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External Assessment, or standardized assessment, is testing
developed by sources other than the tested student's school.
Criterion-referenced tests such as the Texas Assessment of Academic
Skills (TAAS); achievement tests, such as the Iowa Test of Basic
Skills and the Stanford Achievement Tests; and college entrance
tests such as the SAT and ACT are common forms of external assessment.
In
addition to their role in public accountability systems, the
results of external assessment can be used by dance educators
to inform their instruction. By interpreting data in the context
of their personal knowledge of students and by using the information
in conjunction with internal assessment, teachers gain an
additional tool for understanding and promoting their students'
learning.
Fine
arts education has been shown to strengthen student performance
on external assessments. Music lessons have been shown to
improve preschoolers' spatial concept formation, which is
crucial for higher brain functions such as complex mathematics
(Frances Rauscher, PH.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of
California, Irvine). Additionally, there is a direct correlation
between improved SAT scores and the length of time spent studying
the arts. Those who studied the arts four or more years scored
59 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math portions
of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience
in the arts. (Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers,
The College Board, compiled by MENC, 1995).
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