"I have been a victim of poor grading and evaluation systems and practices throughout my formative years and during my band conducting years.”
 

So begins co-author Paul Kimpton in this remarkable and practical workbook that challenges music educators to examine their grading procedures to be fair and clear—and help motivate students to achieve musically.
 

Effective grading systems, the authors state, are based on best practice, create a culture of learning, and develop student accountability. A well-crafted system leads to Independent Musicians Creating Quality Performances (IMCQP).
 

Grading for Musical Excellence, complete with workbook exercises and reflective questions, encourages music educators to “forget the baggage” and work as a team to assess the current grading system and move to the next level, incorporating the latest research about grading. Authors Paul and Ann Kimpton outline steps that will help music educators develop a fair grading system that effectively motivates students to achieve, accounts for individual differences, and connects to Common Core standards.
 

Intended for K–16 music educators, administrators, and pre-service music educators, this book is an excellent resource that can have a profound effect on the music classroom. A music educator for 33 years, Paul Kimpton recently retired from his position as director of bands and department chair at a leading suburban Chicago high school. He is co-author of Scale Your Way to Music Assessment and the Adventures with Music fiction series where the heroes are young musicians. 

Ann Kimpton, married to Paul, is an assistant principal for curriculum and instruction and former literacy department chair and teacher at a suburban Chicago high school. She plays French horn.