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Thespy Performance Adjudicator Training Model

Recorded On: 06/18/2024

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This Thespy Adjudication Course has been designed for training adjudicators who will be viewing and scoring student work as a part of the EdTA Thespy program.   You not need to be a member of EdTA to take the training, but you must click on the "Register" button.  When you click on the "Register" button you will be asked to log in by creating a free account.  EdTA members should simply use their EdTA login.  

The course provides an overview of scoring student work using a rubric, then demonstrates how to use these skills with the rubrics for Thespy events.  The learner should access the exemplar rubrics at this link to use while moving through the course modules.  Upon completion of the training, the user may print a certificate as proof of training which may be presented if required for either Thespy adjudication at the International Thespian Festival or for Thespy adjudication at a Chapter qualifying event.  

NOTE:  Online adjudicator training should be combined with an in-person practice session to allow the adjudicators to deeply understand how to apply the rubric and come to a common agreement on the meaning of each descriptor.  This process is called "norming". 

Ken Bolinsky

Arts Curriculum and Assessment Consultant

Ken Bolinsky holds an MFA in Directing from Syracuse University and is a licensed arts educator who taught theatre on both the secondary and post-secondary levels for more than twenty years. As an educational consultant he's worked with national, regional, state and local educational and arts organizations to develop standards-based curricula, instructional formats and assessment methodologies in the arts, and served fourteen years as State Coordinator of the NEA's Poetry Out Loud initiative for the Mississippi Arts Council. 

Ken is also a stage director with seventy-seven productions under his belt, covering the gamut of educational, community, and professional theatre. With credits ranging from New York's Off-Broadway to Chicago's Off-Loop, he is a member of two theatrical Unions: Stage Directors & Choreographers Society and Actors' Equity Association.

Key:

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Understanding Scoring
Scoring
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  5 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  5 minutes Learn about best practice for scoring student work with a rubric.
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Quiz (Updated 9/12/23)
10 Questions  |  Unlimited attempts  |  28/40 points to pass
10 Questions  |  Unlimited attempts  |  28/40 points to pass Section Quiz: Scoring
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Deep Dive Into Performance Rubric Elements
Slating and Transitions
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  3 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  3 minutes Performance rubrics begin with criteria describing success at slating and transitions. This video breaks down the rubric descriptors to demonstrate how to evaluate student performance using the rubric.
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Characterization
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  3 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  3 minutes Examine the characterization criteria in performance rubrics and practice using the rubric with student performance examples.
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Voice and Vocal Work
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  12 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  12 minutes Examine the criteria for voice and vocal work in both acting and musical theatre performance rubrics and practice using the rubrics with student performance examples.
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Movement and Dance
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  9 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  9 minutes Examine the criteria for movement and dance in both acting and musical theatre performance rubrics and practice using the rubrics with student performance examples.
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Execution
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  9 minutes
Recorded 07/19/2023  |  9 minutes Examine the criteria for execution in both acting and musical theatre performance rubrics and practice using the rubrics with student performance examples.
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Practice Scoring a Performance
Superior Performance - Raghavan
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin.
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. View the following Thespy performance from 2018, which scored Superior at the International Thespian Festival in that year. Please note that this was prior to our rebranding and renaming of the IE events. Although the score and adjudicator's comments will help you, please make your own decision about the score for this student's work by looking at the Solo Acting rules and the solo acting rubric found in the handouts. Remember to begin by considering the "Excellent" criteria level and determining if you agree that you should move up to Superior.
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Answer these two questions to score.
2 Questions
2 Questions Using the rubric for solo acting performance, please give this student a score.
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Share your score with other adjudicators.
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. In high stakes adjudication settings, adjudicators are given time to practice adjudicating example student performances with the rubrics that will be used in the actual adjudication setting. Adjudicators score these examples, and then share and discuss their scores and explain their decisions. They are encouraged to dive deeply into the rubric during the sharing. This exercise allows adjudicators to come to agreement on alignment between the scoring criteria in the rubric and what they are seeing in student performances, and to reach a shared understanding of the rubric. This process is called "norming" the adjudicators. "Norming" aligns expectations to a commonly shared "norm" and understanding, and leads to better inter-rater reliability. In this exercise you will be asked to share the score you assigned the student work, and an explanation of your reasoning. Look to your comments for help. Once you have done your discussion post you will have access to view any other posts from other adjudicators in this training, simulating a "norming" experience. If there are no responses, stop back, some are coming! As you read the responses from other adjudicators, think about how you scored the student, has anything shifted in your thoughts?
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Optional: Using Open Water
Open Water Adjudication Tool
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin.
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. Open Water is a software which embeds the Thespy rubrics in an online platform used for scoring Thespy performances. Any adjudicator who will be scoring at the International Thespian Festival will be required to use Open Water. This brief tutorial for adjudicators walks through how to use the tool.
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Certificate: Print a Certificate for Completing Performance Thespy Adjudication Training
Performance Thespy Adjudicator Training Certificate
1.00 Certificate of Participation contact hour  |  Certificate available
1.00 Certificate of Participation contact hour  |  Certificate available This certificate certifies that the bearer has completed Thespy adjudicator training.
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Optional: View Adjudication Training & Norming Example
2024 Adjudicator Virtual Training
Recorded 06/18/2024  |  90 minutes
Recorded 06/18/2024  |  90 minutes Looking for an example of what happens at an in person training? Need to offer training for adjudicators in your state who were unable to attend training in person? View this recorded virtual training offered in 2024. TIP: If you are wanting to see the norming in process fast forward the video to 25:22 to view the norming process in action.
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Virtual Adjudication Training Certificate
1.50 certificate of participation contact hours  |  Certificate available
1.50 certificate of participation contact hours  |  Certificate available Print your certificate certifying that you have viewed the virtual adjudication training module.
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Optional: Technical Theatre Thespy Adjudication
Technical Theatre Module - Brief Summary Full Training Available in the Technical Theatre Adjudication Training Course
Recorded 09/08/2023  |  7 minutes
Recorded 09/08/2023  |  7 minutes This training module is a short summary of some training specific to technical theatre Thespy rubrics and offers helpful tips for scoring from experienced technical theatre adjudicators. It may be useful to download the Thespy guide found in the handouts for reference as you watch this module. This is a useful option to require as a brief refresher for training adjudicators who will do mostly performance Thespys. THOSE SCORING ONLY TECHNICAL THEATRE THESPYS SHOULD TAKE THE TECHNICAL THEATRE ADJUDICATOR TRAINING COURSE AT https://learn.schooltheatre.org/products/technical-theatre-thespy-adjudicator-training-model
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