MusicFirst Elementary - Kindergarten (Texas Edition)

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.

The materials include a “Grade Level Scope and Sequence: Kindergarten Grade Curriculum Map” with a chart listing all the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) covered in each thematic area for the entire program. It includes content to be taught that matches each of the TEKS and when/where each TEKS and concept are addressed. For example, “Understanding Music” includes TEKS 117.103.1D, 117.103.1E, 117.103.2A, 117.103.2C, 117.103.4B, and 117.103.4C. Units 1–6 teach the concepts of pitch and melody and help students understand high and low sounds.

The materials include a “Kindergarten TEKS Aligned Activity Guide” that includes a table that maps each TEKS code and TEKS standard to a corresponding MFE Student Activity. For example, the TEKS Code 117.103 (1.A) is mapped to the TEKS standard “Identify the differences between the five voices, including singing. The MFE Student Activity column lists two activities that can be used with students, such as “1-2-3-4-5 (Song): Unit 1 Listen and Respond Activity.”

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing to support effective implementation for various instructional schedules (e.g., rotational schedules) and various instructional calendars (e.g., varying number of instructional days).

The “Schedule, Pacing, and Rotation: Making MusicFirst Work For You” guide contains a variety of implementation strategies for various class lengths (30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute lessons), rotation schedules (once-weekly, twice-weekly, and daily classes), and differing instructional calendars (34 and 36 weeks). Additionally, a section called “Adapting to School Calendar Challenges” further explains how to pace around interruptions such as assemblies, events, and testing.

The “MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview” document focuses on effective implementation within a lesson. For example, chapter 7, “Flexibility: Teaching Your Way,” provides educators with flexible lesson structures, pacing options, and instructional supports that can be adapted to different schedules, teaching contexts, instructional approaches, and levels of educator experience.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.

The materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order and how concepts connect throughout the course in both the “Scope and Sequence” and Pacing Guide documents. For example, when the concept of steady beat is introduced in unit 1, it is reinforced and applied in subsequent units.

The materials include a Curriculum tab that takes you to a “Kindergarten Year at a Glance: The Awareness Stage.” This document includes an additional explanation of how concepts connect throughout the course. For example, each unit introduces new songs while revisiting and deepening musical concepts. Students encounter musical elements multiple times throughout the year across different musical examples.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.

The “Designing Musical Connectivity: How MusicFirst Elementary Sequences and Connect Learning” document includes a five-step unit protocol with guidance for unit internalization. Educators are directed to know the unit arc, internalize the songs, map the concept journey, consider student readiness and differentiation, and prepare materials, instruments, visual aids, technology, and Enrich and Extend resources before beginning instruction.

The Teaching with the MusicFirst Elementary Platform: A Facilitation Guide for Teachers helps educators internalize and facilitate each lesson component using the seven instructional activity types, reflecting the platform’s embedded instructional approaches.

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.

MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview/A Complete Guide for Teachers and Leaders includes a section for instructional leaders that explains the program structure and identifies leader-facing supports for implementation. It provides guidance for educator onboarding, including using the Course Level Curriculum Guide and Teacher Assessment Guide, pairing new educators with experienced users, and ensuring educators have access to grade-level resources before instruction begins. The guide also provides implementation guidance for instructional leaders through coaching and observation look-fors, progress monitoring recommendations, and questions for instructional conversations. Leaders are directed to look for student engagement, educator modeling, formative check-ins, use of assessment data, and student reflection through “My Music Passport.”

Teaching with the MusicFirst Elementary Platform: A Facilitation Guide for Teachers provides guidance on facilitating the curriculum’s seven instructional activity types, reflecting the platform’s variety of instructional approaches.

Evaluation for 1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic and discipline-specific vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.

The materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide background content knowledge. For example, in “Kindergarten, Unit 1, Overview: My Musical Heartbeat,” the unit focus explains the musical concepts students will learn and how they apply across the unit’s songs. The unit overview also contains a vocabulary chart that identifies both new and previously learned vocabulary. It also suggests pre-teaching concepts if the lesson concepts and vocabulary are new for the students. For example, the unit overview includes a “Prior Knowledge” section to ensure students have the necessary information before completing the unit. The unit includes discipline-specific vocabulary charts in English and Spanish.

The “Grade Level Scope and Sequence: Kindergarten Curriculum Map” provides conceptual descriptions, unit purposes, instructional rationale, content explanations, and implementation context. The materials incorporate the TEKS guide, which identifies music terminology, discipline-specific concepts, technical vocabulary, and content-area language.

Evaluation for 1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

The “Kindergarten Family Connection Sheet” for the song “Find the Beat” is broken down into the following sections: “About this song,” which describes the style of the song in the unit and how it helps the student learn the unit concepts; “Did you know,” a fun fact about the concept; “Key vocabulary,” including definitions; “Try this at home,” a guide to activities families can do together to reinforce concepts taught; and “Talk together,” questions that families can ask their children to reinforce concepts taught. The sheet is printed in both English and Spanish.

The “MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview” explains that Family Connection resources are available for every unit and grade level, are linked directly to lesson plans, and are available in both English and Spanish. These resources introduce families to what students are learning in music, the songs they are working on, and ways families can support and extend learning at home. For example, in unit 2, lesson 3, “Dress Up,” the Family Connection sheet explains the song’s history, musical terms, and at-home activities.

Evaluation for 1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).

The materials include lesson plans that include objectives and materials. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 5, Song 3 Lesson Plan: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” includes a structured lesson plan with music style, materials and instruments, supporting documentation, vocabulary, sheet music, the TEKS and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), and scheduling options. The lesson identifies Big Ideas and Student Outcomes aligned to the TEKS. The lesson plans do not include lesson-specific questions, tasks, or instructional assessments; instead, they provide general questions and a worksheet that can be used with any lesson.

The student-facing materials include a “Listen and Respond” section (under the Teach tab in each lesson) with questions to ask students, and a “Did You Know?” tab that provides background information about an aspect of the song. Although these questions appear when you click the Teach button, they are not included in the written lesson plan for the educator to view. The questions do not have specific TEKS notated with them to show alignment.

Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson (e.g., equipment, supplies, technology) and the suggested timing for each lesson component.

The “Grade K, Unit 2, Song 2 Lesson Plan: Days of the Week” includes a list of student materials and a clear chart that organizes timing for each lesson component. However, it does not list specific materials the educator needs to deliver the lessons effectively.

The “Grade K, Unit 6, Song 6 Lesson: Baby Elephant” includes an overview of the student materials needed for the lesson, as well as a clear chart that organizes the timing for each lesson component. However, the lesson plan does not include a specific list of educator materials needed to effectively deliver the lesson.

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).

The materials include guidance for use of the materials for extended practice. For example, the “Kindergarten Unit 1, Song 1, Overview” includes a section titled “Enrich and Extend.” This section focuses on finding the beat and includes extended practice options such as Orff and Kodály materials, games, movement activities, creative projects, and patriotic songs.

The “Kindergarten, Unit 1, Enrich & Extend” document provides examples of extended practice connected to the unit objective. For example, the “Jack Be Nimble” Kodály activity supports beat internalization. The “Cookie Baking” Orff-inspired activity supports tracking a steady beat.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions, including skills demonstration.

The materials include instructional assessments (diagnostic, formative, summative), but do not include skills demonstrations or a variety of types of tasks and questions. For example, the unit 1 overview includes the baseline diagnostic tool (the same across all elementary grade bands), but it does not include a performance task or skill demonstrations, nor does it vary the types of questions asked.

The materials include summative assessments; however, they are not embedded at the unit level. For example, the summative rubric in the Assessment Tools specifies an End-of-Year Rubric. However, the rubric has no specific performance tasks to accompany it, and it is not aligned in a way that allows it to be embedded in each unit.

The material includes a Formative Assessment Checklist, which provides a general lesson- and unit-level form across multiple instructional activity types, including “Understanding Music,” “Listen and Respond,” “Learn to Sing the Song,” “Play Instruments with the Song,” “Improvise with the Song,” “Compose with the Song,” “Perform the Song,” “Music Notepad,” and “Enrich & Extend.” The checklist identifies observable skills, such as moving in time with a steady beat, echo-clapping rhythmic patterns, reading and performing notation, playing designated instrumental parts, improvising with provided pitches, composing melodies, performing with accurate musical elements, and using technology to create music. However, the material does not provide explicit student-facing questions, tasks, or directions. As a result, it functions more as an educator checklist than as an assessment that requires students to independently demonstrate mastery of the lesson or unit objectives.

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.

The materials include a MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5 that outlines the intended purposes of instructional assessment types. For example, this guide contains formative checklists, peer assessment tools, the “My Music Passport,” quizzes, and end-of-year rubrics. The Assessment Guide also labels each assessment type as diagnostic, formative, or summative.

The materials include a “MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview” document that identifies instructional assessments and defines their intended purposes. For example, in chapter 12, the guide states, “The baseline quiz gives a snapshot of each student’s entry-level musical knowledge, end-of-unit quizzes summarize musical learning from the unit, and end-of-grade quizzes summarize the theory and listening skills across the grade level.”

Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

The K–5 materials include an “Administration Guide: When, Who, How Long” with a table that specifies, for each assessment type, when it is administered in the learning cycle, how students are grouped, how long it takes, and what resources are needed. It includes educator guidance on diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments and notes that these instructions will appear in each unit across the program, ensuring consistent and accurate assessment administration.

The overall MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5 provides guidance for educators on interpreting student performance, not just assigning a score. The “Administration Guide: When, Who, How Long” includes an interpretation table that can be used with every rubric or checklist. This interpretation guide offers four bands (beginning, developing, achieving, mastering) that tell the educator how to interpret and what next steps to take with the student.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.

The materials include Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklists that provide evidence that formative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and lesson/activity objectives. The checklists are organized by instructional activity, including “Understanding Music,” “Listen and Respond,” “Learn to Sing the Song,” “Play Instruments with the Song,” “Improvise with the Song,” “Compose with the Song,” “Perform the Song,” “Music Notepad,” and “Enrich & Extend.” Each checklist includes student outcomes, performance levels ranging from beginning to mastery, and TEKS references for the assessed skill.

The materials do not contain diagnostic or summative assessments aligned with the TEKS or the objectives of the course, unit, or lesson. The My Music Passport is listed as a summative assessment and a place to record what students can do, and it includes prompts such as “My favorite song is___” and “My favorite activity was___.” The TEKS are listed on the last page by category (warm-up, listening, singing, etc.), but are not linked to specific knowledge or skills. The materials provide no guidance on how students should demonstrate knowledge or skills.

The materials include a baseline diagnostic quiz; however, it is not aligned to the TEKS or the course, unit, or lesson objectives. For example, the unit 1 baseline quiz asks generic questions such as “Is this loud or soft?” or “Are these notes the same or different?” that are asked in other grade levels.

Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.

The materials include “My Music Passport: Kindergarten,” which is intended to serve as a unit-level summative assessment with student reflection, educator-scored “I can” statements, point totals, and a TEKS alignment chart connected to the platform’s embedded instructional activity types. Although the “My Music Passport: Kindergarten” contains a variety of item types, it does not include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity. Instead, the material indicates broad TEKS alignment without showing how individual items assess specific TEKS or reflect increasing complexity.

The materials include Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklists, which provide a general lesson- and unit-level format across multiple instructional activity types. The checklist identifies TEKS-based skills, such as moving in time with a steady beat, echo-clapping rhythmic patterns, and reading and performing notation. However, the Formative Assessment Checklist does not include tasks or items that increase in complexity. While the checklist includes skill mastery levels, these levels reflect educator observations of mastery rather than varying levels of task complexity. Additionally, the material lacks student-facing tasks and does not provide a variety of TEKS-aligned assessment items at different complexity levels.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The materials include a MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5 that provides guidance on how educators may interpret assessment data from End-of-Grade Rubrics, Formative Assessment Checklists, My Music Passports, quizzes, peer assessments, and Yumu platform data. However, it does not provide scoring guidance for each assessment option. The guide explains how assessment results can be used to identify skill gaps, monitor progress, plan reteaching or extension, and make instructional decisions; however, it does not clearly indicate how educators should consistently score the assessments.

The materials include an End-of-Grade Performance Rubric that provides a scoring system for student performance through score ranges, performance levels, and category-specific descriptors. However, the rubric does not guide educators in interpreting the results beyond assigning a score.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

The materials include the MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5, which provides guidance for reviewing assessment data, such as identifying students as beginning or developing, revisiting a skill when most of the class demonstrates need, and using an “assessment-to-differentiation loop.” However, the materials do not provide specific guidance, tasks, or activities to help educators respond directly to trends in student performance on assessments. Additionally, the guide does not explain when to use specific assessments, when to provide whole-group reteaching versus small-group support, or which tasks and activities to use in response to particular assessment outcomes.


The materials include lesson plans that provide differentiation supports within each lesson component, such as visual supports, peer buddy modeling, adapted movement, sentence starters, graphic organizers, simplified parts, templates, and advanced leadership opportunities. However, the materials do not provide guidance on using these tasks and activities in response to trends in student assessment performance. The lessons do not identify which assessment evidence or performance trends indicate the need for specific support, or explain how educators should adjust instruction based on those needs.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

The materials include a Kindergarten Music Theory Quiz Log that educators can use to track student progress throughout the course. The log includes spaces to record each student’s name, baseline quiz score, scores for units 1–6, and the end-of-grade score.


The “My Music Passport: Kindergarten” provides a unit-level tool for student reflection. It includes both in-unit and across-unit opportunities for students to monitor their growth. For example, within a unit, students use sentence stems to respond, such as “My favorite song is ___.” Across the unit, students complete a running “Skills I can do” ladder to monitor their growth throughout the year.

Evaluation for 3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and/or paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on content and skills in the course TEKS.

The materials include individual lesson plans, each with a “Differentiation at a Glance” section offering instruction and activities to support students who have not yet reached proficiency in the lesson’s content and skills. However, the materials do not provide guidance for educators on differentiated instruction. Additionally, the materials include no resources, such as anchor charts or graphic organizers, and no suggestions for small-group instruction to support students below grade level.

The materials include a MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5 with an “Assessment to Differentiation Loop” section that offers strategies for differentiated instruction, activities, and/or paired (scaffolded) lessons. The guide suggests using a formative assessment checklist to mark students as beginning, developing, or achieving, then adjusting their task complexity accordingly. However, the guide’s strategies don’t align with specific lessons and are the same across unit overviews. For example, the guide says the educator should “Note which students or skills need attention before the next lesson” and then adjust their lesson accordingly. Moreover, the guide does not provide educator guidance on when to use which strategies, how to provide differentiated activities, or when to provide paired/scaffolded lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency in content and skills.

Evaluation for 3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic and discipline-specific language).

The materials include unit overviews with “New Vocabulary” and “Revisited Vocabulary” sections that list terms used in the lesson. However, the materials do not provide pre-teaching or embedded support strategies within the unit overview. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 2, Rhythm in My Feet Overview” includes new vocabulary words such as lullaby and nursery rhyme, but does not include educator guidance for pre-teaching the vocabulary.

The materials include lesson plans that include new key vocabulary. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 2, Song 1 Lesson Plan: Dancing Dinosaurs” includes the term steady beat but does not define it in the lesson, nor does it include pre-teaching or embedded supports for teaching unfamiliar vocabulary.

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in content and skills in the course TEKS.

Within the unit plans, the materials include an “Enrich and Extend” plan that includes options for additional songs or activities to extend the lesson for those who have demonstrated proficiency in the content and skills in the course TEKS. For example, it offers Kodály or Orff activities, a graphic score, and a music notepad. However, it does not include educator guidance on effectively using the materials for differentiated instruction for students who have demonstrated proficiency in content and skills. The materials also include an “Extend and Enrich” document for each unit that states, “These activities enrich and extend musical learning across performance, listening, creativity, and cultural understanding—for all students in the classroom or at home.” No guidance is provided for the educator on how to use the songs and activities listed to differentiate instruction.


The materials include a Music First Elementary Assessment Guide K–5, which provides guidance on using assessment data—for example, helping educators identify students who are ready for extension and enrichment. However, it does not provide specific guidance for educators on enrichment or extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in content and skills. The guidance is not tied to specific skills. Additionally, it does not connect these extension activities to a proficiency-based instructional pathway.

Evaluation for 3.1d
Materials include teacher guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

The materials include a “Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Guidance” document that guides educators in implementing supports for students who need special education services. For example, the document includes adaptation examples based on the area of need and IEP goals, such as simplifying prompts, reducing instruction to a single concept, or allowing visual or nonverbal prompts. Additionally, a note at the top of the document helps educators align adaptations with their students’ specific IEP and 504 plan goals.


The materials include a MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5, which provides additional guidance for educators on adapting assessments for students with disabilities and those receiving special education services. For example, it suggests using observable, activity-based criteria in formative assessments rather than written responses. It also advises educators to allow for alternative demonstrations of skills such as pointing, moving, using assistive devices, or responding verbally. Finally, it suggests using portfolio evidence when live observation is challenging.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.

The materials include individual lesson plans, each with a “Musical Spotlight” and “Lesson Focus” section with explicit prompts educators can share with students. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 3, Song 6 Lesson Plan: Sparkle” includes an educator prompt that states, “Reach your hands up high for the high notes and let them float gently down for the lower ones, let your whole body sparkle and shine as you follow the shape of the melody!” However, the lessons do not provide guidance for the educator on when or how to present this prompt to explain the concepts in class.

The materials include a “Guided Questions Bank” document that offers explicit (direct) prompts to support the discussion of musical concepts being learned. The questions are grouped by activity (e.g., “Listen and Respond,” “Play Your Instruments with the Song”) and grade level (K–1, 2–3, 4–5). However, the questions are identical throughout the entire K–5 program and do not directly align with a specific lesson or unit. The materials do not include any guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

The materials include a variety of instructional approaches. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 4, Song 4 Lesson Plan: Sing Me a Song” suggests using kinesthetic movement, modeled practice, creative expression, guided inquiry, collaborative discourse, reflection, and performance. However, the material does not include guidance and recommendations for educators on effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches. For example, while the lesson includes notes on timing, materials, sequencing, and differentiation, it does not provide facilitation tips, protocols, scripted delivery, educator moves, potential misconceptions, or guidance on grouping.

The materials provide a variety of instructional approaches. In grade K, unit 4, song 4, an Orff-inspired activity serves as a performance resource with a vocal melody and multiple instrumental parts, including glockenspiels, metallophones, xylophones, and unpitched percussion. However, the document is primarily a musical score for ensemble performances rather than educator-facing guidance for lesson delivery. The scores do not include facilitation tips, instructional approaches, scripted delivery, grouping recommendations, sequencing guidance, educator moves, or recommendations for how to effectively deliver or facilitate the lesson.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The materials include lesson plans that support multiple types of student practice. For example, the “Grade K, Unit 6, Song 2 Lesson Plan: In the Sea” includes activities that let children listen and move, respond to music, sing a song, and play instruments. However, the material primarily identifies activity types and student tasks rather than providing educator guidance for structuring practice. It does not explain when or how to use whole-group, small-group, partner, or individual practice to support effective implementation.

The “Teaching with the MusicFirst Elementary Platform” document offers facilitation guidance for the program’s seven instructional activity types, reflecting the platform’s range of instructional approaches and following the same sequence as the platform’s activity menu: “Understanding Music,” “Listen and Respond,” “Learn to Sing,” “Play Instruments,” “Improvise,” “Compose,” “Perform.” Each section of this guide follows a consistent structure: platform resources, instructional approaches, educator facilitation (Before / During / After), key things to watch for, and suggested groupings. The second section, “Listen and Respond,” provides educator guidance and recommended structures for movement-based activities, which appear in each song activity throughout the platform. However, the evidence is limited to one activity type and does not show that the materials support multiple practice types, such as guided, independent, and collaborative practice, within the grade K instructional sequence.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic and discipline-specific language.

The Lesson Plan for each song lists Teachers’ Supporting Documents that include ELPS support with a song-specific “ELPS Sentence Stems” document. The sentence stems are organized by levels and connect to the specific activity within the lesson. They are provided in English and Spanish. The stems increase in complexity and support emergent bilingual students in using academic and discipline-specific music language. The document also includes a “How to use this sheet” section with guidance for educators on implementing optional ELPS scaffolds by selecting songs, proficiency-level supports, and language stems that best align with students’ English-language proficiency and the instructional activity.

The materials include “ELPS Standards Activities” for each song throughout the curriculum, which provide linguistic support for emergent bilingual students, including bilingual key song words, bilingual musical vocabulary, ELPS standards, a short activity sequence, and sentence frames by proficiency level. For example, “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 2 Lesson Plan: Days of the Week” includes terms such as swing, style, and steady beat. The document also includes educator guidance for linguistic accommodations by directing educators to select the proficiency level that matches students and choose sentence stems aligned to the lesson activity. The bilingual sentence stems are organized by beginning, intermediate, and advanced/advanced high levels and connect to Warm-Up, Listen, Sing, Play, Compose, and Perform activities. The stems increase in complexity and support emergent bilingual students in using academic and discipline-specific music language.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

Under the Curriculum tab, the materials include the “ELPS Support Summary” document, which describes each ELPS document used throughout the MusicFirst Elementary program. For example, the document includes descriptions for the “ELPS Standard Activity Sheets,” “ELPS Activity Sentence Stems,” “Interactive Vocab/ELPS Support Tab,” “Bilingual Family Connection Sheets,” how ELPS align across the program, and a summary of ELPS deliverables. However, this document does not include implementation guidance to support educators in using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

The materials include documents to support emergent bilingual students, such as the “ELPS Standards Activities” for each song, which provide linguistic support. For each song, the document provides key song words and musical vocabulary. The document includes the ELPS standards addressed, along with sentence frames in English and Spanish for each proficiency level. However, these materials do not include implementation guidance to support educators in using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

Evaluation for 3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.

The materials include embedded guidance for educators to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic and discipline-specific vocabulary through oral discourse. For example, the “Extended ELPS” document directs educators to select the proficiency level that best matches students and use sentence stems aligned to lesson activities. The stems are organized by proficiency levels and are provided in English and Spanish. The materials do not provide guidance for developing vocabulary through written discourse.

The materials include embedded guidance for educators to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic and discipline-specific vocabulary through oral discourse. For example, the platform provides bilingual lyrics and song sheets for each song in the curriculum. These song sheets provide the song text in English and Spanish side by side (e.g., the grade K, unit 2 song “Alice the Camel”). The document also notes that bold text highlights key vocabulary from the corresponding ELPS Support Activity. However, the material functions primarily as a bilingual lyric and does not support comprehension. The materials do not provide embedded guidance for educators to support emergent bilingual students in increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, or making cross-linguistic connections through oral or written discourse.

Evaluation for 3.3d
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic literacy in alignment with the course TEKS.

Within each grade-level lesson, the “Musical Spotlight” and “Lesson Focus” guidance sections include scripted sentences educators can use to facilitate instruction. However, the guidance does not support educators in providing explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic literacy aligned with the course TEKS. For example, in the “Kindergarten, Unit 1, Song 2 Lesson Plan: 1-2-3-4-5,” when the lesson suggests adding instruments for students to play, it provides no guidance on appropriate instrument etiquette, how to hold mallets, or how to find the correct bar or note to play. The instruction to use improvisation does not include any guidance for the educator to explain what improvisation is or what the expectations are, and immediately jumps to improvising with 2–3 notes. Relatedly, while each lesson provides the associated TEKS reference numbers (without descriptors), these are not clearly addressed or identified elsewhere in the lesson. Instead, the lesson includes only general references to the concepts being taught, such as “Listen to the music and find the beat - can you feel it?” or “Listen again and share what you notice.”

Each grade level includes a TEKS-aligned activity guide that provides a TEKS-aligned list of student activities and the skills students should be able to demonstrate. The document provides educators with scripts for what to say. For example, the “Kindergarten TEKS Aligned Activity Guide” discusses identifying the five voices, and within that, the materials offer educator sentences such as “Try singing your own name in the first line: ‘My name’s___.’ Then, choose a different kind of voice to share your name. Try using your speaking voice, whispering voice, and calling voice. Try using your inner voice too!” While these activities are aligned to the TEKS, the sentence stems do not provide educator guidance on explicit instruction related to discipline-specific artistic literacy.

Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials explicitly connect new discipline-specific artistic literacy to prior learning across lessons and units within the course and across courses as applicable.

The materials include a program-wide “Designing Musical Connectivity” document that outlines a Prepare-Present-Practice model for learning new artistic literacy skills, and indicates that the program will reiterate these skills throughout the units to support the spiral curriculum design. For example, the document explains how the program builds vocabulary and develops notation, and how it bridges prior knowledge, including review from previous lessons, to the next lesson in the sequence. However, the materials do not include this beyond description. This document includes no explicit connections between new music literacy and prior learning across lessons or units.

The materials include a “Kindergarten Curriculum Overview” that describes connections to prior learning within each unit overview. For example, in the “Kindergarten Unit 1 Overview,” it states, “MusicFirst Elementary is built on a spiral curriculum—knowledge and skills are repeated over time in different musical contexts; every unit builds on the last. What students discover in unit 1 becomes the foundation for everything that follows across K–5.” However, this unit overview and the larger curriculum overview provide no examples that demonstrate explicit connections between new music literacy and prior learning across lessons or units.

Evaluation for 4.1c
Materials consistently provide opportunities for students to develop and use discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary.

Each grade level includes a Listen and Respond Activity Form that gives students opportunities to consistently use discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary. For example, students are asked to answer questions like “Is the music fast like a cheetah, slow like a turtle, or somewhere in between like a dog?” and “Does the music sound mostly loud or mostly quiet?” However, there is no opportunity to develop discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary in these “Listen and Respond” forms. This form does not demonstrate the ongoing process of learning and acquiring new words and their meanings, and how to use them appropriately in different contexts. Students have no opportunities to build deeper knowledge by continuously engaging with vocabulary through reading, writing, and speaking.

In every lesson, the materials include teaching slides with a “Listen and Respond” section that gives students consistent opportunities to use discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary. For example, in the “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 6 Teach Slides: Chocolate,” students answer questions such as “What can you hear?” and “How does the music make you feel?” However, the lesson gives students no opportunity to develop discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary. While the “Teach Slides” also include a “Vocab/ELPS Support” section, it only lists vocabulary words used throughout the grade level. Students have no opportunities to build deeper knowledge by encountering the words repeatedly, in varied contexts, or through active engagement.

Evaluation for 4.1d
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of discipline-specific artistic literacy in alignment with the course TEKS.

The materials include Formative Assessment Checklists that list the performance tasks expected for that grade. For example, the Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklist lists “Move in time with the beat” and “Respond to music with movement” as two of its expectations. However, the checklist does not include any activities or tasks that give students opportunities to demonstrate discipline-specific artistic literacy. While the performance tasks are all TEKS-aligned, the checklist provides no guidance on how students should demonstrate these skills.

Every lesson includes a composition tool called “Compose with the Song,” which provides students with a composition workspace where they can choose a scale or note set, select an instrumental group, and work with pulse, rhythm, pitch, rhythm notation, a note grid, notation with note names, and standard notation. The standard notation workspace includes treble clef, 4/4 meter, bar lines, repeat signs, and selectable note values such as whole note, dotted half note, half note, and quarter note. These features connect to discipline-specific artistic literacy because students encounter concepts such as scale, note set, pitch, rhythm, pulse, standard notation, meter, and note values. However, the interactive platform does not clearly show how students demonstrate understanding of these concepts through activities or tasks because it lacks a required student-facing prompt, explanation, reflection, rubric, success criteria, or completed response that shows how students apply and explain their understanding of discipline-specific artistic literacy. Further, the composition activity is the same across all K–5 grade levels and is therefore not TEKS-aligned with the appropriate grade level. Many of the available tools or activities are above the grade level for which they are intended.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic skills at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

The curriculum includes individual lesson plans for each song, providing educators with activities that require students to demonstrate discipline-specific artistic skills. Each lesson contains a Musical Learning Pathway section that lists activities and uses labels such as direct instruction, modeled practice, and independent practice. However, the materials do not provide sufficient guidance for educators to deliver explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic skills aligned to the course TEKS.

Each unit overview describes the artistic skills to be learned in the lessons. For example, the “Kindergarten Unit 1 Overview” describes how students will listen to, move to, and respond to songs, as well as sing and perform them. However, the document does not provide educator-facing guidance for explicit (direct) instruction in those skills. The unit overview identifies what students will experience and what they should be able to do. The unit overview shows unit-level planning support and TEKS-aligned artistic skill outcomes, but it does not provide educator guidance for explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic skills, nor does it address how to deliver that instruction in a developmentally appropriate way.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Materials explicitly connect new discipline-specific artistic skills to prior learning across lessons and units within the course and across courses as applicable.

The curriculum includes explicit connections between new discipline-specific artistic skills and prior learning across lessons and units, as described in “Designing Musical Connectivity – How MusicFirst Elementary Sequences and Connects Learning.” This document outlines a spiral curriculum in which concepts are introduced, revisited, and deepened across units and grades, for example, introducing a steady beat in unit 1 and reinforcing it later by adding pitches from sol–mi to la and beyond, and moving from aural and kinesthetic experiences to terminology, notation, and application. The Prepare-Present-Practice model also explains that students experience concepts through singing, listening, movement, or playing before formally naming and practicing them through reading, writing, improvising, composing, singing, moving, or playing. However, the course does not explicitly make these connections because the materials do not identify a specific new grade K discipline-specific artistic skill and link it to a named skill from an earlier grade K lesson or unit. The materials also do not include educator directions, student prompts, reflection stems, comparison tasks, or cumulative demonstrations that require students to make or apply those connections.

Lesson plans across the curriculum do not offer opportunities to review previously learned artistic skills before introducing new content. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 1 Lesson Plan: Dancing Dinosaurs” introduces rhythm by saying, “Rhythm is the way sounds and silences are arranged in music, it is the part that makes you want to move! Rhythm is made up of long and short sounds over a steady beat.” However, the materials neither define nor review what a steady beat is, nor do they connect it to previously taught skills or explicitly link those skills to the new learning about rhythm. The lesson also lacks student prompts, comparison tasks, or cumulative demonstrations that require students to apply prior learning to the new skill.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Materials provide opportunities for students to develop discipline-specific artistic skills through performing, exhibiting, or presenting artistic works at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

There are multiple opportunities for students to develop discipline-specific artistic skills through performance and presentation of musical work throughout the curriculum. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 3, Song 4 Lesson Plan: Shapes” includes outcomes for keeping a steady beat; refining singing through attention to tempo, rhythm, pitch, vocal technique, style, dynamics, and expression; performing instrumental parts with accuracy and expression; and explaining musical genre, structure, significance, and performance context. Students also imitate and create rhythmic and melodic responses, use movement to show musical elements, rehearse with vocal and instrumental techniques, and follow a score while singing or playing. In the “Perform” section, students introduce, perform, record, and reflect on their work.

The materials provide opportunities for students to develop discipline-specific artistic skills through an online instrumental workspace. For example, in the “Kindergarten, Unit 3, Song 4 Lesson Plan: Shapes,” students select an instrumental part, such as a barred instrument part or Boomwhackers. The activity includes note sets, standard notation, note names, score view, 4/4 meter, playback controls, and visual instrument supports. These features support grade K instrumental music skills such as reading notation, identifying pitches, following a score, and preparing to play a part.

Evaluation for 4.2d
Materials provide opportunities for students to refine discipline-specific artistic skills through activities and tasks that progressively increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units within the course.

The materials include opportunities for students to refine discipline-specific artistic skills through the “Kindergarten TEKS Aligned Activity Guide,” which provides multiple examples of activities that engage students in music-specific tasks throughout the course. For example, students write and reproduce rhythmic patterns using standard notation with tools such as Rhythm Grids, Music Notepad, and Music Explorer. They sing while practicing good posture and breath support to improve intonation, play instruments to strengthen technique and intonation, and perform using the dynamics indicated in vocal and instrumental scores. Students also compose and perform melodies using previously learned note values, note names, and dynamics. They also create rhythmic and melodic phrases through improvisation and composition activities using digital and classroom music tools. However, the guide is primarily a TEKS correlation and activity-location document. It identifies multiple aligned activities, but it does not clearly show how activities and tasks progressively increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units.

The section “Kindergarten Year at a Glance: The Awareness Stage,” which provides a broad yearlong overview of grade K music learning, states that grade K students have opportunities to refine discipline-specific artistic skills through reading, writing, performing, and creating standard notation into more complex rhythmic and melodic patterns, independent notation, expressive interpretation, and multi-measure melodies across lessons and units. It also describes spiral learning across rhythm, pitch/melody, expression, form/structure, and texture/harmony, and identifies six units across the year. These sections describe artistic skill areas students may encounter, including singing, playing, improvising, composing, performing, reading notation, and interpreting expression. However, the document does not provide the actual activities or tasks for students to complete. It does not show how students refine artistic skills through rehearsal, feedback, revision, reflection, performance criteria, or repeated improvement. It also does not show a specific progression of tasks that increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units.

Evaluation for 4.2e
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate mastery of discipline-specific artistic skills through performing, exhibiting, or presenting artistic works at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

The materials provide a “My Music Passport: Kindergarten,” which is a unit-level reflection and scoring tool for students to document learning across instructional activity types, including keeping a steady beat, echo-clapping rhythms, creating rhythmic and melodic phrases, singing and playing with accuracy, improvising, composing, performing, and using feedback to refine performance. However, “My Music Passport: Kindergarten” does not include an activity or task that requires students to perform, exhibit, or present an artistic work to demonstrate mastery of these discipline-specific skills. The tool also lacks a rubric, performance descriptors, scoring criteria, or another way to determine mastery of specific unit learning objectives.

The “End-of-Grade Performance Rubric: Kindergarten” identifies an overall end-of-grade performance level and evaluates six broad skill areas: Music Reading and Rhythm, Singing and Vocal Performance, Listening and Critical Response, Instrument Technique, Improvise and Compose, and Performance and Self-Reflection. Each area includes Developing, Achieving, and Mastering descriptors with point values and discipline-specific language related to notation, rhythm, ensemble pulse, vocal performance, instrumental technique, improvisation, composition, presentation, reflection, and goal setting. However, the rubric does not include a required activity or task in which students demonstrate mastery by performing, exhibiting, or presenting an artistic work. It is not aligned to a specific unit, lesson, song, composition, improvisation, or performance task. It does not include TEKS alignment or directions for demonstrating mastery of unit-level musical skills.

Evaluation for 4.3a
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms (e.g., variety of media, variety of performance genres and styles).

The curriculum offers multiple opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms at each grade level and in each subsequent unit. For example, the grade K curriculum includes a “Kindergarten Songs and Styles” document featuring 36 songs from diverse musical genres and styles, distributed across six units. Genres range from hip-hop, jazz, pop, and country to waltz.




The materials include opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms through the online platform offering. For example, the online platform includes a “Global Connections” collection with additional genre-specific six-week units that let students explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms. This collection includes the “Darbar Indian Music Experience,” a six-week unit. The cited Darbar resources show students exploring Indian music through multiple discipline-specific experiences. The “Darbar Indian Music Experience Teacher’s Handbook” explains Indian music concepts such as sargam, raga, tala, drone, tanpura, performance practice, and improvisation, and states that students learn a short two- to three-minute composition on keyboard or piano, may sing the composition, and may perform with some students playing instruments while others sing, demonstrating student opportunities to explore a discipline-specific music tradition through listening, identifying, describing, comparing, singing, playing, performing, and improvising.

Evaluation for 4.3b
Materials provide opportunities for students to create, adapt, or extend discipline-specific artistic works for performance, exhibition, or presentation (in line with appropriate fair use and copyright).

The composition workspace includes views for Pulse, Rhythm Grid, Rhythm Notation, Note Grid, Notation with Note Names, and Notation, along with 4/4 meter, multiple staves, measure divisions, repeat signs, rhythm values, playback controls, and a song-aligned audio track. These tools give students an opportunity to create or extend musical material connected to “Zootime.” However, the materials do not include guidance, prompts, parameters, criteria, or educator support that require students to apply the artistic skills developed in the course.

Throughout the curriculum, students have limited opportunities to create, adapt, or extend discipline-specific artistic works for performance, exhibition, or presentation (in line with appropriate fair use and copyright). For example, the “Music Explorer Teacher Guide” describes Music Explorer as supporting a range of musical activities, including notation, improvising, and composing. This evidence shows that students have access to a digital tool that may be used to create, adapt, or extend musical works. However, the cited evidence does not include required instructions, parameters, criteria, prompts, or educator guidance directing students to apply artistic skills learned in the program. For example, the activity does not require students to incorporate a specific rhythm, melodic contour, form, phrase structure, notation skill, style characteristic, expressive element, or compositional technique. The materials provide creative tools and optional activity ideas, but the evidence does not show that students must apply learned artistic skills when creating, adapting, or extending their work for performance, exhibition, or presentation.




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Evaluation for 4.3c
Materials include guidance for teachers on promoting student agency in making or selecting discipline-specific artistic works for study, performance, exhibition, or presentation.

The curriculum gives students opportunities to exercise agency by creating or selecting discipline-specific artistic works for study. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 5, Song 4 Lesson Plan: Brush Your Teeth” includes a section entitled “Compose with the Song,” which provides a list that includes some choices students may make to promote student agency, including: “Choose to work by yourself or with friends,” “Create your own musical ideas and melodies, “Make your music better using ideas from your educator and friends,” and “Talk about how you made your music and which sounds you chose.” However, the materials do not provide educator guidance on promoting student agency, working with students through the process, or using the materials.



The materials give students opportunities to create or select discipline-specific artistic works for study, performance, exhibition, or presentation. For example, the “Guided Questions Bank: Grades K–5” includes questions for musical activities found within lesson plans. The “Compose with the Song” row provides questions that ask students what story their composition tells, how they could use the shape of the melody to tell a story, what could make the composition unique or interesting, what note they should start or end on, what the feeling or mood of the song is, and what they can add or take away to improve the song. However, the guided question bank does not include guidance for educators on promoting student agency in making or selecting discipline-specific artistic works for study, performance, exhibition, or presentation. The cited questions do not connect the student-created composition to study, performance, exhibition, presentation, sharing, or audience-facing use.

Evaluation for 5.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works of other artists at the level of depth and complexity required by the course TEKS.

The “MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview” document describes the “Listen and Respond” activity as a recurring part of the MusicFirst Elementary curriculum, and the overview states that students listen and respond to the weekly song, discuss historical and cultural context, learn about elements of music, and use tabs such as Listen, Respond, Extended Listening, Understand, and Connect. However, the overview does not include guidance for educators to provide explicit (direct) instruction in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works of other artists at the level of depth and complexity required by the course TEKS. The cited overview does not provide educator-facing instructional steps, modeling, criteria, or prompts for explicit instruction. It does not show all three required actions—interpreting, evaluating, and responding—being taught directly.

While the “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 6 Lesson Plan: Chocolate” provides short sentences within the “Listen, Move, and Respond Options” section, these are only bulleted lists sequencing the steps in the lessons and a few questions like “Is it fast or slow?” as options to ask students. However, there is no explicit instruction on interpreting or evaluating music, nor is there a level of depth and complexity to match the course TEKS.

Evaluation for 5.1b
Materials emphasize the use of discipline-specific vocabulary in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to artistic works.

Throughout the program, the materials emphasize using discipline-specific vocabulary to interpret, evaluate, and respond to artistic works. The “Discipline-Specific Vocabulary Progression” document contains a table that sequences the vocabulary across K–5 so that every unit’s “Evaluating & Responding” activities draw from and build on an explicit, cumulative word list. For example, the grade K vocabulary list includes loud/soft, fast/slow, and like/because, with student-friendly definitions to use alongside them.


The materials contain “Listen and Respond” tasks that are built directly from a specific lesson’s own vocabulary and are aligned to TEKS for each lesson. These tasks will include a list of the vocabulary being used in that specific lesson, as well as a script for educators to use that incorporates the vocabulary when talking to students.

Evaluation for 5.1c
Materials provide opportunities for students to practice interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works of other artists through activities and tasks that progressively increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units within the course.

The materials give students opportunities to practice interpreting, evaluating, and responding to other artists’ discipline-specific work. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 6 Lesson Plan: Chocolate” includes questions for students to answer at the end of the lesson. However, these activities and tasks do not progressively increase in rigor or complexity, as the questions match those used throughout other lessons and units at this grade level.

The curriculum offers students opportunities to practice interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works by other artists. For example, the Kindergarten Listen and Respond Activity Form allows students to practice these skills by answering basic questions such as “Do you hear high sounds or low sounds in the music, or both?” and “Does the music sound mostly loud or mostly quiet?” Despite these opportunities, the activities and tasks do not progressively increase in rigor or complexity across lessons and units, as the same questions recur throughout.

Evaluation for 5.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in giving and receiving feedback on discipline-specific artistic works to self and other students.

The “Explicit Instruction: Giving & Receiving Feedback” document guides educators in teaching students to give and receive feedback on discipline-specific artistic works with peers. The document includes educator scripts and structured processes for teaching students to give feedback to peers and respond to peer feedback. While it guides students in giving feedback to others, the materials do not provide explicit instructional guidance for educators to teach students how to give themselves feedback.

Additionally, the materials include a “My Music Passport: Summative Assessment” document, which provides a general overview of its use. However, these materials do not include guidance for educators on how to have students receive peer feedback.

Evaluation for 5.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to give feedback on discipline-specific artistic works created by other students.

The Kindergarten Peer Assessment Tool provides sentence stems for students to use when giving feedback to peers. Students are encouraged to identify strengths in peers’ work, explain what they liked, and offer suggestions for next time.

The materials do not include guidance for educators on how to provide feedback that helps students refine their discipline-specific artistic work. For example, the Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklist contains educator-facing rating scales for musical knowledge and artistic skills. However, the materials do not include guidance on how educators can share ratings, provide comments, or communicate strengths and areas for growth to students.

Evaluation for 5.2c
Materials provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on their discipline-specific artistic works from teachers and other students.

The materials give students opportunities to receive feedback on their discipline-specific artistic work from peers. For example, the “Peer & Teacher Feedback Protocols” document includes structured peer-feedback opportunities, such as the “Listening Partners” protocol, that support students in exchanging and responding to feedback. However, the materials do not provide planned opportunities for educators to give students feedback on their discipline-specific artistic work. Although the “Peer & Teacher Feedback Protocols” document includes a general “Teacher Feedback Conference” protocol, it does not identify when or where students receive educator feedback during instruction.

The materials do not include guidance for educators on providing feedback that helps students refine their discipline-specific artistic work. For example, the Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklist contains educator-facing rating scales for musical knowledge and artistic skills. However, the materials do not include guidance on how educators can share ratings, provide comments, or communicate strengths and areas for growth to students.

Evaluation for 5.2d
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide feedback to students to refine their discipline-specific artistic works.

The MusicFirst Elementary Assessment Guide K–5 summarizes optional assessments and ways educators can use the resulting data to provide feedback to students and refine their discipline-specific artistic work.

The “Teacher Feedback to Refine Student Work” document provides guidance for educators to give students feedback to refine their discipline-specific artistic work. The document provides educators with a structured process for giving timely, specific, and actionable feedback. It also includes discipline-specific examples that show how educators can identify an area for improvement, provide targeted feedback, and give students an opportunity to apply it through a reattempt.

Evaluation for 5.2e
Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in self-reflection or self-evaluation to refine their discipline-specific artistic works.

The materials do not provide opportunities for students to reflect on their artistic work. For example, “My Music Passport: Kindergarten” gives students sentence stems to complete about how they feel about the activities or songs and to draw a picture of something they learned. However, students have no opportunity to reflect on their musical skills or how those skills develop.



The materials do not provide opportunities for students to engage in self-evaluation. For example, the Guided Question Bank offers a list of questions students may ask themselves after a song or lesson, but the materials do not provide a structured process for students to record responses, evaluate their artistic work against criteria, or use their reflections to revise and improve their performance or creation. Additionally, the materials do not include student response forms, reflection tools, or follow-up activities that connect self-evaluation to artistic refinement.

Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on cross-curricular connections within and across the fine arts disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects (e.g., literacy, math, social studies, science) as applicable.

The materials include lessons with cross-curricular connections between fine arts and core academic subjects. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 6, Song 3 Lesson Plan: Ten Little Speckled Frogs” includes a section labeled “Cross-Curricular Focus” with a paragraph for students to read about the planet and nature. However, the materials do not include guidance for educators to provide explicit (direct) instruction on cross-curricular connections within and across the fine arts disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects. The materials also do not specify when to use this paragraph in the lesson. Additionally, this paragraph does not connect to any specific part of the lesson.

Although the materials include lessons with cross-curricular connections between fine arts and core academic subjects, they do not provide guidance for educators to give explicit (direct) instruction. For example, the “MusicFirst Elementary: An Overview” document lists cross-curricular connections embedded throughout the grade levels, such as history, social justice, communities, traditions, and science. However, the materials do not provide guidance for educators on explicitly teaching these elements to students.

Evaluation for 6.1b
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore cross-curricular connections within and across the various fine art disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects (e.g., literacy, math, social studies, science) as applicable.

The materials offer opportunities for students to explore cross-curricular connections across fine arts disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects. For example, the “Kindergarten, Unit 6, Song 3 Teach Slides: Ten Little Speckled Frogs” include “Listen and Respond” and “Did You Know?” tabs with student-facing materials that let students explore cross-curricular connections. Specifically, the “Did You Know?” tab includes a few sentences about frogs, subtraction, and the trumpet.


The materials provide opportunities for students to explore cross-curricular connections within and across the various subjects. For example, the MusicFirst Elementary Collections tab includes a section titled “Global Connections,” which provides musical examples from countries such as Ghana, Brazil, and India, giving students the opportunity to explore different genres and styles of music from around the world.

Evaluation for 6.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS.

The “Kindergarten, Unit 2, Song 6 Teach Slides: Chocolate” includes a “Listen and Respond” section and a “Did You Know?” section that provides background information on the song’s historical and cultural context. However, it does not provide guidance for the educator to give students explicit (direct) instruction on the information.



Although the materials include lessons that offer discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS, the materials do not include guidance for educators to provide explicit (direct) instruction on said topics. For example, the “MusicFirst Elementary Collections” includes an “American Patriotic Music” section with six slide decks and student-facing materials featuring songs and activities. At least one song per slide deck contains information about the historical and/or cultural context of the song. However, materials do not include educator guidance on how to use the Collection. Additionally, these materials are the same for each grade level and do not align to grade-level TEKS.

Evaluation for 6.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific artistic works and traditions (e.g., variety of historical and contemporary artistic works, artistic traditions from diverse cultures).

The materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific historical and contemporary artistic works. For example, “Kindergarten, Unit 3, Song 5 Teach Slides: Hush Little Baby” includes a “Did You Know?” section with sentences about the song’s background and information about lullabies.

The materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific artistic traditions. For example, the Collections tab includes a “Listen and Respond” section with eight subcategories to explore different music styles. Each slide deck contains songs with different activities and includes information about the song’s historical and/or cultural context. Additionally, a Connect tab includes information about the music style, where the song comes from, and how it relates to other styles in music history.

Evaluation for 6.2c
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS.

The materials do not include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS. For example, the Kindergarten Listen and Respond Activity Form includes questions such as “Does this have a steady beat?” or “Is the music fast like a cheetah, slow like a turtle, or somewhere in between like a dog?” However, the form does not include prompts or questions that ask students to examine the music’s historical or cultural context. The materials do not provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of how historical and cultural influences shape a musical work.

Although the materials include lessons that provide historical and cultural context aligned with the course TEKS, they do not include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of these concepts. For example, the Kindergarten Formative Assessment Checklist describes what students should be able to do and lists the skills they should have. However, it does not include tasks that would require students to demonstrate their understanding of relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context.