State of Colorado, Department of Education. (2020). Colorado Academic Standards - Music, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.cde.state.co.us/coarts/2020cas-mu-p12
The Colorado State standards are organized by grade and ability level, showing students' expected progress through the standards one level at a time. This includes specific indicators of progress for teachers to look for in their students, placed in context of age, and examples of how the teacher can help students meet those indicators. They show similar markers to the national standards, but rather than showing all in one place the markers from all grade levels of a specific standard and anchor, it shows more in depth points of understanding and possible teaching strategies for each grade level and ability level in high school.
I see the colorado standards as an expansion upon the NAfME standards in a way that allows for the development of more specific curricula and lessons, as they provide more information abpout each of the standards listed. I especially appreciate that the department provided corresponding "inquiry questions" for each that can be adapted and input into lessons to prioritize critical thinking, interpretation, and examination of music in class. I think that used in conjunction and as an expansion of the national standards, the state standards will be hugely beneficial to the development of my teaching and curriculum in the future - and a good thing to practice using in my lesson plans for practicum and MSOE.
Questions for the creators of the state standards:
Though the underlying standards for Colorado are different from the national ones, were they built intentionally with the 2014 national standards in mind, or as a replacement?
Why are there no grade levels specified for the high school standards when there are for earlier grades?