Curriculum

Fine Arts 

Missouri Assessment Program Fine Arts Achievement Level Descriptors 

In August 2001, a five-step scale of achievement levels was established to classify students’ performance in the area of Fine Arts. The levels were “Step 1” (lowest), “Progressing,” “Nearing Proficiency,” “Proficient,” and “Advanced.” Each level, beginning with Step 1, identifies a progression of students’ skills, knowledge, and abilities; that is, each level is inclusive of the skills identified in the preceding level(s). Associated with each level is a specific range of numerical scores that determines students’ rankings. These five levels have been approved by the State Board of Education.

            The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) was designed to measure students’ progress in meeting the Show-Me Standards, a set of academic goals adopted by the State Board of Education in January 1996, as part of the board’s goal to raise the bar for academic achievement and student performance in Missouri’s public schools. Throughout the process of developing the Show-Me Standards and the MAP assessments, teachers, business leaders, and parents have strongly supported the need for high academic standards and for students to be able to apply their knowledge and skills.

            Teachers, parents, legislators, and business leaders across the state met to determine what students should be expected to know and be able to do at grade level 5 in order to be considered “proficient” in Fine Arts. The “proficient” category, which is the cornerstone of the Fine Arts achievement levels, reflects this emphasis. Although rigorous levels were established, educators and citizens believe proficiency can be achieved through hard work by teachers, students, and parents.

            The achievement levels represent what teachers, parents, and employers should expect students to know and be able to do at this grade level. Perhaps most importantly, the levels represent what Missouri teachers and citizens think should be demanded from students today. Missouri teachers, parents, legislators, and business leaders carefully drafted descriptors for the Fine Arts achievement levels to help educators understand what each level represents and what additional skills are required by students to improve their levels of performance. The descriptors should be studied carefully because they illustrate the connection of the Missouri Show-Me Standards to the MAP by specifying the skills, knowledge, and abilities that students should have at each achievement level.

            The following are descriptors for each of the Fine Arts achievement levels at grade 5.

MISSOURI ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

 FINE ARTS ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL DESCRIPTORS

GRADE 5 

Step 1:

Students

• have minimal knowledge of the vocabulary, processes, techniques, elements, and principles of visual arts and how to apply such knowledge when analyzing artworks

• have minimal knowledge of the cultures of origin, genres, styles, and history of visual artworks

• have minimal knowledge of the vocabulary, processes, techniques, notation, and elements of music and how to apply such knowledge when analyzing music performances

• have minimal knowledge of the cultures of origin, genres, styles, functions, and history of music compositions and performances

• have minimal knowledge of the vocabulary, processes, techniques, and elements of dance and how to apply such knowledge when analyzing dance performances

• have minimal knowledge of dance from different cultures and time periods

• have minimal knowledge of the vocabulary, processes, techniques, and elements of theatre and how to apply such knowledge when analyzing theatre performances

• have minimal knowledge of the interrelationships between and among works in different fine arts areas

 Progressing:

Students

• recognize some two- and three-dimensional forms in visual works of art

• have knowledge of the use of some elements and principles and their application in simple visual art forms

• identify some genres and cultures of origin in visual artworks

• identify a few standard music notation symbols

• use basic communication skills to explain how some elements of music are rendered in performances

• recognize some music genres and functions of music

• apply some basic knowledge of dance forms and stage directions in performances

• recognize some similarities between dancers’ movements and the music

• recognize dancers’ use of space

• recognize a few dance genres, cultural origins, and time periods

• have some knowledge of the elements of theatre and how to apply such knowledge when analyzing simple dramatic scenes

• have knowledge of some elements of theatrical performances that convey information about the time period

• apply knowledge of elements and principles to recognize a few interrelationships between works from different fine arts areas

• recognize some cultural similarities of works from different fine arts areas

Nearing Proficient:

Students

• infer shapes in visual artworks

• compare two- and three-dimensional visual artworks and identify some common cultural origins and genres

• exhibit partial mastery of standard music notation symbols

• perceive some instrument families in music performances

• compare some elements in different musical selections

• recognize visual representations of music performances

• compare different music performances and identify some common cultural origins, genres, and time periods

• recognize some dance forms of world cultures and time periods

• use basic communication skills to describe actors’ techniques

• recognize that works from different fine arts areas are from the same time period

• compare how elements are used in some works from different fine arts areas

• recognize the relative importance of elements in works from different fine arts areas

•  describe differences and similarities in works from different fine arts areas

Proficient:

Students

• recognize different forms of a particular element in visual artworks

• apply extensive visual perception skills to analyze how images make an artistic statement

• analyze the importance of some elements over others in visual artworks

• use extensive communication skills to describe artists’ techniques

• exhibit extensive knowledge of genre and cultural origins of visual artworks

• exhibit competence in knowledge of standard music notation symbols

• analyze and perceive the use of musical elements, the most important elements, and important combinations of elements in musical compositions

• analyze one musical element in terms of another in performances

• analyze dance techniques of groups of dancers in performances

• describe dancers’ movements as they relate to use of space

• analyze the impact of one theatre element on another element in performances

• exhibit the skills to research and understand social, cultural, and historical information for theatre productions

• compare works from several fine arts areas to determine common cultural origins and time periods

Advanced:

Students

• analyze combinations of different types of elements in visual artworks

• analyze the importance of several principles in a single visual artwork

• analyze how elements and principles are developed in visual artworks

• analyze how images contribute to the importance of certain elements in visual artworks

• exhibit extensive knowledge of standard music notation symbols

• perceive and describe how elements change throughout a music performance

• describe complex music in terms of elements and explain how elements inform the listener’s perceptions

• analyze various components of musical compositions and describe their function within the composition

• relate elements of music to the music’s function

• describe elements of other forms that support dance performances

• recognize and analyze common elements in dance and theatre

• exhibit understanding of career roles and opportunities in theatre

• exhibit extensive knowledge of actors’ techniques

• give in-depth analyses of techniques across fine arts areas

• use exemplary communication skills to describe similarities between works for different fine arts areas and make complex comparisons

GRADE 5

Short Descriptors

Step 1

Students demonstrate minimal knowledge of vocabulary, processes, techniques, elements, and principles of visual art, music, dance, and theatre, and they demonstrate limited skills to apply such knowledge when analyzing works of fine art. Students have minimal knowledge of cultures, genres, styles, and history of works of fine art.

Progressing

Students demonstrate some knowledge, while also exhibiting major misconceptions and deficits, of vocabulary, processes,  techniques, elements, and principles of visual art, music, dance, and theatre, and they demonstrate some skills to apply such knowledge when analyzing works of fine art. Students have some knowledge of cultures, genres, styles, and history of works of fine art. 

Nearing Proficient

Students exhibit partial mastery of knowledge of vocabulary, processes, techniques, elements, and principles of visual art, music, dance, and theatre, and they demonstrate partial mastery of the skills to apply such knowledge when analyzing works of fine art. Students exhibit partial mastery of the knowledge expected at this grade of cultures, genres, styles, and history of works of fine art.

Proficient

Students exhibit mastery of knowledge of vocabulary, processes, techniques, elements, and principles of visual art, music, dance, and theatre, and they demonstrate mastery of the skills to apply such knowledge when analyzing works of fine art. Students exhibit mastery of knowledge of cultures, genres, styles, and history of works of fine art. They are prepared to begin work at higher grade levels.

Advanced

Students exhibit strong mastery of knowledge of vocabulary, processes, techniques, elements, and principles of visual art, music, dance, and theatre, and they demonstrate strong mastery of the skills to apply such knowledge when analyzing works of fine art. They exhibit strong mastery of knowledge of cultures, genres, styles, and history of works of fine art. They answer questions difficult for most fifth-graders.