Click here to learn more about the arts EALRs.
View the full list of arts CBPAs, Understanding CBPAs and the law

Classroom-based assessments (CBAs) and classroom-based performance assessments (CBPAs)are now being used to make sure students are getting key skills and knowledge in social studies, arts and health/fitness.

Classroom-based assessments that are built from the state’s learning standards. State curriculum specialists create tasks and questions that model good assessments and provide these to local school districts. As their name suggests, these assessments are given in the classroom by a teacher.

By 2008-09, classroom-based assessments and classroom-based performance assessments will be used statewide at grades 5, 8 and 10 to measure student learning of social studies, arts and health/fitness.

In 2008-09, HB 2195 requires all districts to have assessments or other strategies in place to ensure that students have the opportunity to receive rigorous, meaningful preparation to meet the essential academic learning requirements (EALRs) in Social Studies, The Arts, and Health and Fitness.

CBPAs developed by Washington teachers provide opportunities to engage students in meaningful tasks that allow them to show what they know and can do in ways that reveal individual creativity and life experience. The assessments include 15 each in visual arts, music, dance and theater. That is 5 each for grades 5, 8 and 10. They provide teachers with detailed instructions on how to gauge whether students are meeting state-set standards. To date, hundreds of teachers and thousands of students have participated in the process of piloting these assessments, and their work has paved the road to the development of this great resource for Washington schools. Each content area provides participants with in-depth training in the scoring of the CBPAs at the elementary, middle, or high school level.

The CBPA for the arts are divided into the following categories: Full training sets, Limited training sets, Single task items.

Full Training Sets contain 30 student samples per item. Ten are “exemplar” and/or “anchor” student samples, ten are “practice” student samples, and ten are “qualifying” student samples. Each has rubric scoring ranging from 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. These items have an accompanying DVD with actual student performances. There are 12 Full Training Sets, one each at grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Limited Training Sets contain 10 student samples per item which are “exemplar” and/or “anchor” student samples. Each has rubric scoring ranging from 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. These items have an accompanying DVD with actual student performances. There are 21 Limited Training Sets, with items at grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Single Task Items contain the arts discipline CBPA, the Directions for Administration (DFA), and rubrics for scoring. They do not include student samples and do not have an accompanying DVD. There are 27 Single Task Items, with items at grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Click here to view the original assessments by content area available from the OSPI web site.

Administration
ESD105 and OSPI regularly provide professional development opportunities to teachers, administrators in the administration of the arts CBPAs. These trainings are also open to local artists and musicians interested in working in schools.

All Arts Classroom-Based Performance Assessment (CBPA) items are designed to assess the WA State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). EALR #3 - The student communicates through the arts;" and EALR #4-"The student makes connections within and across The Arts, to other disciplines, life, cultures and work;" are integral to each of the (CBPAs), and may not be listed with each item. All items represent what we want all students to know and be able to do at the benchmark levels of grades 5, 8, and 10 (high school) in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts in alignment with our state arts EALRs. All items are copy written and the property of OSPI, WA State Arts. Permission must be granted to use and cite these items outside of WA State per copyright law. DFA is the acronym for Directions for Administration.