M.E408

Writing Scales

Student will be given staff paper in their Student Booklets. Then, based on the number of years they have been in a high school music program, they will write a number of major scales.

The number of scales that students will write depends on their year in high school music:
o First-year (Level 1) students will write one scale.
o Second-year (Level 2) students will choose two scales to write.
o Third- and fourth-year (Level 3) students will choose three scales to write.

Students will be scored on accuracy of key signature and notes written, corresponding to the key signatures they chose. This exercise should take one class period.

This item has been voluntarily field-tested by Michigan teachers with a non-representative sample of students.


This is an analytic rubric. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

TEACHER SCORING RUBRIC

  • Dimension
  • Key Signature

  • Notation

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • All key signatures are incorrect.

    N/A at this time.
  • Key signature(s) have two errors.*

    N/A at this time.
  • Key signature(s) have one error. *

    N/A at this time.
  • Key signature(s) are all correct.

    N/A at this time.
  • Scale(s) have 1 or fewer of the following elements correct:
    -Time signature
    -Written in quarter notes
    -Correct number of beats per measure
    -Double bar line at end

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  • Scale(s) have 2 of the following elements correct:
    -Time signature
    -Written in quarter notes
    -Correct number of beats per measure
    -Double bar line at end

    View Exemplar
  • Scale(s) have 3 of the following elements correct:
    -Time signature
    -Written in quarter notes
    -Correct number of beats per measure
    -Double bar line at end

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    View Exemplars
  • Scale(s) has all of the following elements correct:
    -Time signature
    -Written in quarter notes
    -Correct number of beats per measure
    -Double bar line at end

    View Exemplars
    View Exemplars
    View Exemplars
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