FOREWORD

On behalf of the County Superintendents of the State of California, we are pleased to introduce Leading the Way to Arts : A Reference Guide for Educational Leaders. Developed by the Alameda County Office of Education and the CCSESA Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) Visual and Performing Arts Subcommittee as part of the CCSESA Arts Initiative, Leading the Way to Arts Education is a practical guide that recommends step-by-step practices for county- and district-level administrative leaders to adopt in order to promote arts plans at the district, school, home, and community levels.

The California County Superintendents Education Services Association (CCSESA) is an organization consisting of the County Superintendents of Schools from the state’s 58 counties, working in partnership with the California Department of Education. The Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) is a subcommittee of CCSESA consisting of county office associate superintendents focusing on curriculum, instruction, and professional development. The Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) subcommittee works to strengthen support and service in arts education in all California school districts. Through the CCSESA Arts Initiative and the CISC VAPA Subcommittee, county superintendents and their staffs are building capacity to advocate and increase visibility for arts education in California public schools. This work includes the development of K-12 arts education curriculum resources aligned to the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools, as well as the cultivation of district- and school-level leadership to design and implement district arts education plans.

This guidebook was developed by the Visual and Performing Arts subcommittee and the Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, Alameda County Office of Education. We extend special thanks to Patty Taylor, CCSESA Arts Consultant, who contributed greatly to the development and finalization of the document as well as the CCSESA/CISC Visual and Performing Arts Regional Leads who provided input for this project. It is our hope that this will be a useful tool for educational leaders and partners statewide.

Sarah Anderberg Director, CCSESA Arts Initiative California County Superintendents Educational Services Association

Francisca Sanchez Chair, Visual and Performing Arts Subcommittee Associate Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….……………1 County Offices of Education CCSESA Statewide Regional Network for Quality, Equity and Access

I. Advancing Arts Education For Every Child In California…….………………...... ……………………3 Start Where You Are Establish A Clear Vision Move Your Vision Into Action Through Policy and Planning

II. Leadership Roles, Responsibilities and Resources………………………………..………………….5 District Leadership School Board Leadership School Site Leadership Arts Teachers Classroom (Non-Arts) Teachers Teaching Artists and Community Arts Providers

III. Parents as Community Assets and Advocates……………..……………………………………….15

IV. Reaching Out to the Business Community……………………………...... ……………..………..16

V. Conclusion: Arts Education Matters to All of Us…………………………...... ……………..……..18

APPENDIX A. List of 11 Regional Leads...... ……………………..…...…..19 B. Sample Arts Education Policies - Sample A...... …………..21 Sample Arts Education Policies - Sample B...... …………..22 C. C.O.E “Can Do” List...... ………………….….……..…..…..23 D. The “Bones” of a County Arts Education Plan….………...... 24 E. District /COE Arts Planning Chart….………………….....…25 F. County Office Arts Education Plan Template….……...…..…26 G. Continuum of County Office Plans for the Arts….…....….…27 H. District Arts Education Plan Example….…………....…....…31 I. District Arts Plan: Component, Content, Format………....…32 J. Stages of District Planning.....…………………….....……..33 INTRODUCTION

Leading the Way to Arts Education provides practical assistance to cultivate and support the district and regional leadership required to build arts education programs and policies, and connects district and school leaders with a rich history of experience and arts learning resources.

Recent research confirms that educators and parents believe the arts are essential in creating a meaningful, high quality education for all children. Across primary and secondary grade levels, practice and participation in the arts is proving to be one of the best ways to equip young people with the pro-social behaviors and critical thinking tools they need to contribute fully in society.

Despite the promising qualitative and quantitative research, and the widespread support of parents and teachers, the full re-integration of arts programming in K-12 public education remains an unrealized goal. In 2007, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation funded an empirical study by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), International, on the state of arts education in California public schools. The study found that: • 89% of California K-12 schools fail to offer a standards-based course of study in all four disciplines – music, visual arts, theatre, and dance – and thus fall short of state goals for arts education; • Arts facilities and materials are lacking in most schools; • Standards alignment, assessment, and accountability practices are uneven in arts education, and often not present at all; • Students attending high-poverty schools have less access to arts instruction than their peers in more affluent communities.

These findings underscore the urgent need for local and regional leadership to build the knowledge, skills, programs, systems and relationships required to develop the capacity of public school educators to teach all students in and through the arts. Delivering on California’s promise to provide a high quality, arts-inclusive education for every child will require dedicated and coordinated leadership, collaborative planning and resource sharing on the part of school and district leaders, teachers, parents and policymakers.

CALIFORNIA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION (CCSESA) ARTS INITIATIVE

California’s 58 County Offices of Education support the financial and academic stability of every district and school in California. The primary aim of the county offices is to work collaboratively with school districts to ensure that every student benefits from a quality educational experience, regardless of their circumstances. County superintendents design and implement statewide programs, carryout and lead significant policy initiatives, legislative mandates, and more, to ensure consistent statewide application and standards. County superintendents of schools and their staff strengthen the service and leadership in support of students, schools, districts and communities.

The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association supports the belief that every student needs and deserves a high-quality education in the arts, including the subject areas of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts as part of a comprehensive curriculum. The CCSESA Arts Initiative, sponsored by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is taking a leadership role in providing support, technical assistance, and services for teachers, administrators, and parents.

1 An Unfinished Canvas, Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices, 2007. SRI International, commissioned by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

1 Through the CCSESA Arts Initiative, regional county offices have been positioned to expand their services to include a wide range of professional development, technical assistance, planning, and support programs. Through the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee and its Visual and Performing Arts Subcommittee, regional arts leads provide an infrastructure for arts leadership statewide to strengthen delivery of K-12 arts education. County offices of education are uniquely positioned to convene districts for resource sharing, collaborative learning and problem solving. County offices of education: • Provide Multi-faceted resource development (grant writing, parcel tax development, local public education foundations, state and federal funding opportunities, etc.) • Coordinate regional and county advocacy efforts • Create multi-faceted partnerships to support restoration of arts in education that includes teachers, administrators, university partners, parents, business and policymakers California educators should view this guide as a framework for thinking about the broad leadership required to build and sustain these infrastructures and inform board policymaking. Rooted in promising practices, it offers practical suggestions on how educators and community-based stakeholders can best work together to support access to a well-rounded education, inclusive of learning in and through the arts, for every child.

* See Appendices A. List of 11 Regional Leads and C. C.O.E “Can Do” List

LEADING THE WAY TO ARTS EDUCATION

This guide will help leaders understand: • Which key questions to ask about arts learning in the classroom • Where to begin in the planning and/or program improvement process • How to establish clear roles and responsibilities for everyone involved • How to build districts’ capacity to offer comprehensive, standards-based arts programs • How to address teacher professional development needs • How to establish infrastructures that support arts programs Educators and administrators should view this guide as a gateway to the statewide network of regional technical assistance and professional development resources CCSESA has built to respond to the needs of county offices of education and school districts in California. Regional CCSESA contacts can provide assistance and access to: • A statewide knowledge base • Regional forums on arts education • Advocacy toolkit • Arts assessment resource guide • K-12 curriculum guides • Professional development program profiles • In-the-classroom arts education report card • An annual state wide conference with workshops to help you “start where you are” In addition to the guidance offered in this document, many Internet and print resources are available to help education leaders access networks and sources of support, including best and promising practices. At the end of each section is a brief references list that directs readers to a selection of these resources.

To learn more about the CCSESA Arts Initiative, visit www.ccsesaarts.org and click on the “Resources” tab.

* See Appendices D. The “Bones” of a County Arts Education Plan, E. District /COE Arts Planning Chart and F. County Office Arts Education Plan Template, Continuum of County Office Plans for the Arts

2 I. ADVANCING ARTS EDUCATION FOR EVERY CHILD IN CALIFORNIA

Start where you are. Just as children benefit from differentiated instruction, every school and every district has different needs, different resources, different challenges and different starting places. Perhaps 90 percent of your students speak a language other than English as their first language; perhaps your district is composed of small schools in isolated rural locations; perhaps you live in an area rich in artists and cultural resources; or perhaps the nearest bookstore is several hours away.

All of the districts and schools cited in this guide started somewhere and built upon what they had. Begin by taking a reality snapshot: What do you currently have in the way of existing programs, facilities, equipment, human resources and community resources?

Establish a clear vision. Districts need to establish a vision for the role of arts education in supporting student learning and development that involves all stakeholders in order to ensure that all students have opportunities to experience quality learning in every school, every day. The vision will reinforce the values and priorities of the community and serve as a mechanism to build consensus, enthusiasm, and endorsement among stakeholders. Stakeholders include teachers (classroom and arts specialists), administrators (site-based and district level), superintendent/assistant superintendent(s), parents, students, community business leaders, artists and representatives of arts organizations, school board members and representatives from .

The vision must: • Reflect the values of educators, parents, students and the business community • Enable the creation of a plan • Inform policies and practices that support teaching and learning in the arts • Include the skills, knowledge and dispositions that stakeholders agree every student needs in order to be successful in school today

A suggested process for creating a vision includes the following: • Ask people what matters most to them in their school, district, county • Collect their ideas in short phrases • Group them by common ideas • Determine what is each grouping is about • Appoint a committee to craft the vision for group review based on the ideas expressed

Move from vision to policy-driven planning: Your district’s vision reflects the values, assets, needs and capacity of your community. Policy preserves that vision, legitimates the values and priorities that inform it, and establishes a formal structure of accountability for its realization. Sound policy formalizes and institutionalizes the district-wide arts education vision as a commitment to moving beyond ideals to reality. For example, some district leaders

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articulate a commitment to arts education, but not all districts have formally adopted the California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards (VAPA content standards). A commitment to staff development that supports the innovation methods emerging from arts teaching and learning might be another significant policy element. The move from vision to policy is just one example‘‘ of showing your district’s readiness to move from ideals to actions, and will increase the district’s credibility with community stakeholders and potential partners and funders.

Just as district visions vary according to local needs, resources and priorities, there is no single template for arts education policies. However, district leaders can be guided by existing policies in districts similar in size and scope to their own. For an overview of the range of possibilities and district ownership of policies, in the Appendix are two examples of board-adopted arts education policies; one is from a small rural elementary district, while the second sample is a large urban K-12 district.

“The arts constitute one of the important forms of representation through

which humans share what they have thought, felt, or believed.”

– Elliot Eisner, Professor of Education and ArtStanford University

References and Resources

Visual and Performing Arts Framework – Chapter 2: Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Arts Education Programs, California Department of Education. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/vpaframewrk.pdf.

The Insider’s Guide to Arts Education Planning, California Alliance for Arts Education. http://www.artsed411.org/insidersguide/index.aspx. Provides a hands-on, how-to planning process for schools, districts and counties. Offers best practices, innovative ideas, templates and strategies as a guide to arts ‘‘education planning.

4 II. LEADERSHIP ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES and RESOURCES II. LEADERSHIP ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES and RESOURCES ll DISTRICT LEADERSHIP Just as district leaders calibrate vision and policy to local needs, resources and priorities, they also act as stewards of this vision throughout the planning and implementation process, ensuring continuity and equity among schools and preserving the vision of the district and community. The district’s educational leaders hold up the big picture for all to see and with the support of the school board provide continuity of vision and action. Upper level management must provide leadership and resources if the arts planning and programming is to be successfully implemented.

Innovative practices in our schools, districts and county offices of education require rethinking the kind of support educators will need in order to lead, learn, and teach in these new ways. The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools (VAPA framework) describes some of the important ways district leads can ensure a district-wide arts program:

District-level administrators and staff, from superintendents to visual and performing arts coordinators and lead teachers, are key participants in imple-menting district policies for arts education programs. The first steps to be taken are to complete a self-study of the current arts education programs; gain the endorsement of a long-range plan by district, school, and community stakeholders; and have the plan adopted by the school district governing board. The long-range plan should include the following elements:

• Allocating personnel and instructional resources, including appropriate materials, equipment, and facilities • Ensuring that the district has a standards-based arts curriculum for • through grade eight and high school • Developing collaboration to support the program with school district, community, state, and national resources • Securing funding and grants for the arts education program within and outside the district

When educators analyze standards-based instruction, many discover that their classroom instruction already follows a standards-based approach. Students are engaged in meaningful work and the creative process, know what is expected of them, can describe what they are doing and why, demonstrate habits of rehearsal and revision, can discuss work in progress in terms of quality, describe what assistance they need, and see their teachers as advocates and coaches.

5 Implementing comprehensive arts education programs involves different levels of administration: school district, school site, and classroom levels.

Other essential roles in assisting educators in revitalizing classroom practice in and through arts learning include mentoring and coaching, and providing ongoing, targeted staff development. Each district must have a multi-year plan in place that includes a professional development plan for implementing and expanding arts education and other measures of support.

Key administrative steps for planning and implementation are: • Form district “Arts Teams” that include the board and superintendent • Conduct arts needs assessments • Determine data collection methodology • Assess strengths and identify barriers • Develop district-wide arts learning plan • Create a vision rooted in your local reality • Define essential question, understanding goal, guiding inquiry • Determine assessments and evaluations on student learning outcomes • Tie Arts Learning plan to district master plan • Develop a policy/resolution for arts education • Create district arts learning professional development plan for art teachers, classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, etc.

Rr ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Accountability flows from clearly defined roles and responsibilities based on local management capacities.

Superintendents or assistant superintendents: • Make ultimate decisions in regard to budget • Act as a lead advocate and representative of the arts plan • Inspire district-wide support • Assign district arts education coordinator • Request regular reports on implementation progress from Arts Teams • Report to school board on a regular basis

Directors of curriculum and instruction: • Communicate with art lead • Provide oversight of all content areas including the arts • Coordinate implementation of the arts plan with district fiscal, materials adoption and other appropriate administrators • Determine communication with all principals regarding policies and practices in arts education and district-wide professional development offerings • Maintain continuity among the arts disciplines and other subject areas • Maintain connection between the arts and various district initiatives (reading programs, interventions, school improvement strategies) • Provide insight and motivation for arts integration programming as well as arts instruction in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts • Represent the perspective of the generalist and single subject content teachers

6 District visual and performing arts coordinator/managers: • Provide oversight for district arts program, structure and process • Manage budgets and contracts for arts learning personnel and partnerships • Coordinate and communicates between district’s executive instructional leadership and district arts learning leadership • Provide overall supervision and management of arts learning programming and personnel. • Ensure infrastructure is in place to provide high quality arts instruction in the district

• Monitor and audits arts learning resources and partnerships for, and to, school sites • Oversee district arts education master plan implementation

“The East Whittier City School District feels fortunate to have the resources of the Arts4All program to assist us and we develop ways to bring back the Arts to our school curriculum, even during these very difficult financial times. We believe that a good arts education program will greatly benefit all of our students and is one of our strategies to help improve student‘‘ learning and get us out of our NCLB Program Improvement status.” – Joe Gillentine, Superintendent East Whittier City School District, Los Angeles County

“An appreciation of the arts, and their importance to students, schools, and‘‘ communities, is absolutely essential in any discussion of . The arts foster creative thinking, problem-solving, individual responsibility and self-esteem. Those are building blocks for successful lives, regardless of the eventual field of endeavor, and they are just the beginning of the long list of benefits the arts provide” – Dr. Randolph Ward, Superintendent of Schools San Diego County Office of Education References and Resources

Arts Education Planning: A Coach in Every Corner, California Alliance for Arts Education. http://www.artsed411.org/partcipate/coach.aspx. A support program of the California Alliance for Arts Education.

Arts Education Program Toolkit: A Visual and Performing Arts Program Assessment Process. CDE Press 800-995-4099. A self-study and planning process for establishing quality standards-based arts education programs for all students.

The Insider’s Guide to Arts Education Planning, California Alliance for Arts Education. http://www.artsed411.org/insidersguide/intro.aspx. Provides a hands-on, how-to planning process for schools, districts and counties. Offers best practices, innovative ideas, templates and strategies as a guide to arts education planning.

Arts Advantage, Orange County Office of Education. http://instructionalservices.ocde.us/Assets/Instructional+Services/Visual+and+Performing+Arts/assets/The+Arts+Advantage+Report.pdf. Sample job description for a school visual and performing arts coordinator.

Examples of actual district arts plans may be viewed at www.artiseducation.org and at http://tools.laartsed.org/default.aspx.

* See Appendices H. District Arts Education Plan Example, J. Stages of District Planning and I. District Arts Plan: Component, Content, Format

7 l SCHOOL BOARD LEADERSHIP l As the governing bodies of local education agencies, school boards play an essential role in promoting arts learning in California’s public schools and communities. School boards have statutory responsibility to adopt local policies to carry out the state mandate to ensure that high-quality, equitable education is made available to every child in California. School board members serve as active participants in their communities as educators, administrators, business leaders, parents, and concerned citizens. County and district school board members are elected officials with direct contact to the public. It is important for school leaders to establish a strong relationship with their boards. For example, the California Arts and Music Block Grant legislation requires that a plan for distribution of funds be presented to the school board. This is an important opportunity for districts to think about how they will support schools in developing skills, knowledge and ability in teaching the arts. This new funding provides an opportunity for districts leaders to work with school board members on for a shared vision of every child’s access to arts learning. Here are some tips for fostering strong arts advocacy within school boards: • Bring teachers, students and families to share how the arts are making a difference in student success • Provide opportunities for school board members to learn how the arts impact school and community relationships • Invite school board members to visit schools and observe learning in the arts firsthand • Ask school boards to adopt resolutions and policies in support of arts education • Make presentations regarding content of the arts, providing examples of how arts content is both discrete and integrated providing examples of student achievement • Invite school board members to chair district arts teams or working committees • Provide monthly updates to board members on key arts related issues/topics • Provide opportunities for board members to connect with leaders in the greater arts and business community The relationship between district and board leaders is one of interdependence. District leaders should communicate with their boards throughout the visioning process to build advocacy through the policy development and planning phases. District leaders should be clear on the board’s complementary and supportive role in establishing arts education plans. R ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES r School boards can support arts education in the following ways: • Establish a district wide that identifies and funds the arts as a key component in a complete education • Allocate a percentage of the district's general operating budget to arts education instruction, staff, and resources • Foster partnerships with local and state arts agencies and cultural institutions in an effort to broaden support and resources • Advocate for arts education within the community • Adopt the VAPA content standards • Facilitate a public review of the arts education plan References and Resources The Insider’s Guide to Arts Education Planning – Developing a Policy for Arts Education in the District, California Alliance for Arts Education. http://www.artsed411.org/insidersguide/chapter3.aspx. More information on developing arts education policies from the California School Boards Association may be found at: http://www.csba.org/Services/Services/GovernanceTechnology/GAMUTOnline.aspx.

* See Appendix B. Sample Arts Education Policies

8 ll SCHOOL SITE LEADERSHIP School site leaders play an instrumental role in setting the course for how arts learning objectives set out in vision and policy are actually achieved, one school at a time. School site leaders can be principals, assistant principals, curriculum instruction specialists, perhaps the arts lead teachers – again, this will be determined by the size and staffing structure of individual districts and schools. Site leaders take on the challenges of maintaining high-fidelity implementation of district-wide policies and monitoring quality control on a site-by-site basis, all the while accommodating the idiosyncrasies of the individual school, its resources, staff, location, and other variables.

Strong school site leadership should foster open and honest discussion about challenges as much as accomplishments. Creating a safe and open environment for frank discussion ensures a feedback loop that informs ongoing methodology and program improvements. The role site leaders play in documenting and sharing lessons learned is invaluable in helping check arts learning theories with arts learning practices, and is thus critical to our work in maintaining the highest quality of programming as districts and county offices of education bring their programs to scale.

The school community, as well as district administration, should be involved in reflective and direct conversations about learning in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts as it relates to school wide goals. Clarifying and articulating what the school is trying to achieve for students overall will help direct arts learning at desired student outcomes.

School site leaders monitor the quality of teaching that is occurring in the arts, engages in classroom observation, and maintains clarity in regard to the roles, relationships, expectations and development of the program over time. An effective school site leader understands the flexibility required to be reflective in adapting the plan to accommodate needs and obstacles.

Site leaders with successful arts education programs collaborate to do the following: • Create a school environment that fosters equity and honors diverse cultural arts backgrounds and experiences • Create school-wide arts learning plan that aligns with overall school master plan • Identify school arts lead teacher(s) • Make a professional development plan that aligns with school and district goals • Allocate ongoing professional development time • Provide opportunities for teachers to make arts learning visible and share student achievements • Establish partnerships with community arts organizations and arts practitioners

9 The following excerpt from the VAPA Framework characterizes some of the important ways a site leader can ensure a school-wide arts program:

Although site administrators are not required to be arts experts, they must be advocates for the arts. Accordingly, they must know the content standards and understand the connection between the visual and performing arts standards and the five strands that connect instruction and content (see Chapter 1). Site administrators must work with school staff members, parents, and the community to set a plan in motion that includes broad-based representation and participation and ensures that all students receive a standards-based curriculum in the visual and performing arts.

In addition to establishing a collaborative planning and implementation process, site administrators must ensure that the arts are included in the basic education of all students by: • Allowing enough time to teach the arts to all students and preparation time for those teaching the arts • Providing appropriate facilities, necessary equipment, equipment repair, and materials • Ensuring that subject-centered instruction and arts instruction relating art to other subjects are occurring in elementary school classrooms and that student have access to the arts through appropriate scheduling of teachers and students in subject-centered classes at the and high school levels • Allowing opportunities for teachers to meet across grade levels and subject areas for planning • Advocating the importance of the arts for all students to parents and members of the community • Providing opportunities for exhibitions and performances of works in progress and final products in schools and in the community as curricu-lar and co-curricular educational experiences • Providing opportunities for community artists and performers to collaborate with teachers in delivering a standards-based visual and performing arts curriculum to students in classrooms and in community museums, galleries, and performance venues • Providing time for periodic evaluation of the arts education program at the school level Rr ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The roles of site administrators and school site councils are crucial to the planning and success of visual and performing arts programs at schools.

School Administrators (principal, school director, instructional leader) provide leadership to: • Define a shared vision for arts education that aligns with the district vision • Communicate the shared vision so that the whole school community understands how the arts will be part of the schools’ curriculum • Plan and implement activities that support the vision • Identify and address challenges that will prevent the implementation of the vision • Allocate resources to support the vision by setting clear expectations and agreements regarding implementation of arts learning in the classroom and school • Appoint and work with teacher leaders to create structures within the school that allow for the arts instruction, arts professional development and teacher/artist planning • Take full advantage of district level arts leadership professional development such as visiting other schools • Actively and clearly communicate the advantages of arts learning to parents, other administrators and teachers • Work with staff to create opportunities for parents to have arts experiences with their children during school events • Ensure opportunities for teachers to engage in professional development including time for planning and collaboration between teachers/arts specialists/teaching artists

10 Lead teachers for the arts and arts specialist teachers: In addition to the school site administrator, other leaders play a significant role in implementing arts education programs. Lead teachers for the arts (who may not be arts teachers); arts specialist teachers; arts department chairs; and other designated curriculum leaders all help to implement arts learning in many important ways: • Provide general coordination and support development of the arts learning programming • Provide expertise in arts learning to the school community through professional development and classroom instruction in and through the arts • Serve as school arts communication coordinator • Order arts supplies and equipment • Assists in identifying and coordinating teaching artists • Provide program orientation about the arts plan for the year to members of the school staff • Create opportunities for arts learning planning sessions and professional development

Arts Education Coaches: An arts coach can be an artist, a retired arts specialist teacher, or an arts consultant from an arts organization or college/university. The role of the arts coach is to serve as an arts resource for the school which can include providing whole staff professional development and collaboration with staff on various projects as well as individualized attention for teachers as they develop their own skills in planning and implementing arts learning in the classroom. Typically, they work with school leadership to support instructional strategies, reflection, and investigation of resources for arts and arts integration programs and activities.

Arts Coaches: • Facilitate staff collaborations across disciplines • Meet regularly with school leadership to ensure arts education is aimed at the school’s overall goals • Support teachers in learning how to teach the arts • Introduce vocabulary and demonstrate how to use arts tools, materials and techniques • Meet regularly with lead and classroom teachers to review instructional plan for the year and discuss discrete arts learning and curricular integration with the arts. • Observe classroom teachers during arts instruction and provide feedback

References and Resources

Third Space: When Learning Matters, Richard J. Deasey and Lauren M. Stevenson, Arts Education Partnership. http://www.aep-arts.org/publications/info.htm?publication_id=19. Provides solid evidence that the arts are critical to school reform and that they give students a sense of worth based in accomplishment, and a sense of community based in shared striving.

Creative Collaborations: Teachers and Artists in the Classroom, Pre-K through Grade 12, California Alliance for Arts Education and San Bernardino City Unified School District. [email protected]. This publication provides a framework for effective collaboration between artists and teachers, for the benefit of their students.

Moving Leadership Standards into Everyday Work, West Ed. www.WestED.org. Introduces descriptions of practice (DOPs) developed to enhance the usefulness of research-based leadership standards, including the widely used California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSELs).

11 ll CLASSROOM LEADERSHIP The teacher, having direct contact with his/her students, has the most important role in providing standards-based arts instruction. While arts instruction and delivery varies depending on the background and training of the teacher, he/she has the responsibility to meet the needs of all students through various delivery models. Dance, music, theatre, and visual arts can be taught during the school day using a variety of approaches. Some of these approaches include the following:

Teaching the discrete arts discipline. Students learn the methods and techniques of the arts disciplines through active practice, creation and expression. In quality standards-based arts classrooms students read, research, communicate, reflect and critique the artistic process. Students understand the historical contexts of art works and cultural contributions of individual artists.

Integration with other core subjects. In arts integrated instruction there is clarity about disciplinary learning goals in the arts and in other content areas. Instruction is designed to integrate standards-based learning in both the arts and non-arts content areas. Students are making and creating in and through the arts in disciplinary ways that develop, deepen and demonstrate their learning in other content areas.

Differentiated instruction to access non-arts content. Arts learning instructional strategies provide teachers with multiple ways to engage students across all content areas. In differentiated instruction, students have multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. This delivery model requires flexibility on the part of the teacher to adjust the curriculum and presentation of information to learners. Differentiated instruction is intended to address individual and diverse learning styles. In order for students to explore and deepen their understanding in the arts and non-arts content, the teacher must be able to recognize misunderstandings and redirect, modify or repeat instruction so that every child can demonstrate progress towards specific learning goals. R ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES r At the classroom level, there are responsibilities for the non-arts teacher, the credentialed arts specialist teacher, and teaching artists.

Non-arts teachers will: • Use the VAPA content standards as the basis for planning instruction that is grade level appropriate • Determine how the arts content standards connect, support, and reinforce content standards in other subject areas • Determine resources needed in order to implement dance, music, theatre, and visual arts standards in the classroom • Implement a sequential curriculum based on the VAPA content standards supported by research-based best practice • Use formative and summative student assessment • Work with the arts specialists and/or teaching artist to find effective ways to teach arts content • Collaborate with other teachers to share approaches and innovative strategies for incorporating the arts into the classroom. • Differentiate instruction by using the arts to support students’ learning styles. • Use arts integration to enable deeper student thinking, creativity, and innovation.

12 Credentialed arts specialist teachers will: • Implement a sequential curriculum based on the VAPA content standards supported by research-based best practice. • Use formative and summative student assessment. • Provide ongoing in-depth instruction and support to students in the arts discipline (dance, music, theatre, visual arts) based on the VAPA content standards • Act as a resource to generalist teachers. • Provide leadership to the school and district, such as serving on committees and participating in special projects.

In the VAPA Framework, the following section characterizes some of the important ways that teacher can implement a comprehensive, standards-based visual and performing arts curriculum, teacher: • Design and conduct instructional activities aligned with the standards. • Evaluate student work and make fair and credible judgments of quality. • Manage data and plan instruction accordingly. • Communicate specific expectations and provide explicit feedback to students. • Use student feedback to improve arts instruction. • Teach students to evaluate their own work. • Be relentless in pursuit of improved performance. • Understand the community’s expectations for student performance. ll TEACHING ARTISTS Local, community based and/or regional artists can be a valuable asset to a school-wide arts education program. They can support teachers in many ways and provide unique arts experiences for teachers, students, parents, and community members.

In the VAPA Framework, the following section describes some how visiting artists contribute to the school’s visual and performing arts program:

Guest artists and artists-in-residence can be an important part of a school’s visual and performing arts program. In addition, community resource persons, administrators, parents, arts chairpersons, and arts teachers can ensure that the program is well defined and efficiently run. For example, transportation should be made available for students to visit arts venues, artists should be scheduled for classroom visits, materials should be well organized, and facilities should be up to date and safe.

Joint planning may include a provision for including guest artists and artists-in-residence with the school’s generalist and specialist teachers in profes-sional development programs. Programs of this kind are mutually beneficial. That is, the teachers learn about current developments in art forms, and the guest artists and artists-in-residence learn how to adapt their teaching so that the students will gain standards-based knowledge and skills. Whenever possible, such professional development programs might also include school board members, administrators, other faculty, and parents.

Integrating community artists into a comprehensive, standards-based arts program brings the experiences of practicing artists to the students, who learn that artists struggle continually to solve problems, improve their skills, focus on meaning, and communicate effectively in their art form. Thus, students begin to see themselves as members of a community of artists who inherit long-standing traditions across time and place.

13 Rr ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Teaching artists will: • Provide the perspective of the working artist. • Bring an external excitement to the mix. • Model skills, knowledge and dispositions of the art discipline. • Provide content expertise to both the arts specialist teacher and classroom teachers. • Help provide teachers and students address and meet VAPA content standards. • Serve as mentors to both students and teachers. • Provide community opportunities for student and teacher engagement such as participating in community arts events and attending special performances and exhibits.

References and Resources

California Visual and Performing Arts Standards and Frameworks. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vp/cf/index.asp Blueprints for implementing the content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education developed by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission.

National Visual and Performing Arts Standards, ArtsEdge, Kennedy Center. http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/standards.cfm. The standards outline what every K-12 student should know and be able to do in the arts. These standards were developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations. For a comparison of entrance requirements of California State University and University of California: http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/news/college/UC_CSU_EntranceReqs.pdf

Standards of Program Quality and Effectiveness for the Subject Matter Requirement for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/STDS-subject-matter.html. For requirements for obtaining a multiple subject teaching credential. To learn more about requirements specific to the arts download the following document www.cset.nesinc.com/PDFs/CS_multisubject_SMR.pdf and refer to pages 16 and 17.

Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of , L. Hetland, E. Winner, S. Veenema, K. M. Sheridan, Harvard University, Teachers College Press, 2007. This book demonstrates why arts education is indispensable and offers art teachers a research-based language they can use to describe what they teach, and what is learned.

California College of the Arts Teaching Institute and ACOE’s Arts Learning Specialist Certificate. http://www.cca.edu/academics/aie. The first of its kind in the United States, the Arts Learning Specialist Certificate provides a meaningful opportunity for pre-K through 12th grade educators and teaching artists to advance professionally, and to verify their knowledge about quality teaching in and through the arts.

The California Arts Project (TCAP), Visual & Performing Arts Content Standards. http://csmp.ucop.edu/tcap/. TCAP is the state’s subject matter project in Visual and Performing Arts. TCAP’s mission is to deepen teachers’ knowledge of the arts, to enhance student success and to develop instructional strategies to support the Visual & Performing Arts Content Standards.

Partnering Successfully with Schools Today: A Teaching Artist Institute Three-Day Curriculum. www.lulu.com. A resource for county or district offices planning to provide professional development for teaching artists working with public schools

Tools and Templates for celebrating Arts Education Month. http://www.artiseducation.org/downloads/ArtIsEdPlanningToolkit.pdf This document offers event planning suggestions, tips for partnering with local businesses and sample student certificates.

14 III. PARENTS AS COMMUNITY ASSESTS and ADVOCATES

District leaders should view parents as a valuable resource; as their children’s first and most influential teachers and advocates, parents are the best advocates for arts programs in their schools and districts. Parents understand their children as unique individuals, and most believe that the whole child must be considered to realize their potential in their community and society.

District leaders should work with their schools staff to promote parents’ understanding of the value of arts education for the holistic development of all children. It is important for parents to be able to recognize a quality arts education program and that students learn better if they’re creating and appreciating the arts. District leaders should help parents become familiar with the VAPA content standards and should facilitate their understanding of the research that demonstrates that the arts are essential to equitable classrooms and can be employed to address issues of diverse languages, race, culture and learning styles through multiple entry points.

Resources should be collected and organized to help parents answer specific questions as well as to gain broader understanding about arts education opportunities and challenges related to implementing arts programs in the schools. The successful advocacy efforts of other parents and community members can be inspiring examples of how the world can be changed with imagination, determination, and shared effort.

Rr ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES District leaders should encourage and empower parents to: • Develop collaborations with local education foundations • Educate local policymakers by telling their own stories and bringing policymakers on ‘‘ site visits to observe successes and challenges in the arts program • Conduct letter writing campaigns in support of quality arts education to local and state legislators • Participate in district and school site planning committees • Provide translators at events and written materials in multiple languages • Provide hand on arts workshops • Plan and offer family art and music nights

“As a parent leader I'm often asked why are the arts necessary. To me the arts connect us to each other. It helps our children to express their ideas, thoughts, feelings and to express who they are. It's important that art education stay strong in our schools to help our children to learn and to explore their world.” – Cathy Roth, Ninth District PTA, Arts and Education Chairman San Diego and Imperial Counties 15 ‘‘ “PTA believes ALL children deserve ongoing quality arts experiences and education.‘‘ Children who are actively involved in the arts will develop better critical thinking skills and become better problem solvers. Parents and family members play an essential role in helping to promote the value of standards-based arts instruction at their local schools, school districts and at the state level. By collaborating with teachers, principals, community members and district and county leaders, PTAs create necessary leadership opportunities for parent advocates to support and sustain arts instruction for all students.” – Pam Brady, President California State PTA

References and Resources

Keep Arts In Schools‘‘. www.keepartsinschools.org. This website has resources and tools for parent advocacy for arts education such as examples of successful advocacy campaigns, tips on engaging the business community and creating online petition drives.

SMART Bring Back the Arts, California State PTA. http://www.capta.org/sections/programs-smarts/index.cfm. This site offers tips for parents on how to improve arts education, support the arts at school and at home, and provides documentation of studies that show the benefits of arts education.

Arts Learning in Action Toolkit, California Alliance for Arts Education. http://www.artsed411.org/toolkit/index.aspx. An organizational “how to” which offers event planning resources including, publicity guidelines, sample invitations, talking points, feedback forms and more.

Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts That Value the Arts. Americans for the Arts. http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/spotlights/005.asp Featuring over 90 profiles and case studies of school districts in 42 states, this report reveals success factors that lead to strong, district-wide arts education programs.

100 Families Project, California College of the Arts, Center for Art and Public Life. http://center.cca.edu/community/100families/. This project engages whole families in hands on arts activities at local school sites.

SPARK, KQED. http://www.kqed.org/arts/places/-spark/profile.jsp?id=922. KQED’s story about arts integration at ASCEND School in Oakland’s Fruitvale district.

University of California A-G subject Requirements. http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/a-g/vpa.html. Includes information on the fine arts admissions requirements for all the UCs. For examples of parent advocacy with legislators, see http://www.artiseducation.org/newsletter/arts-active-parent-april-2008.

IV. REACHING OUT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

We no longer live in a world ruled by a finite canon of knowledge that will prepare young people for citizenship, careers, and lifelong satisfaction. Insights and projections into the 21st century workforce tell us that the job market will increasingly require workers who are problem solvers and innovators; they must be intellectually flexible, creative, and collaboratively inclined. All of these dispositions and skills are intentionally and methodically cultivated in arts and cross-curricular arts-integrated learning environments.

It is increasingly important for educators to reach out to the business community to demonstrate to business leaders’ the critical role arts education plays in the preparation of a 21st century workforce, and to encourage the participation, advocacy and support of the business sector.

16 District leaders should embrace the potential of the business community and business leaders to play a

key role in supporting arts education and improving public education. Rr ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Business leaders can:

• Serve on district planning committees and provide structural guidance • Regularly inform chambers of commerce, rotaries, and professional organizations on the impact of local arts education programs and garner organizational support to honor arts students and teachers and provide financial awards. • Connect career technical education programs in secondary schools to community college job readiness programs ‘‘ • Create intern and job shadow programs that extend the classroom to the workplace • Create an adopt a school program • Engage schools as meaningful resources in community problem solving • Serve on district arts teams • Lead efforts for local parcel taxes to support arts education • Write editorial pieces in public newspapers about arts in schools and links to a healthy economy • Call for public policies that fully fund public education including the arts

“If we are to realize the shared vision of a high quality education for every child, it will take a multitude of players, with a singleness of purpose over a sustained period of time.” – Gerald Hayward Former Director of Policy Analysis for California Education

References and Resources

Report by Otis College of Art and Design on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region, Otis College of Art and Design. http://www.culturela.org/press/-Economic_Report_OTIS.pdf.

The Role of the Arts in Economic Development and The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation, Issue Briefs from National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. http://www.nga.org. [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menu- item.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=0f8b5aa265b32010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4b18 f074f0d9ff00VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD]

Arts and Business Partnerships/Business‘‘ Volunteers for the Arts. http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/arts_business-_partnerships/about_us/default.asp. The mission of the BVA is to help nonprofit arts organizations improve business practices; provide opportunities for business professionals to contribute to their community and become directly involved with the arts; and increase business leadership on behalf of the arts.

17 V. CONCLUSION

ARTS EDUCATION MATTERS TO ALL OF US

Each and every student in California – not just the fortunate and the few – deserves to learn and develop in classrooms where they have the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in and through the arts. Students with the tools and life skills the arts provide are capable of imagining what is possible, and realizing their potential and ability to contribute to their communities and to society.

Equitable classrooms are created when every child has the opportunity to learn in the ways they learn best. Artistic disciplines provide multiple ways for every child to practice critical thinking, to acquire knowledge in meaningful ways, to discover and express their own experiences, to investigate creative ideas, to make new connections for themselves and others, and to learn the value of collaboration, interdependence, and compassion.

Students need to do more than memorize information for recall. They must have the ability and inclination to apply new skills and knowledge and be alert to opportunities to apply what they know in novel situations as they advance through grade levels. Educators are developing the critical inquiry skills of artists, mathematicians, writers, scientists, and historians within every student, encouraging‘‘ them to generate new ideas and self-expression through collaboration, risk-taking and problem solving.

As we hand over this world of complex and challenging problems to our children, we must also provide them the tools to develop the creativity and flexibility to devise strategies we cannot imagine. The arts are human languages, essential for envisioning solutions, perceiving and communicating meaning in a nuanced world of beauty, fear, desire, planning and decision making. We owe it to our children, and to our collective future, to extend the creative opportunities to develop their minds, to learn to think and to imagine, and to discover solutions through the arts.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W. B. Yeats

References and Resources

21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness Report, A Policy and Resources Guide. www.21stcenturyskills.org.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, Daniel H. Pink, 2006. The author posits that the future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't.

Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner, 1993. This book defines intelligence as more than simply an IQ number and demonstrates that different people learn through different modalities. ‘‘

18 11

REGIONAL LEAD COUNTIES

19 APPENDIX A

REGIONAL LEAD COUNTIES FOR THE CCSESA ARTS INITIATIVE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION STEERING COMMITTEE FOR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS SUBCOMMITTEE www.ccsesaarts.org

Region1: Humboldt County Office of Education Regional Lead: Linnea Mandel

Region2: Shasta County Office of Education Regional Co-lead: Heidi Brahms

Trinity County Office of Education Regional Co-lead: Sandra Sterrenberg

Region3: Sacramento County Office of Education Regional Lead: Maureen Gemma

Region4: Alameda County Office of Education Regional Lead: Louise Music

Region5: Monterey County Office of Education Regional Lead: Hamish Tyler

Region6: Stanislaus County Office of Education Regional Lead: Jill Polhemus Regional Co-lead: Mary Stires

Region7: Fresno County Office of Education Regional Lead: Robert Bullwinkle

Region8: Kern County Superintendent of Schools Regional Lead: Kathleen White

Region9: San Diego County Office of Education Regional Lead: Ron Jessee

Region10: San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Regional Lead: Bonnie Tillotsen

Region11: Los Angleles County Office of Education Regional Lead: Geraldine Walkup

20 APPENDIX B

SAMPLE ARTS EDUCATION POLICIES

SAMPLE POLICY A VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION

The Board of Education recognizes that Arts Education, including dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, is part of the core curriculum for all K-12 students and that the value and benefits of arts education has been extensively documented. The Board also recognizes that instruction in the basic skills and content knowledge of the arts develops perceptual abilities that extend to all careers and areas of life. An arts education enables students to develop an appreciation of the arts, critical and creative thinking skills, initiative, self-esteem, and discipline. It is also recognized that in our multicultural state, the arts build bridges and help pupils broaden their perspectives and understand their world and the diverse cultural influences that surround them. Communication, imagination, and information are keys to career opportunities, education, and a life-long appreciation of the arts. Therefore: It is the policy of the Beverly Hills Unified School District to educate all students so they can experience, perform, produce, and appreciate the arts.

The Board of Education supports the need to provide adequate funding for K-12 Arts Education and recognizes that, in times of budget cutbacks, reductions must be distributed equitably across subject areas, rather than eliminating arts programs.

In order to implement quality, standards-based, sequential K-12, and comprehensive arts education, with equity and access for all, the Board of Education supports the need to provide the following: • A standards-based curriculum and assessment • A qualified arts coordinator(s) who provides leadership, vision, planning, and resources for the District • Qualified teachers in all the arts at all grade levels and in all disciplines, supported by ongoing standards-based professional development in the arts for classroom and arts teachers • Opportunities during school hours for arts teachers to collaborate • A student-to-teacher ratio in each of the arts that is appropriate for the delivery of effective instruction along with adequate classified staff to support the arts program • Standards-based instructional materials and resources, including, but not limited to, equipment, facilities, textbooks and technologies that support learning • Visual and performing arts classrooms that are appropriately designed and equipped for the unique requirements of each arts discipline • Opportunities to showcase student learning/work in a public forum simulating the experience of professional artists • Opportunities for students to be exposed to a wide variety of artistic styles, venues, and performances including working with professional artists, collegial programs, cultural organizations, and field trips • Opportunities for students in elementary and middle grades to work with and gain exposure to the arts programs at the other K-8 schools and the high school through school visits, assemblies, work shops, mentoring programs and other such activities • Community resources, including business as well as parent involvement, partner with schools to provide funds and resources for arts programs

The Superintendent or designee shall develop a budgeted plan, establish procedures to implement Board policies, and provide for the ongoing review, evaluation and development of the District's arts education program.

21 California Alliance for Arts Education | www.artsed411.org (APPENDIX B continued)

SAMPLE ARTS EDUCATION POLICIES

SAMPLE POLICY B ARTS EDUCATION

A. The Board of Education recognizes that arts education, including dance, theater, music, and visual arts, is an integral part of the core curriculum for all Kindergarten Through grade twelve (K-12) pupils

B. The Board of Education encourages development, implementation, and evaluation of quality, standards-based sequential and comprehensive K-12 arts education, with equity and access for all.

C. The Board of Education supports the following elements, among others, in developing and implementing the District’s arts education in district schools:

1. Standards-based arts curriculum, scheduling and assessment 2. Qualified teachers in the arts 3. Professional development for classroom and arts teachers consistent with California’s Visual and Performing Arts content standards 4. Standards-based instructional materials and equipment 5. Facilities appropriate to achieve educational/instructional standards 6. Opportunities to showcase pupil learning and pupil work 7. Integration of and access to professional artists, cultural organizations and other community arts resources. 8. Provision for ongoing review, program evaluation, and development of the District’s arts education program.

D. The Board of Education also supports the need to provide funding for high quality, standards-based K-12 arts education in an equitable manner, consistent with the principle that arts education is an integral part of the core curriculum.

Legal reference: EDUCATION CODE 8810-8830 Arts Education 51000-51004 Legislative intent for education program 51040-51041 Role of local agency 51210-51220 Adopted courses of study

California Alliance for Arts Education | www.artsed411.org 22 APPENDIX C

C.O.E. “CAN DO” LIST

These are some of the things that County Offices of Education can do to provide services and support to the schools and districts in their county. These are written in very generic terms (you can all fill in the particulars and the arts connections) and they are in no particular order.

County Offices can: • provide curriculum resources and venues for the review of curriculum materials • organize professional development • provide facilitation • initiate and support networking; bring people together to form “learning communities and/or bring groups together for sharing and collaboration • write grants and seek alternative funding that will help support work with schools • organize county-wide events such as exhibitions, art shows, performances • provide the venues for such events • mentor and advise districts (when asked and invited) • disseminate accurate information, plans, models, programs • maintain, collect, develop, refine, resources to be available to county teachers • bring administrators and other decision makers together in organized meetings and provide time on the agenda for “getting the message out” and/or longer presentations of information • provide arts related (or other) technology support • make connections with the business community • identify, create, nurture, support partnerships • showcase outstanding programs, plans, approaches, practices • create advocacy and PR pieces around important initiatives

Added from suggestions at the meeting: • develop guiding vision statements and assist others in the development of vision statements • organize learning communities and/or use established learning communities to further teaching and learning in the arts • sustain and support momentum on a project or plan • provide on-going implementation support • provide expertise for districts regarding budgeting and financial opportunities • develop and disseminate planning formats and contact information • convene local Education Foundations • provide legal and financial information • work with higher education liaisons • provide research and program evaluation support

23 APPENDIX D

THE “BONES” OF A COUNTY ARTS EDUCATION PLAN

The assumption is that this is the number one deliverable of the grant and that ALL county offices that have received CCSESA funding will submit a County Arts Plan.

Our Committee assumptions are that this plan is a pragmatic, realistic work/action plan with no less than a two-year time frame. We recommend that the following elements be part of every plan. They include the following:

• COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS – The facts and numbers taken from the beginning of the survey data.

• A COUNTY PROFILE – Contextual information about the County and its Districts, which might describe the commonalities and specific differences between the districts.

• A VISION STATEMENT– Developed over time through a highly inclusive process – a statement that reflects the guiding values of the County Office of Education in support of a particular curricular area – here, the visual and performing arts. It should be a “value added” statement related to how the arts contribute to the kind of education we wish for all students. (It is not only an advocacy statement).

• CURRENT REALITY and HISTORY – A statement based on an interpretation of the data survey completed by the Districts along with a timeline of events in the County that has effected arts programs in the schools.

• A SUMMARY OF KEY PRIORITIES OR RECOMMENDATIONS that this plan addresses.

• IMPLEMENTATION TASKS that meet prioritized district needs based on COE capacity – this would be the “heart” of the plan. This information may be presented as a combination of narrative, table, bulleted list and would include the same elements of goals, objectives, talks, time, persons responsible and budget implications as the District plans.

• STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE GAPS AND CHALLENGES you know are there – even if they are not specifically part of district plans and/or are not part of the data or plans you have in hand. (There well may be missing data/surveys or no arts plans from some districts. How will you get the information you need; how will you help districts to recognize and address their “missing pieces”?

• IDENTIFY THE LEADERSHIP TEAM – List by name and role and especially by District, all those who were involved in the development of the County Office Plan. (This will make it possible to read between the lines re who was missing from the table.

24 APPENDIX E

DISTRICT / COE ARTS PLANNING CHART

The assumption is that this is the number one deliverable of the grant and that ALL county offices that have received CCSESA funding will submit a County Arts Plan.

DATES

ESTABLISH ARTS TEAM:

Members might include • Superintendent • Principal • Curriculum Specialist • Arts Specialist • Lead Teacher • Artist Educator • Board Member • Parent • Arts Organization • Community

SET SEVERAL MEETING DATES:

• Create draft of updated or new board policy or resolution • Present draft to administration and school board for review • Assess current arts programming • Secure budget information on current expenditures and sources • Discuss components of district plan • Write draft of plan • Review and edit draft • Present draft to administration and school board for input • Submit draft plan to COE or District by ______(set goal date)

25 APPENDIX F

COUNTY OFFICE ARTS EDUCATION PLAN TEMPLATE

THE CONTEXT

VISION STATEMENT Could be one of the following: The CCSESA Vision Statement A County Board of Education Resolution Board Policy on Arts Education Superintendent’s Arts Education Statement – OR – A Vision Statement developed over time through an inclusive process

COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS A County Profile and/or History and Current Reality A snapshot of the County and the Districts (Short Narrative)

A SUMMARY OF KEY PRIORITIES or RECOMMENDATIONS

THE PLAN #1-8 - or a combination- from the Continuum of County Office Plans for the Arts

THE IMPLEMENTATION TASKS represented by the “sample tasks/actions” that are part of the plan (or plans) you select from the Continuum of COE Plans (based on COE capacity and current reality).

This information may be presented as a combination of narrative, table and/or bulleted lists and would include the same elements of goals, objectives, tasks, persons responsible and budget implications as the sample District plans we have studied. It would include a timeline. It would include strategies to address the gaps and challenges you know are there – even if they are not specifically part of whatever district plans and/or data you have in hand.

IDENTIFICATION OF LEADERSHIP TEAM

Those individuals, schools, districts, cultural agencies, and other partners who contributed to the plan, as appropriate.

(Document developed by the Best Practices Committee of the Hewlett/CCSESA Arts Initiative, 2006-07) Patty Larrick, Chair, with Mary McLaughlin & Sandra Sterrenberg)

26 APPENDIX G

THE CONTINUUM OF “COUNTY OFFICE PLANS FOR THE ARTS”

Some examples of actions Description of the emphasis of the plan Type of Plan to be taken under this plan

1 Plan to Plan Designated COE Arts Lead begins the process of • Identify the issues likely to face each engaging the districts in forming an Arts Education district in their planning efforts; help Team and developing a comprehensive Arts the district understand what their Education Plan. The COE offers facilitation of district data is telling them. planning processes and other technical assistance • Focus on developing a cadre of Arts that will help give districts the capacity to do their Leads/Liaisons from as many districts planning. Such work includes the analysis of current as possible, which will meet on a district data and the “current reality” of district arts reglar basis throughout the year. programs. Effort is made to find ways to connect to • Help district understand what “uninterested” districts. Emphasis is on creating a constitutes a quality arts education realistic approach to working with districts at the program (the categories of the beginning of their arts planning and to begin to Continuum). develop arts leadership in the districts. Typically a • Develop a plan to complete the survey one academic year plan. for districts that have not done so. • Facilitate a county-wide (or district) “History Wall” and facilitated discussion with the Arts Lead group. For any COE where there is a new arts coordinator, • Develop a time line for the work (or no arts coordinator, but an administrator taking with districts represented. that role) working mostly alone and where no previ- • Help districts understand the ous work with districts on arts education plans has importance of using the state funds been attempted. strategically and suggest facilitation that will help make that possible. • Collect data that supports the value of the arts.

2 Arts The Arts Coordinator or Lead for the COE develops a This plan has all of the above Coordinator task and time-line plan for at least the next academic (as appropriate) plus Work Plan year designed to support districts that have developed (or are in the process of developing) an Arts • Maintain the County-wide Arts Education Plan. Alternate approaches are outlined Lead group. for districts that do not intend to go through a planning • Provide facilitation as needed at process. There are strategies to engage those who important points in district work. have not participated in the work to date. There is • Facilitate (or do) an initial gap sufficient data from the districts that are actively analysis of the programs from all or moving toward improving their arts education selected districts. programs. Emphasis is on a practical and • Provide appropriate examples of pragmatic work plan for the one person who district arts plans. will take the planning forward. This plan should • Research and provide models of have the support of the Assistant Superintendent for curriculum approaches and delivery Curriculum and Instruction. systems that might be of use to districts. • Provide workshops (at the COE or at school sites) that demonstrate standards-based instruction in one or Where there is no one doing the work except the arts more of the arts disciplines. coordinator whether or not there has been on-going • Make connections with quality arts work with districts. resources outside the school system and share information with districts.

27 (APPENDIX G continued)

THE CONTINUUM OF “COUNTY OFFICE PLANS FOR THE ARTS”

Some examples of actions Description of the emphasis of the plan Type of Plan to be taken under this plan

3 Internal COE The Arts Coordinator works with technology, All of the above from plans 1 and 2, plus Arts Work Plan budget/financial, curriculum, communication and the plan should include ways to IMC people in the County Office and makes use of that wide range of expertise in creating a one-year • Support arts advocacy by including action plan. The plan thus utilizes a wide range of the Arts Coordinator in meetings with support for districts interested in improving their key district and/or COE administrators arts education programs. The Arts Coordinator takes on a regular basis. a broader approach and connects the arts plan to the • Connect with businesses and arts COE division plan. The plan has much in common organizations that can bring support with Plan #1, but includes more people and resources to the county arts plan. and a slightly more coordinated approach and is • Provide professional development usually approved by a division head or the assistant focused on curriculum in selected arts superintendent. It is a yearlong action plan, not a disciplines and grade levels to long-range plan. interested districts. • Develop an arts component for any or all of the programs administered by the County Office of Education (i.e. For large County Offices of Education where there is Court and Community Schools). considerable structure and “lines of authority” in which the work must be done.

4 COE & Arts The COE brings together arts agencies (TCAP, CAAE) • Determine the current state of district Partners and cultural organizations to define resources (who collaboration with arts agencies in Collaboration does what best) and create a coherent and the county. Plan collaborative action plan based on shared a vision. • Connect with the local TCAP Parent groups and foundation representatives (as provider; encourage participation in appropriate) are also present along with district institutes and workshops. representative. These plans may include professional • Help the arts providers and agencies development workshops, demonstration lessons, to understand the details of the new organized enrichment activities and performances in state funding and the implications order to increase the capacity of the schools/districts for the work they are doing with to understand the arts disciplines, develop an arts the schools. education plan and/or improve instruction. The • Create a professional development focus is on the effective use external resources plan for those non-credentialed to strengthen arts instruction. individuals who teach the arts in district schools. • Work with the local Arts Council to discover possibilities for collaborative For situations where there is a tradition of collaborative work with teachers. work between the COE and arts organizations and • Try to leverage exhibition and/or districts and where arts resources are rich, available performance space for schools in and cultural and PD organizations are anxious to your county. work with the schools. This plan might also be part of • Help districts plan local “parents’ arts a broader arts education plan being developed by the night” activities, student exhibitions, COE. May be a multiple year or “phased” plan. performances (or the like) to promote visibility of arts instruction • Do the “History Wall” with the group to build common understanding of the ups and downs and accomplishments of the many programs represented.

28 (APPENDIX G continued)

THE CONTINUUM OF “COUNTY OFFICE PLANS FOR THE ARTS”

Some examples of actions Description of the emphasis of the plan Type of Plan to be taken under this plan

5 Arts Curriculum The arts are under the Curriculum and Instruction • Analyze the data and the “current & Instruction Division and overseen by the Assistant reality” with each district to reveal the Plan Superintendent. Curricular priorities are established gaps in the arts program. by C & I and the arts are clearly a part of the over all • Develop professional development plan. The emphasis is on curriculum work with the approaches to support progress in districts and there is a clear identification of the underrepresented disciplines. current gaps. The emphasis is on working • Provide venues for formal and informal with districts in the area of curriculum lesson sharing, lesson study groups, and development, articulation, review of models of integrated instruction. curriculum materials and texts, and standards • Work with discipline specialists to based, sequential instruction, for generalists and understand their professional specialists alike. There is collaboration among development needs. curriculum and instruction leads. The arts are a • Work with arts lead teachers at clear part of the whole. Possible interdisciplinary selected grade levels and in selected work is explored, planned and/or implemented. disciplines to develop and/or select appropriate curriculum and resource materials. • Understand the curricular priorities of A fully developed COE Arts Plan may or may not be the districts and establish connections completed or could be a plan within another plan between those and the arts – so the arts listed here). are not outside other curricular initiatives.

6 Long Term A “working majority” of districts have an arts education Superintendent Arts Education team and a plan for improving arts programs. The Plan COE Arts Coordinator in collaboration with others at • Develop a vision statement for the plan. the COE develop, with inclusive participation from • Provide facilitation for all meetings the districts, a long- term (3-5 year) strategic along the process. plan for the arts based on a common vision of • Define the services and resources the what constitutes a quality arts education for COE is prepared to provide the all students. Goals and objectives are developed. districts in support of their plans. Obstacles are identified and news directions decided. • Identify the professional development There is a time-line. Roles are specific. The next step options to be provided by the COE to is implementation. The plan is presented to the meet district needs. County Board of Education and disseminated to • Provide a time line for the work to be district Arts Education Leads and/or Teams. The done by the COE. long-range plan is based on the district plans as well • Understand and make clear the as the determined needs and priorities of districts budget implications of the plan. without plans. The plan is developed over time – a • Decide how to expand the plan (over year to 18 months. time) to engage and include districts not yet participating.

(And many more elements: See “Bare For County Offices of Education that have brought Bones of a District Plan – CCSESA) together district representatives over time. Usually associated with COEs that have had an arts coordinator for several years and have healthy, sustained relations with local arts organizations and are ready to move forward with implementing a long range plan beginning the next academic year. (This plan includes all the elements of the “internal COE work plan”).

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THE CONTINUUM OF “COUNTY OFFICE PLANS FOR THE ARTS”

Some examples of actions Description of the emphasis of the plan Type of Plan to be taken under this plan

7 County Office The County Office of Education is ready to refine the • Bring together a group of representatives External plan for publication and wide distribution. The from the districts, the COE, and the (Published) “Public Plan” may contain advocacy and/or arts community to look carefully at the Arts Plan research statements, as well as quotes and testimonials current arts plan and decide which from participating district spokesmen as well as a elements should be emphasized in a strong public relations statement typically written by plan that will go to the public. the County Superintendent of Schools. This is a • Decide upon the audience for the public plan. “value added” plan in that it places the arts in • Develop a dissemination and the context of already accepted goals of follow-up plan. education (i.e., “creative skills for the future” or • Work with a graphic artist or “educating the whole child.”) The plan includes key someone knowledgeable about layout recommendations This is the completion of the full and design to devise a visually effective first cycle of planning and implementation. presentation in print. • Define a budget and determine where the financial support will come from to publish the plan. For County Offices that have completed and are in the • Develop a follow-up procedure for the process of implementing their Arts Education Plan release of the Plan. and who wish to launch a public relations/advocacy • Define other ways to “keep the spotlight” campaign for the arts in the county. on arts education in the county. • Include some historical background. • Develop a Power Point version of the Plan. • Publish the plan on line.

8 Technical This is the beginning of the “second cycle” of • Determine where districts are making Assistance planning and implementation. The County Arts progress and document the ways in Plan for COE Education Plan has been completed and is in the which this happened and find ways to Long Term process of being implemented. A public plan has been share this information with other districts. • Document successful curricular Arts Plan published (or a decision has been made not to do so). The “first round” of participating districts is actively approaches, pilot programs, instructional involved in the work described by the plan. The methodology, delivery systems, student COE’s major focus at this point is to sustain assessment, etc. with a goal of sharing the work, keep enthusiasm and participation high this information. and be ready to provide as much assistance as • Bring various groups of teachers possible to help district keep moving forward. This together within or across districts to plan will outline the ways in which these things will share best practice as in “lesson study” be accomplished. There is a process in place to help groups, grade level or discipline groups districts to re-visit their arts plans and make changes – establish a “community of learners”. as necessary. • Evaluate the effectiveness of support programs provided by outside arts agencies. • Plan new, targeted professional development for groups of teachers who For County Offices of Education that are more or less are struggling with like issues (such the in the middle of their long term Arts Education Plan elective wheel, student assessment or and need to keep up the momentum as well as evaluate integrated arts instruction). their progress and make mid-course corrections. • Help districts to understand and leverage funding sources and/or provide grant Elements of this plan might also appear in writing help and support. “first cycle” plans such as Plans 1-3. • Assist districts in writing/presenting board reports, revising curriculum documents (secondary course descriptions) and developing program evaluation.

30 APPENDIX H DISTRICT ARTS EDUCATION PLAN EXAMPLE

Goals Implementation Tasks Preliminary Budget Persons Responsible Implications Time Frame Standards-based Curriculum Instruction & Methodology Student Assessment Professional Development Program Administration & Personnel Partnership & Collaborations Funding Resources & Facilities Program Evaluation

31 APPENDIX I

DISTRICT ARTS PLAN COMPONENTS, CONTENT AND STRUCTURES

COMPONENT CONTENT FORMAT

District Demographics Specific information; numbers, etc. Narrative, list, table

Policy Statement The vision that will guide the District in developing and implementing the plan.

Executive Summary Sets the context; may include the vision, Typically presented as a Rationale mission statement, belief statement; may also narrative, not more than one include information about the process for page in length. the plan and/or the leadership involved in creating the plan.

Statement of Current Realities Includes the good and the not-so-good, the Can be a narrative, bulleted list, successes and the challenges. It is specific table, etc. and verifiable.

District History and Background What was, previous accomplishments, Typically a short narrative commitment, readiness and capacity to do or list. the work; also barriers and challenges

Elements of a Quality Program Includes a number of elements such as – Typically presented as a table, (The “heart” of the plan). Goals: where District wants to be in an chart or the like – sometimes a identified period of time; what District bulleted list or narrative. hopes to accomplish Objectives/Implementation Tasks: action oriented statements – signified by “action verbs” – they are concise, specific, measurable and verifiable. Time Line: can be an implementation calen- dar by specific date, by quarters, phases, years, etc. Persons Responsible: by role (external plan) or by name (internal plan) Budget Implications: specific to each objective or task (some budgets are broken out and presented as a separate section).

Summary of Key Priorities Specific priorities based on identified needs Typically a bulleted list, short – sometimes prioritized and concise

Acknowledgments Identifies persons responsible for writing and adopting the plan

32 APPENDIX J STAGES OF DISTRICT PLANNING

1 IDENTIFY DISTRICT ARTS TEAM • Make sure people can commit to the process (could mean 6 – 10 meetings). • Make sure you include a cross representation of people from the District (see guidelines for “A District Arts Team”) • If possible hire an outside facilitator: an outside facilitator has no stake in the outcome and therefore is much more able to be objective and see the overall picture. • A facilitator also ensures that every voice is heard and honored.

2 DO A NEEDS ASSESSMENT • Establish the current status of arts education (including funding status). • Use one of the tools available (e.g. Model Arts Program Toolkit/The Community Arts Education Project/TCAP Assessment Tool).

3 IDENTIFY THE GAPS • Having established what you already have in place identify the program areas that need improvement (gaps)

4 CREATE A DISTRICT VISION STATEMENT • A key question might be: What elements do we want to see in place in our arts program in 5 years time? • Make sure that each person’s vision is recorded on a chart. The District Arts Team can distill a District vision statement from the personal visions.

5 AGREE ON PRIORITIES • Use elements of the arts program that your team has envisioned in step 3. • Use a collaborative system: e.g. each person has three votes and can mark the elements in terms of first, second and third priority. • Colored dots create a good visual for this step.

6 IDENTIFY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES These should be both long-term goals (3-5 years) and short-term objectives (or implementation tasks) leading to these goals. • Base the goals on the agreed priorities. Be realistic! • Distill objectives (implementation tasks) from goals – each implementation task should have name of person/group responsible for that task

7 TIMELINE Calendar each task. Build in a monitoring system e.g. a quarterly review.

8 WRITE UP ACTION PLAN This should outline: • Vision • Goals • Implementation Tasks • Budgetary iIplications • Person Responsible • Timeframe for Implementation.

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