What are the hallmarks
of good arts education programs? Look for the following indicators:
- Arts are required courses for
all students, and are based on expectations or standards.
- Certified, enthusiastic arts
specialists teach all basic arts courses.
- Arts curricula include
comprehensive, sequential instruction responsive to students'
developmental needs and skill levels.
- Arts programs focus on basic
skills of learning about, talking about, and creating/performing
art, rather than on art as enrichment.
- Students' arts knowledge is
assessed regularly to ensure that high standards are met.
- Students and teachers are
provided adequate supplies, equipment, and space.
- Arts teachers are provided
time and encouragement to develop interdisciplinary programs with
other teachers.
- Arts teachers invite
professional artists into the classroom to provide deeper
knowledge of artists' work and training, to work on special
projects, and to provide artists-in-education experiences.
- Students experience special
programs offered by community cultural institutions.
- Arts teachers have the
opportunity for professional development experiences.
Parent Protests = Gains
for the Arts
Elementary instrumental music and
visual arts programs for grades 1 through 5 were endangered in 1996
when Wichita, Kansas, parents protested. As a result, community
support for the arts grew.
An exchange program involves
parents, colleges and universities, local arts organizations, and
businesses. Students spend time observing the arts at work in
businesses, and enjoy workshops presented by people in the community.
The strong base built at the elementary level continues through
middle and high school arts programs including music theory, drama,
and photography. (President's Committee on the Arts and the
Humanities and Arts Education Partnership, 1999)
Parents Support Art
Education in Schools
The arts enable students to think
creatively, solve challenging problems, and demonstrate what they
know. Students get excited about learning, and are more likely to be
successful in school, when they are actively involved in the
arts.
Even so, many who establish school
funding priorities are not aware of the compelling benefits the arts
provide to children. If the arts are in jeopardy for students in your
community, and you know the importance of art in helping children
achieve their fullest potential, then it's time to act! These tips
will help you get started.
1. Get to know your
children's teachers and school administrators. Communicate often
about the importance of art to all areas of learning. Volunteer in
classrooms and with school arts performances so you can speak from
first-hand knowledge.
2. Attend school board meetings.
Find out who the players are and how they vote on issues. Volunteer
for curriculum committees. Know how decisions are made that affect
your kids' schools and influence that process.
3. Gather information about the
arts in your children's schools. What is each building's mission?
Arts budget? Are student and teacher schedules conducive to the arts?
What are the program's strengths? Areas ripe for improvement? Conduct
a community survey to gather information. Analyze the results in a
concise report, and distribute it widely.
4. Obtain curriculum
standards-national, state, and local-for the arts. Collect samples of
children's creative work to document how these standards are
addressed through children's creative efforts. [ link to success
story What Excellence in Arts Education Looks Like).
5. Identify pressing needs in the
arts to address in your school. Could the school board or
administrators more fully support the arts? Could classroom teachers
and art specialists more thoroughly integrate the curriculum? Are
additional arts rooms and supplies needed for children to be fully
involved in the arts? Could teachers learn more about the value of
the arts and how to implement them in their classrooms? How could
cultural resources be incorporated more effectively into the
curriculum? Are new ways to assess children's creative abilities
needed?
6. Make your voice be heard.
Generate enthusiasm! Be persistent. Find creative ways to assure that
decision-makers are captivated by the evidence and your commitment.
Demonstrate that parent power for the arts makes everyone a
winner!
