Survey your constituents: community, arts organizations, students, parents, school administrators and officials, town political and civic leaders, teachers, senior citizens, business leaders. Get a pulse on your community and how different segments of the population feel about arts education and what the arts can do for the community, both within the school and in the broader community. You may think you know how people feel about the arts, but you may really be surprised at what you learn by doing an “environmental scan” of different segments of your town, village, or city.
RESOURCES
State
National
- National Core Arts Standards (2015)
- Professional Arts Education Associations
- Music: National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
- Visual Arts: National Arts Education Association (NAEA)
- Theatre: American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE)
- Dance: National Dance Education Organization (NDEO)
TOOLS
- Kennedy Center Community Arts Audit (this page has multiple resources)
Arts|Learning Toolkit Sample Surveys
- Community
- Arts Organization
- Student K-3
- Student 4-8
- Student High School
- Administrator
CURRENT RESEARCH
- Arts|Learning Research Summary
- Creative Minds/ Cognition
The Arts develop cognition and creative thinking. - 21st Century Workforce Skills/ Creative Economy
The Arts develop skills and habits of mind crucial to 21st Century workforce preparation. - Engagement/Drop-Out Prevention and At-Risk Students
The Arts reach students who are not otherwise being reached and engage students in hands-on, project based learning. - Civic Mindedness and Character Building
The Arts develop character and promote civic engagement through community service and teamwork. - State and National Regulations/ESSA
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) states that the arts are part of a well-rounded education and they should be taught sequentially. Massachusetts recommended high school sequence for graduation, MASSCORE, includes an arts credit in the high school curriculum. Additionally, the arts are included in the MA 1993 Education Reform Act as part of the “common core of learning” for all students in Massachusetts.
What Should be on your bookshelf?
CURRENT NEWS