Guides to the Colorado Academic Standards in Music

The Arts Standards reflect the innate creativity and rigorous cognition, required to produce a work of art, all students deserve to experience. The standards challenge the elitist perception sometimes associated with the arts, asking all students to stretch their thinking and participate in the creative process inherent in each arts discipline (Know/Comprehend, Create, Perform/Present, and Refine/Critique). 

In partnership with the Colorado PTA, family and community guides to the Colorado Academic Standards (in English and Spanish) have been created to help families and communities across Colorado better understand the goals and outcomes of the Colorado Academic Standards. The guides describe the “big picture” purpose of the standards, as road maps to help ensure that all Colorado students graduate ready for life, college, and careers. They also provide overviews of the learning expectations for each of the ten content areas of the standards and offer examples of educational experiences that students may engage in, and that families could support, during the school year.

View guides for all of Colorado's core content areas.

High School Performance Guides to Music: 

• Band, Choir, or Orchestra (Ensemble)
• Jazz Band (Ensemble)
• Marching Band (Ensemble)
• Piano or Guitar
• Show Choir (Ensemble)

Generalist Pathway/Academic Guides to Music:

• Music Appreciation
• Music Theory 

Middle School Guides to Music:

• 8th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 6th Grade

Elementary School Guides to Music

• 5th Grade
• 4th Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 1st Grade
• Kindergarten