Family and Community Guide for Secondary Music

2020 standards family and community guides banner

Working Together: To support families, communities, and teachers in realizing the goals of the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS), this guide provides an overview of the learning expectations for students studying high school music. This guide offers some learning experiences students may engage in at school that may also be supported at home.

Why Standards? Created by Coloradans for Colorado students, the Colorado Academic Standards provide a grade-by-grade road map to help ensure students are successful in college, careers, and life. The standards aim to improve what students learn and how they learn in 12 content areas while emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and communication as essential skills for life in the 21st century.

See all the Family and Community Guides here.

Where can I learn more?

As always, the best place to learn about what your child is learning is from your child's teacher and school. The Colorado Academic Standards describe goals, but how those goals are met is a local decision.
The Colorado Academic Standards were written for an audience of professional educators, but parents and community members looking to dig deeper may want to read them for themselves. Visit the Standards and Instructional Support homepage for several options for reading the 2020 CAS.
If you have further questions, please contact the content specialists in the Office of Standards and Instructional Support.

Colorado Academic Standards: Music

Music (adopted 2022)

The music standards in the secondary years are differentiated for skill development: Novice, Intermediate, Proficient, and Accomplished. These levels allow for individualized rigorous musical experiences for students, middle school through high school

Music Skills Appendix:

The Music Skills Appendix provides context and support for the varied levels of learning across a secondary (middle school and high school) music learning experience. Access the Music Skills Appendix to learn more.

In Completing Novice through Accomplished Coursework, students:

Expression of Music: Perform music making interpretive choices. Incorporate practice processes to develop independent musicianship.
Creation of Music: Create music through composing original music, improvisation, and arranging existing music.
Theory of Music:Apply knowledge of music notation by reading, performing, listening, and describing music.
Response to Music: Describe musical performances from a variety of styles, genres, and cultures using music terminology. Explain personal preferences and how music is used in society and culture across time.