Academic Offerings

NEW! We are excited to offer music students a new pathway to the Regents & Advanced Regents Diploma for graduation that involves a music portfolio submission. 

What is IAAP and how does IAAP help you graduate with a Regents Diploma?

• The Individual Arts Assessment Pathway (IAAP) is a graduation pathway option in which students demonstrate, through a collection of creative works, growth over time that meets the High School II Accomplished Performance Indicators in the New York State Learning Standards for Music. 
• The IAAP offers students a pathway to earn a Regents Diploma or Advanced Regents Diploma utilizing their skills in Music!
• The artistic method(s), media, or form(s) students use to meet the appropriate State developed IAAP criteria are based on student artistic and research interests in consultation with their Music Teachers 
• Students will be required to take three credits of Music (a minimum of 1 per year starting in 10th grade) for three consecutive years with their first credit being their foundation course: Concert Band, Concert Chorus or Concert Orchestra.

Why should you pursue this?

• Earn a Regents credit for something many of you already do by completing the IAAP requirements through your participation in the Ballston Spa Music Program. 
• This pathway is also a way to prepare students for future professional and educational experiences and opportunities in Music! 

Who grades the portfolio? When would you find out whether you passed or not?

• Students will submit their portfolios for assessment by members of the music department staff by June 1 (or after that year’s NYSSMA Solo Festival).
• Portfolios will be graded by the end of the second full week in June using a rubric provided to all students when they sign up to pursue the IAAP in music (also available on the department IAAP webpage).

Help and Support
Have questions about the IAAP process? Please contact the BSCSD K-12 Music ITL Brian Retersdorf at: bretersdorf@bscsd.org or (518) 884-7150 x2316.

Each discipline has an assigned mentor to help those students as they pursue IAAP in one of our three ensemble pathways:
Band Mentor: Mr. Brian Retersdorf
Choir Mentor: Mrs. Laura Chamberlain
Orchestra Mentor: Mr. Walter Thiem

MANDATORY PORTFOLIO ELEMENTS
Music: Traditional and Emerging Ensembles

Contents:
Year One - Music Portfolio 10 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)
Year Two - Music Portfolio 11 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)
Year Three - Music Portfolio 12 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)

Portfolio/Grading - Google Drive Shared Folder

● Composition
● Solo Performance
● Community Service Requirement

Year One - Music Portfolio 10 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)

• 10th Grade Students
• Create a musical phrase for a single melodic line. Notate the phrases using standard notation (handwritten or software program).
• Perform a solo work with or without accompaniment.
  • In 500 or fewer words or in a video recording of three or fewer minutes, describe the process used to select the portfolio performance piece.

Year Two - Music Portfolio 11 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)

• 11th Grade Students
• Create two contrasting musical phrases in A B form for a single melodic line. Notate the phrases using standard notation (handwritten or software program).
• Participate in and complete a community music service that requires the implementation of their musical skills, knowledge and creativity.
• Perform a solo work with or without accompaniment.
  • In 500 or fewer words or in a video recording of three or fewer minutes, analyze the portfolio performance piece, explaining how knowledge of musical structures and contexts inform the performer’s interpretive decisions.

Year Three - Music Portfolio 12 (Band, Choir, or Orchestra)

• 12th Grade Students
• Create an original composition using A B A form that is at least 24 measures in length. Notate the composition using standard notation (hand-written or software program).
• Perform a solo work with or without accompaniment.
• Participate in and complete a community music service that requires the implementation of their musical skills, knowledge and creativity. 
  • In 500 or fewer words or in a video recording of three or fewer minutes, reflect on the experience.

Portfolio/Grading - Google Drive Shared Folder

• All items will be stored with the specified student shared IAAP Google Drive Folder
• Students will submit their portfolios for assessment by members of the music department staff by June 1 (or after that year’s NYSSMA Solo Festival).
• Portfolios will be graded by the end of the second full week in June using a rubric provided to all students when they sign up to pursue the IAAP in music (also available on the department IAAP webpage).
   
• Composition
  • Year One - Phrase
    • Minimum Requirement:
      • One, eight measure phrase for a single melodic line
      • Includes clef, key signature, and time signature
  • Year Two - Two Contrasting Musical Phrases
    • Minimum requirement: 
      • Two, eight measure contrasting phrases in A B form for a single melodic line
      • Includes clef, key signature, and time signature
  • Year Three - Create an original composition using A B A form that is at least 24 measures in length.
    • Minimum requirement: 
      • Two, eight measure contrasting phrases in A B form for a single melodic line
      • Includes clef, key signature, and time signature
         
• Solo Performance
  • Year One
    • NYSSMA Solo Festival or recorded solo performance of a minimum NYSSMA Level 2 or equivalent
  • Year Two
    • NYSSMA Solo Festival or recorded solo performance of a minimum NYSSMA Level 3 or equivalent
  • Year Three
    • NYSSMA Solo Festival or recorded solo performance of a minimum NYSSMA Level 3 or equivalent 
    • Must show improvement from previous year if performing at the same level
  • Artifact: Performance Evaluation Sheet
     
• Community Service Requirement (Year Two and Three)
  • Must be a music activity that requires the implementation of their musical skills, knowledge and creativity
  • Examples: Pops Concert, Malta Armed Forces Parade, Ballston Spa Memorial Day Parade, First Friday - 
  • Artifact: Video documentation submitted