The Texas Music Assessment

Although music is a required subject and a part of the state-mandated curriculum for kindergarten through grade twelve in Texas public schools, it is not a part of the mandatory State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. In 2004, the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), in conjunction with the Texas Music Administrators Conference (TMAC), identified the need for a music assessment tool that would allow music educators in the state to determine the extent to which their programs and students are meeting the state-mandated curricular requirements. This chapter traces the development of the Texas Music Assessment (TMA) from its inception, including the construction of a statewide curriculum, the creation of knowledge- and skill-based content, and the development of a suitable Web-based delivery system for all content, to its current form.