Case
Performance Assessment in Music Education

I teach acoustic guitar in middle school. This of course involves students in sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. I am struggling to find new ways to assess all three levels WITHIN their classes in an equitable way. I have many students who take private lessons, and those at every grade level who are just beginning. I'm having difficulty creating new assessments during concert preparations that not only involves each students for grading purposes, but benefits all grade levels, as well as all the performance levels WITHIN the grade levels. For those of you in music education at the secondary level, what strategies do you use outside of regular individual performance assessments?

Solution #1
Have you tried putting students in small groups and having them perform different leveled songs?
Solution #2
You could pick keep track of the levels students are at and make a fair range. Once you set the ranges for the levels find songs that go with that and assess the same level students together.