In schools across America, music educators are currently being asked to develop and implement accurate, authentic, and efficient assessment measures. Whether you use the National Standards or state or district standards that are based on them, you can apply the processes in this book to your particular situation. Learn how to identify benchmarks for assessment tasks that you develop, and put benchmarks in action in your classroom. Benchmarks in Action: A Guide to Standards-Based Assessment in Music * Step-by-step process for developing and implementing assessments that are based on standards * Print and audio responses, reflecting benchmark student work at basic, proficient, and advanced levels of achievement * Assessment tasks and descriptions of responses with criteria to consider in evaluating student work * Tips for administering and adapting the assessment tasks * Explanations of how the responses meet the standard or what characteristics make them good examples for the given achievement * CD with audio benchmarks and music used for stimulating responses to selected assessment tasks Implementing the National Standards for Music Education requires that schools be able to assess the extent to which students have met the standards. To assist teachers in making judgments about student work, Benchmarks in Action offers examples of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders' responses to tasks designed to assess progress toward selected achievement standards from all nine content standards. It reflects and represents the insights and experience of dedicated music educators from across the country.