Introducing the Certificate for Music Educators

Helen SprottLondon Director, Music, Arts Council England

Richard CrozierConsultant for the development of CME

Arts Council Goal 5 and priorities

Priorities :

• improving the delivery of arts opportunities for children and young people

• raising the standard of art being produced for, with and by children and young people (CYP)

 

Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts,

museums and libraries

Our key activities 2012-15

Every child and young

Priority 2:Raising the standard of art

produced for, with and by CYP

Priority 1:Improving the delivery of arts

opportunities for CYP

Funded Organisations• NPOs• MPMs• Bridges

• Quality principles and roadmap • Quality framework research• Quality events• Artsmark development• Practitioner’s Qualification • CME• Ebacc, KS4 reform

Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts, museums and libraries

Cultural Education • CEPG

• Artsmark• Arts Award

• Youth dance company• Passport

Music Education HubsNYMOsIn HarmonyYouth Music

Quality

Quality Roadmap 2011-2015

• Facilitating the sector

• Researching new qualifications for the arts

• Working with DFE

Qualifications for artists

Arts Council has brought together the sector to design two new qualifications

Level 3 Certificate for Cultural Practitioners working with CYP• Referenced in Henley Reviews of Music Education and Cultural

Education• Currently working on roll out with a group of cultural organisations

Level 4 Certificate for Music Educators (CME)• Referenced in Henley Review of Music Education • Known as “Certificate for Music Educators” or CME

Background & Rationale to CME

Aim to create a coherent, joined up and progressive Continuing Professional Development offer for musicians and to raise the quality of experience for CYP wherever they encounter the art form

Creative & Cultural Skills commissioned to develop new qualifications for those working in the Arts with CYP to provide:

– potential for clear progression routes for skills development at levels 2-6– a qualification for skilled practitioners– better quality arts and cultural experiences for CYP

First step was the development of Level 3 Certificate for Creative and Cultural Practitioners Working with Children and Young People which is now available

Second, a specific focus on music due to the size of the workforce that engage with CYP

Henley Review (Feb 2011) and National Plan (Nov 2011)Recommendation 24:

A new qualification should be developed for music educators, which would professionalise and acknowledge their role in and out of school. Primarily delivered through in-post training and continuous professional development, musicians who gain this new qualification would be regarded as Qualified Music Educators. It would be as applicable to peripatetic music teachers as it would be to orchestral musicians who carry out Music Education as part of their working lives. that a new qualification be developed for music educators and DCMS and DfE priority to up-skill wider music workforce

Paragraph 22 A large proportion of the music education workforce, such as peripatetic music teachers, are based outside school. These professionals need to be recognised for their work and have opportunities to develop their practice. To facilitate this, the Arts Council will support Creative and Cultural Skills to develop a suite of independently assessed and accredited qualifications including a music educator qualification by 2013 to ensure the wider music workforce is properly recognised for their role in and out of school.

Principles of the new Certificate for Music Educators

Support inspiring and motivational learning that can take forward the skills of children and young people;

Be relevant to all musicians, regardless of musical genres and sub-genres and stage in career;

Be made up of small units that can be delivered in a flexible way;

Incorporate existing units (from other relevant qualifications) wherever possible, in order to facilitate progression.

Designed to comply fully with Ofqual regulatory arrangements and be accredited in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)

Spring 2012: research exercise by Creative & Cultural Skills mapping accredited and non-accredited training

Steering group established Working group established Topics: High level topic areas devised, agreed by steering

group Unit development with working group, overseen by steering

group with input from Awarding Organisations Consultations exercise: 600+ responses

Where are we now?

Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Qualifications comprise one or more Units of Assessment

Each unit includes:Learning outcomes

what learners will ‘know’, ‘understand’ or ‘be able to do’ as a result of learning

Assessment criteria how learners will demonstrate knowledge, understanding or skills for each learning outcome

Each unit is assigned a level (challenge) and a credit value (size) Units combined through ‘rules of combination’ (ROC) to form

coherent qualifications Qualification size (Award, Certificate, Diploma) and level

dependent on total credit value and dominant level of combined units

Units can appear in multiple qualifications to provide opportunities for Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT)

Certificate for Music EducatorsUnit no.

Unit title Level Credit

1 Understanding children and young people’s musical learning

4 7

2 Planning, facilitating and evaluating children and young people’s musical learning

4 10

3 Reflective practice and professional development in music education 4 5

4 Promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour 3 4

5 Equality, diversity and inclusion in music education 3 3

6 Safeguarding children and young people in music education 3 3

All units are mandatory for achievement of the qualificationTotal 32 credits

Example of unit contentUnit 2: Planning, facilitating and evaluating children and young people’s musical learning

Learning outcomes - the learner will1) Be able to plan musical learning for children and young

people

2) Be able to prepare the environment for musical learning activities with children and young people

3) Be able to lead and facilitate musical learning activities for children and young people

4) Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of musical learning activities

5) Be able to build relationships and collaborate with partners and participants to support musical learning

Assessment Criteria: The learner can:

1.1 Plan and agree learning objectives that are appropriate to:

a) The setting in which musical learning will take placeb) The learning modec) The age, needs, prior experience and expectations of children and young people

1.2 Design musical learning activities that meet the learning objectives and which:

a) Promote a sense of ownership, enjoyment and engagement in participants b) Are appropriate to the setting, learning mode and age of the participantsc) Promote the development and/or improvement of the musical skills, knowledge and understanding of participants through appropriately differentiated activitiesd) Promote and support sustained progressive musical learninge) Are appropriate to the specific needs of all children and young people f) Take account of reflection on previous similar activities

1.3 Prepare a range of appropriate repertoire, resources and/or learning materials to support musical learning activities

1.4 Plan how the process, outcomes and impact of musical learning activities will be evaluated against learning objectives

Delivery and assessment

Two delivery models have been under discussion:

a) 'Centralised' - an applicant applies to an Awarding Org and registers with them, then goes on to study before submitting the portfolio of evidence to the Awarding Org

b) 'Devolved' - an applicant registers at a local study centre with an approved course provider which oversees their study and progress and final portfolio.

Assessment Principles

Assessment of each unit will be through a portfolio of evidence, including practical demonstration in the real work environment. To avoid learners having to repeat learning or undertake unnecessary courses of study, evidence of prior learning and experience may also be considered as a basis for determining whether a learner can demonstrate that they can meet the assessment requirements for one or more units.

Competence based assessment should ideally take the form of direct observation of music educators at work in their usual work environment, which must be recorded clearly and accurately.

Knowledge-based evidence may include documents produced as a result of real work activities, assignments or tasks, or questioning (duly recorded) to demonstrate understanding about principles and methods.

Quality Assurance

Awarding organisations are expected to implement an appropriate quality assurance system, which can monitor and maintain standards of assessment. The precise mechanism will be dependent on whether assessment is centralised (i.e. undertaken by the awarding organisation), or devolved to ‘Approved Centres’.

Awarding Organisations will determine what will qualify those who are undertaking internal and external quality assurance to make decisions about that quality assurance.

Ofqual monitors the work of Awarding Organisations in England

Qualifications and levelsLevel Examples of QCF

qualificationsFHEQ level Some current music

exams and qualifications

New qualifications

8 - Award, Certificate and Diploma in strategic direction

- doctoral degrees

7

- BTEC Advanced Professional Diplomas, Certificates and Awards - NVQs at level 5 (in the  QCF framework)

- masters degrees- integrated masters degrees- postgraduate certificates- postgraduate diplomas- Professional GraduateCertificate in Education

FRSM; FTCL

6 - BTEC Advanced Professional Diplomas, Certificates and Awards

- bachelors degrees- bachelors degrees with honours- graduate certificates and diplomas

LRSM; LTCL

5 - HNDs- BTEC Professional Diplomas,

Certificates and Awards

- diplomas of higher education- Foundation Degrees- higher national diplomas

4 - BTEC Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards

- HNCs- NVQs at level 4

- certificates of higher education- higher national certificates

DipABRSM; ATCL Certificate for Music

Educators

3 - BTEC Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas at level 3- BTEC Nationals- OCR Nationals- NVQs at level 3

RSL level 3 Certificate for Music Educators

Grades 6, 7 and 8

Certificate for Creative

Practitioners working with

Children and Young People

Next Steps

Two Awarding organisations are taking the new qualification forward: ABRSM and Trinity

The awarding organisations are preparing the qualifications for submission to Ofqual – expected by 31 May 2013

The qualification will be accredited and operational by Sept 2013

Discussions have begun with course providers

Relationships between UK credit frameworks and EQF

Units

Each unit assigned a level (challenge) and a credit value (size)

Units combined through ‘rules of combination’ (ROC) to form coherent qualifications

Qualification size (Award, Certificate, Diploma) and level dependent on total credit value and dominant level of combined units

Units can appear in multiple qualifications to provide opportunities for Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT)