Lillian Tafoya, Board President; Doc Ervin, Superintendent; Mike Stone, Coordinator Visual and Performing Arts; Ingrid Borja, Maritza Borja, Christopher Chappel, Nichole Heasley and Teriesa Smith, Junior High/Middle School Vocal Music Teachers
The Bakersfield City SD’s Junior High/Middle School Choir Standards Festival was established in March of 2017. The district’s vocal music teachers sought to create an innovative and exemplary way to benchmark student learning in choir classes. The team collaborated throughout the 2015–16 academic year to create a model standards assessment for student work in choir classes. The result was the creation of the First Annual District Junior High/Middle School Choir Standards Festival Program, held in March of 2017. The goals of the Standards Festival include providing vocal music teachers with a standards-based assessment of student learning, giving students feedback on standards attainment via the adjudication format, and creating a benchmark for standards attainment. Through a collaborative partnership with Bakersfield College’s Music Department, all district choir students participate each March. Since implementation, student achievement and attendance rates have increased throughout the district as students sing their way to success!