12/06/2001

Readers Discuss Grades for Student Art

Measurement of a student's artistic production can be stultifying, yet the arts comprise a body of knowledge and skills like every other discipline, so some type of grading system is appropriate. Readers offer a variety of opinions, summarized below, about how best to give feedback while maintaining support for a child's creative effort and output.

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Dear Beth,

I am a music teacher in an urban public school in CT. Having been involved in music, art and the arts all my life, I understand the complexities of putting a "grade" on a piece of art, whether it is music, dance or visual arts. As an educator, I have been developing a grading system for my students based on portfolio assessment, and rubrics that focus on certain criteria explained to the students prior to assigning projects. These rubrics measure on a scale of 1 to 5, or 1 to 10, the criteria for achieving excellence in a given assignment.

As each assignment is completed, students have an opportunity to 'grade' themselves on their project by assessing their work, using the rubrics for all the various criteria. At the end, the teacher assesses the student according to the rubrics and we compare notes, giving the student opportunity to understand their achievements or lack of them. A grade is agreed upon based on clear understanding by the students if they accomplished the prescribed tasks for the assignment.

This type of grading in the arts is far more objective than subjective and gives students ownership to their achievements. It also gives more credibility to the 'arts' taught in school by defining specific criteria for achievement. In the long run, it is a wonderful tool for assessing both the student performance and the teacher's ability to define lesson objectives with the students.

Students can use their portfolio to showcase their achievement in the art; teachers can use it to assess educational growth in the chosen arts class. This approach works well for visual and performing arts and can be adapted for use in other subject areas, as well.

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Great topic! I think kids have enough stress dealing with academics. Some kids just don't find schoolwork as easy as other kids do. By definition, half the kids in any class will be in the bottom half of the class, and many of these kids will suffer from feelings of poor self-esteem related to school. These kids should be given as many in-school opportunities as possible to shine in non-academic ways: gym, art, music or helping out with younger children or with classroom pets. Attaching grades to these activities can be counterproductive.

I don't remember being graded in art in elementary school, but I do remember the "C" I got in 7th grade. I never took an art course again. It took me until I was in my forties before I learned that I enjoy going to art museums and that I am capable of evaluating what I see, according to my own tastes.

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As a senior art/education student in our local college I have thought long and hard about responding to your article, but I feel I must. My first question in answering is: What was the initial assignment in the art class? This child may have produced a wonderful piece of art, but did it fulfill the assignment? For example, if the assignment was to produce a piece using black and white, showing positive and negative space, and the child used the whole spectrum of colors - the assignment was NOT met.

When a child in a language arts class is asked to write an autobiographical paper and they write a piece of fiction, no one questions the lower grade.

As for the statement that "art comes from your heart and soul," this is not necessarily true in a learning environment. Art for the pleasure of art probably comes from the heart and soul, but as an art student myself for the last three years, not all my art comes from my heart and soul. Some of it comes from a desire to complete the assignment well and get a good grade. Through this process, I learn the principles and basics of art and design.

When did it become acceptable to not correct things that are wrong? In art classes, the class plus the instructor critique our homework and in-class assignments. I have always found these critiques helpful. The intention is not to criticize but to help. In other classes peer feedback is often sought -- why not in art class?

Our daily lives are full of critiques. We correct our children's improper grammar and table manners. In the classroom, we read our essays and poetry aloud. We have spelling bees to learn spelling. We even have contests to see which group can solve the math problems the fastest.

In my opinion, this school has hired an art teacher who plans to teach art as a serious subject and raise the standards for the art class? Art should be a class to learn and not some frilly blow-off class where students are given colors and paper and told to have fun. Not every piece produced in an art class has to be refrigerator art. When students learn about line, color, shape, form, space, texture and value, they are learning the basics of art. As a parent, I think our school districts have "dummied down" the curriculum too much. I want my son to learn more—not have less expected of him.

My 8-year-old son has joined me in my art classes on days he doesn't have school. He sometimes fulfills the homework assignment the rest of us have. His pieces have been put up for critique, too. From this he has learned how to critique but not be critical. He has also developed a wonderful sense of art and frequently makes fresh suggestions about artworks of others. He is less inhibited than those who are there to make the grade.

Art should be looked at like any other subject. The student should fulfill the assignment given. Not every essay will be something to publish, just as every piece in an art class will not be wonderful. The main objective is to learn the basics and progress from there.

If critique is kept within the context of the lesson and never permitted to become personal, the result should not be to "crush a child's spirit." The teacher is in control of this and should be the leader. As we critique our pieces in class, I have noticed that our professor always says something positive before going on to say anything else, just as an elementary teacher should. Not everyone has artistic talent on the same level. Each student should be graded on his or her work, attitude and effort.

Art class is to learn about art, just like English or Math. It is not a place for students to expect to be embraced or feel good just because they showed up that day. Assignments should be given, followed and graded as such. Setting standards contributes to the production of great art as opposed to mediocre art.

Art in the Elementary School by Marlene Gharbo Linderman is the textbook being used in my class. The topics include the elements of art (line, color, shape, form, texture, space and value), art history, principles of design (balance, dominance, rhythm, contrast), production, as well as art analysis. In this class, we are being taught specific assignments and lessons for the students to learn about the different aspects of art just as an English teacher teaches about the English language.

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I teach instrumental music in a Waterbury middle school, and have always been torn when it comes to grading. Consider the following:

One student brings his instrument faithfully to school and home to practice, has his music book in class every time and has high interest. Despite all these positives, he creates a terrible sound and has much difficulty performing the simplest music lesson exercises. On occasion, he has even come after school for extra help!

Another student seems to have a natural sense of playing his musical instrument. He produces a reasonably good tone, and has a natural ability to read the notes. However, he is lax about being prepared for class, is forgetful, and I have found his instrument in the storage cabinet in school when he should be bringing it home to practice. Several times he has been marked 'unprepared' for class because he forgot his instrument that day. As I try to encourage him by giving him more challenging music and offering extra individual lessons, his attitude remains the same.

Now comes grading time. Unfortunately, we use a numeric grading system across the board, including instrumental music. I feel that some students understand the complexity of music reading, instrumental performance at different levels during their beginning experiences with instrumental music. And I feel that their grade should not reflect their playing ability, but their study habits and preparedness. I do not want to discourage a child who is very motivated and, with time, might become a successful musician. There is emphasis on the 'might', in that these kids represent a very small percentage.

This becomes a double-edged sword. It's a difficult call, because many of these students never continue playing their instrument. On the other hand, it is very difficult to assimilate these kids into the more advanced band with very limited skills and good grades. Few rise to the occasion while most others struggle along and eventually quit, finally realizing their own inadequacy. During that interim, however, it is a burden on the other advanced students and myself, in a group rehearsal setting.

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I am 57 years old and have had confidence in my artistic abilities all of my life. I love to try new combinations of colors, shapes and textures in sewing, quilting, making signs and designing paperwork on the job, and in my low budget home decorating projects. In short, I love to please myself and others—especially when the viewer recognizes the uniqueness (not weirdness!) of what I have done and I am able to instruct them in how easy it is to create something similar. Whether they follow through is up to them.

Getting back to children's artwork. In my grade school back in the 1950's, we had an art teacher... a quiet, lovely, grandmotherly type who went about her work with little fanfare. She encouraged the talented and was patient and supportive with those who were not so creative. My most vivid memory of affirmation and confirmation was when Miss W. called me out of class (1st, 2nd or 3rd grade) to help create some scenery for a winter pageant we were having in the auditorium. She was pleased, and told me so, when I knew enough to put blue 'stripes' on the edges of the evergreen tree branches, thus turning them into blue spruce. Seems like a simple thing now, but she really did a lot for my self-confidence by praising my attention to detail!

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Grading for specifics such as following directions, using the proper materials and getting it done on time is fine. Grading on content and style is not fine. I have always thought that art class was the only class where children are allowed to make decisions on their own. Every other class is couched in right or wrong answers.

When tax time comes around, art and music are often nudged out as frivolous, when I feel these are the only classes that actually teach (and allow for) decision making. Art fosters independent thinking. I have seen college student camp counselors who were afraid to mix paint colors together for fear of being wrong somehow. This frightens me. If a 20 year old gets all nerved up about mixing red and white to make pink, what about the rest of her life?

Historically, artists who bucked the contemporary art world were shunned and poverty stricken. Demonstrations were even held against certain shows by certain artists. Isn't it marvelous that someone could have so much faith in what they are doing that they can withstand the pressure of criticism to continue doing what they think is right and good? It is too bad that this type of behavior isn't encouraged in other areas. Something might get done once in awhile.

I remember one test (not an art class) that my daughter took in third grade. One of the questions was, "When do people go to work?" She wrote, "at night." I often worked nights at the time. The correct answer was, apparently, "days." I wondered about all the third shift workers whose children took the same test. I argued with the teacher about it and she would not budge. I thought it was bizarre. So I had to explain to a very young child why the teacher was wrong, why the teacher thought her answer was incorrect, why it was not an incorrect answer and why it did not matter. My daughter and I lost respect for that teacher. People who are in power positions should not abuse that power simply to be "right."

I once gave a girl of about 12 the project to make the torch for the statue of liberty. She was terrified and was sure that she'd do it wrong. I gave her colored feathers for the flame, and some Styrofoam to carve out the torch. She did a beautiful job. So beautiful that everyone thought I did it. Her self-esteem at that point was over the top... these were her peers. They had new found respect for her and she positively beamed with pride.

Art fosters independent thinking, decision making and self-esteem. Personal critiques are not the point. As an artist I know that very often the pieces I like least are the ones that sell first. As the saying goes, no one ever went broke underestimating the public's taste. Grade on the time frame, the materials, following directions... but not on the art itself. Encouragement is what children need in all areas, not to be shot down on something as vague and prone to arguments of theory as art.

Art is not frivolous. Every product in every store has a box or container that was designed by an artist. Would people be happy with all black boxes with some writing on them? Art is everywhere and someone is doing it as a job. Thirty years from now the standards will be different and the child you discourage now could be a billing clerk with a longing they cannot define. Their ideas for art may be the ones acceptable at this point. Or they may have been the ones to start the new trend, if they hadn't been discouraged by some teacher who's standards were rigid and personal.

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More time spent (by parents) finger painting with small children, and less time spent throwing rocks at the school house, just might be a good prescription for change.

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Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.