
So many questions…
I feel if managed correctly assessments
both formative and summative can be a positive experience for both staff and
students. Using assessments, we can plan schemes of work more clearly and by
embedding audition-like procedures into the assessments we can ensure that our
students are industry ready.
What are your experiences of assessments?
Are you the person standing there in front
of a panel about to sing your solos or start a classical ballet class.? What’s
going through your head?
Perhaps you’re the teacher who is preparing
the students for the assessments. Have you got through all the work required?
Have your students taken on board the detail of the work you’re doing? Are they
retaining corrections? Are you stressed?
Are you the person who sits and watches and
marks the assessments? Do you have enough time? Is the criteria your marking
against valid and current?
If you could take the time to answer of few
of these questions I would love to know what you think.
Actually, I'd like to ask a question back, if I may--can you explain the assessment process briefly in the UK? Assessments below collegiate-level work here are rare unless you're in a RAD or Cecchetti school, neither of which are very common. Most schools' assessment processes consist of deciding whether or not to move the student up a level at the end of the year, and the general casting process. Can you elaborate a bit for us non-UK people what your system looks like?
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah
DeleteWe have schools here in the UK that teach RAD and ISTD work and move students as and when they pass exams. The professional vocational training is slightly different.
A young student aged 11, wishing to pursue a career in dance and wanting to attend a fulltime vocational school would audition at one of the four schools in the UK; Royal Ballet School (London), The Hammond (Chester), Tring Park (Tring, Hertfordshire) or Elmhurst (Birmingham). These 4 schools are part of the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS), and given a successful audition the student may be offered funding (parental income considered). This funding would take the student through their training up to the age of 18.
There are then several professional vocational schools in the UK that offer a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance, Musical Theatre or Acting (Trinity College London). These schools have funding under the Dance and Drama Award scheme. (DaDA).
The same process arises whereby the student would audition for a place and then depending on their potential talent would be offered funding (parental income considered).
With all of this funding being offered, the schools in receipt of this are obliged to have an open and transparent system of assessing students and ensuring that they are progressing well and targets set are met.
Whilst each school may operate a slightly different system there must be a level of accountability to the government.
At The Hammond where I am the Curriculum Manager and Assessment organiser we run summative assessments for all students in a formal setting. Students are observed performing class work related to each genre of dance offered (this is very similar to and RAD exam). A panel of staff observe the class and then mark each student according to the criteria and mark scheme. Marks are then moderated and mean mark allocated.
Each term a moderator from Trinity will observe our assessment procedure to ensure accountability and transparency.
I have put a couple of links below to the awards on offer.
Hope this helps and if you have any more questions please let me know.
https://www.gov.uk/music-dance-scheme
https://www.gov.uk/dance-drama-awards
Thanks, that's really helpful! Sorry I'm just now seeing this. We have similar processes for performing arts high schools and universities, but performing arts high schools here are not all-important for pursuing a career. That's not to say they're not valuable and don't launch many students towards a career, just that many (most?) professional ballet dancers come up through non-academic schools or schools attached to a professional company. And, of course, we don't usually have exams like RAD does. But I think the assessments themselves, when used, are probably not all that different.
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