93p. · cambridge, ma. otiier advisors. ... peggy cooper cafritz. vice chair. emily malino scheuer....

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 429 029 SO 030 865

AUTHOR Longley, Laura, Ed.TITLE Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts

that Value Arts Education.INSTITUTION President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities,

Washington, DC.; Department of Education, Washington, DC.;National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC.; WhiteHouse Millennium Council, Washington, DC.; Arts EducationPartnership, Washington, DC.

SPONS AGENCY General Electric Foundation, Ossining, NY.; Binney andSmith, Inc., Easton, PA.; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthurFoundation, Chicago, IL.

PUB DATE 1999-00-00NOTE 93p.

AVAILABLE FROM President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, 1100Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 526, Washington, DC 20506;Tel: 202-682-5409; Web site: http://www.pcah.gov

PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Art Education; *Community Influence; *Community

Involvement; Educational Resources; Elementary SecondaryEducation; *Financial Support; Program Development; PublicSchools; *School Districts; *Staff Development

ABSTRACTThis report responds to questions posed by school and

community leaders throughout the United States about public school districtsthat have made competence in the arts, as well as literacy, one of thefundamental goals of education for students. Ninety-one school districts arefeatured in this report, but hundreds more were identified by state andnational education and arts organizations as having outstanding artseducation throughout their schools. The report provides information about howschool districts developed and sustained arts education in the face of theenormous pressure to prove the success of their schools by accountabilitymeasures that focus largely on reading, mathematics, and writing. Itdocuments practices used by the school districts to address staffing andprogram and resource needs. The central finding of this report is that thecritical factor in sustaining arts education in schools is the activeinvolvement of influential segments of the community in shaping andimplementing the policies and programs from each school district. (LB)

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U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

ErThis document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

0 Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality.

o Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy.

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BEST CON AVA LA3 E

2NEF,Inwris COMMIT:EP THF ARTS AN THE, HUMANITIES aid ARTS EDUCATION. PARTNERSHIP

A

ARTS

ADVISORY

COMMITTEE

GORDON AMBACH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE

SCHOOL OFFICERS

WASHINGTON, DC

BENJAMIN CANADA

SUPERINTENDENT

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PORTLAND, OR

RAMON C. CORTINES

EXECUTVE DIRECTOR

THE PEW NETWORK FOR

STANDARDS-BASED REFORM

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

PALO ALTO, CA

DIANE FRANKEL

DIRECTOR

INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM

AND LIBRARY SERVICES

WASHINGTON, DC

DOUG HERBERT

DIRECTOR

ARTS IN EDUCATION

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT

FOR THE ARTS

WASHINGTON, DC

JIM HERBERT

DIRECTOR

DIVISION OF RESEARCH

AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR

THE HUMANITIES

WASHINGTON, DC

DAVE MASTER

DIRECTOR

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

AND TRAINING

WARNER BROTHERS FEATURE

ANIMATION

GLENDALE, CA

BONNIE POLITZ

SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER

CENTER FOR YOUTH

DEVELOPMENT

AND POLICY RESEARCH

ACADEMY FOR

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON, DC

JANE WALTERS

COMMISSIONER

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT

OF EDUCATION

NASHVILLE, TN

DENNIE PALMER WOLF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PACE - HARVARD

GRADUATE SCHOOL

OF EDUCATION

CAMBRIDGE, MA

OTIIER ADVISORS

ELLEN MCCULLOCH-LOVELL

DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE

PRESIDENT AND ADVISOR

TO THE FIRST LADY ON

THE MILLENNIUM

WHITE HOUSE

MILLENNIUM COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, DC

SARAH HOWES

AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE

OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF EDUCATION

WHITE HOUSE

MILLENNIUM COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, DC

PRESIDENT'S

COMMITTEE ONTHE ARTS AND

THE HUMANITIES

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTONHonorary Chair

JOHN BRADEMASChairman

PEGGY COOPER CAFRITZVice Chair

EMILY MALINO SCHEUERVice Chair

TERRY SEMELVice Chair

SUSAN BARNES-GELT

LERONE BENNETT, J.

MADELEINE HARRIS BERMAN

CURT BRADBURY

JOHN H. BRYAN

"'MARIO CANDELA

ANNE COX CHAMBERS

MARGARET CORBETT DALEY

EVERETT L. FLY

HARVEY GOLUB

RICHARD S. GURIN

IRENE Y. HIRANO

DAVID HENRY HWANG

QUINCY JONES

ROBERT MENSCHEL

RITA MORENO

ANTHONY PODESTA

ANN SHEFFER

RAYMOND SMITH

ISAAC STERN

SHIRLEY WILHITE

HAROLD WILLIAMS

FEDERAL MEMBERS

DAVID BARIUM

JAMES H. BILUNGTON

WILLIAM R. FERRIS

DIANE B. FRANKEL

JOHN D. HAWKE, JR.

I. MICHAEL HEYMAN

BILL IVEY

JAMES A. JOHNSON

TERRY PETERSON

EARL A. POWELL, III

ROBERT STANTON

HARRIET OR FULBRIGHTt)Executive'Diltor

ARTS EDUCATION

PARTNERSHIP

RICHARD J. DEASYDirector

BEST COPY AVAHABLE

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGELessons From School Districts That Value

ARTS EDUCATION(President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and Arts Education Partnership

GE Fund

ArtsEducationPartnership

Funded by

GE FUND

THE JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

BINNEY & SMITH

Additional Support Provided by

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

WHITE HOUSE MILLENNIUM COUNCIL

COPYRIGHT © 1999 PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

AND ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

EDITOR/WRITER: LAURA LONGLEY

PUBLICATION DESIGN: PETER M. SAK, BINNEY & SMITH

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5

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

dyCl ENTSFOREWORD PAGE 4

by Harriet Mayor Fulbrightand Richardj. Deasy

INTRODUCTION PAGE 5by Ratnon C. Cortines

HOW THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED PAGE 7

THE STUDY'S FINDINGS PAGE 9

SCHOOL DISTRICT CASE STUDIES AND PROFILES PAGE 15

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PAGE 8 7

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION

FOREWORDby Harriet Mayor Fulbright and Richard J. Deasy

Tcis report responds to ques-tions posed by school andommunity leaders through-

out the United States about publicschool districts that have madecompetence in the arts as well asliteracy one of the fundamentalpurposes of schooling for all theirstudents.

As Dr. Benjamin Canada,then superintendent in Atlanta,Georgia, and now in Portland,Oregon, put it to us when we firstconsidered undertaking this study:"I want to know what is going on inthese districts, how they are doingit, and what effects they see."

Similar questions wereframed by school superintendentsand school board members we gath-ered in focus groups at the beginningof this study. The "hows" that inter-ested them were not only thestrategies and practices regardingstaffing, programs, and facilities.They were perhaps even more inter-ested in how these districts developedand sustained arts education in theface of the enormous pressures onthem to prove the success of their

"...the presenceand quality of artseducation in publicschools todayrequire anexceptional degreeof involvementby influentialsegments of thecommunity whichvalue the arts..."

PAGE 4

schools by accountability measuresthat focus largely on reading, math,and writing.

We believe this report andthe database available on its accom-panying Web site provide answersto both sets of "how." It documentssome of the best practices used bythese school districts to addressstaffing, program and resourceneeds. Yet if there is a single, over-riding lesson they teach it is thatthe presence and quality of artseducation in public schools todayrequire an exceptional degree ofinvolvement by influential seg-ments of the community whichvalue the arts in the total affairs ofthe school district: in governance,funding, and program delivery.

Orchestrating this involve-ment so that the arts are seen asfundamental to the general educa-tion of all students is a task thatfalls on school and communityleadership alike. This report showsways it is being done throughoutthe United States.

Ninety-one school districtsare featured in this report. Buthundreds more were identified bystate and national education andarts organizations as having out-standing arts education throughouttheir schools. We are grateful to thecountless individuals in all of thedistricts who contributed theirtime, wisdom, and enthusiasm tomake this report meaningful totheir colleagues across the country.They knew better than we the ques-tions that needed to be answered.We hope we have recorded theiranswers faithfully and accurately.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7

his study was directed on behalf of thePresident's Committee ('n Hu, Arts and

tile Hmmmities and Arts EducaihmPartnership by Harriet Mayor Fulbrisht andRichard I. Horsy

1)-6.!,3'ident's r:dmmitt,,c cm thi:rand 'the Humanities s nee

e spring of 1997, has spentmost of her adult life in thefields of education and thearts. tier administrativeexperience includes theCongressional Arts Caucusfits first assistant director), theFulbright Association (execu-tive director), the Center forthe Arts in the BasicCurriculum (president), andthe Fulbright InternationalCenter (president).

Richard J. Deasqirecldi EducationParbierollir: formerly nownas the Goals 2000 ArtsEducation Partnership, servedas assistant state superinten-dent of schools for Maryland,where he had responsibilityfor all curricular areas andstatewide assessments aswell as services to specialstudent populations. Deasyalso served as executiveassistant to the secretary ofeducation in Pennsylvaniaand as president and CEO ofthe National Council forInternational Visitors. A prize-winning journalist coveringpolitics and government at thestate and local levels, he wasnominated for a Pulitzer Prizefor his reporting on housingand urban affairs in thePhiladelphia area.

GAINING THE

AF1TSADVANTAGE

Art,:

INTRODUCTIONby Ramon C. Cortines

MAKING THECASE FOR

DISTRICT-WIDEARTS EDUCATION

A WORD To MY COLLEAGUES:

There is a two-day retreat describedin this report at which superintendents ofeach of the school districts in New YorkCity challenged by the redoubtableMaxine Greene decide that it is impor-tant for each of them to clarify his or herphilosophy of arts education and the spe-cific application of the philosophy thatwill work in their districts. The schoolleaders recognize that they need a visionand that they must be able to articulatethe values of arts education to their uniquecommunities.

I have colleagues like those inmind as I offer the following thoughts onmaking the case for district-wide artseducation in public education today.

Since the early 1980s, educationin the United States has under-gone a sea change. Reformers

have come to espouse a systemic per-spective, viewing the differentcomponents of the education systemas fundamentally interrelated. Thechallenge for educators is to createschools that help students acquire theknowledge, skills, confidence, andmotivation to succeed in the increas-ingly sophisticated workforce and asparents and citizens.

Because the arts possess thepower to play a role in meeting thischallenge, an arts education must befundamental, not incidental. I consid-er the arts to be the "fourth R" a basic

component in the curriculum and abasic tool in the school reform arsenal.But there are legions of people who donot see the arts as either intrinsicallyvaluable or even useful in acquiring"real world" skills or achieving successin the "other basics." Therefore, mak-ing the case for the arts to importantconstituencies involved in schoolreform parents, business and civicleaders, other educators is a crucialpart of a school leader's job today.

In my experience, the case forthe arts is built upon either (1) theintrinsic value of the arts or (2) thevalue of an arts education's conse-quences. Both are valid.

To establish the value of anarts education's consequences, its "realworld" benefits, many people point tothe wonderful skills and habits thatartistic appreciation and productionhelp form. Indeed, the arts stimulate,develop, and refine many cognitiveand creative skills; they contribute sig-nificantly to the creation of the flexibleand adaptable "knowledge workers" somany business people say will be cru-cial to the 21st century economy; andthey draw upon and draw out the mul-tiple intelligences of students.

On the other hand, trying toanswer the question, "Why should wecare about the arts?" from the stand-point of intrinsic value is a little liketrying to answer the question, "Whyshould we care about our health?" Thearts, like our health, need no calculusof justification. We engage in the arts,we ought to teach the arts, becausethis is part of what it means to behuman. The arts are fundamental tocommunicating and understandingnot only ourselves, but others.Through the arts we learn to appreci-ate, and even to create, things of

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION a

RAMON C. CORTINES,is the executive director of the PewNetwork for Standards-Based Reform atStanford University. He has been a schoolteacher and an administrator since 1956.He has taught at the elementary middle,and senior high school levels and heldnumerous positions in public schools,including the post of superintendent forthe Pasadena, San Jose, and SanFrancisco, California, school systems.

Appointed chancellor of the New YorkCity Public School System in September1993, he served in that position until

October 1995. He has chaired task forcesand committees at both the state and fed-eral levels. He serves on the boards ofBrown University, the J. Paul Getty Trust,

Scholastic, Inc., Special Olympics, Inc.,

the San Francisco Symphony, and theNational Center for Pubric Policy andHigher Education

beauty. We know about the ancientGreeks and Native Americans, forexample, by the architecture, poetry,and paintings they left behind. We,too, will be known someday to futuregenerations by the art we produce andleave to posterity. I believe that stu-dents cannot understand culture, theirown or others', without a solid senseof the arts.

There are other importantpoints that strengthen the case for thearts to parents, to business people, toother educators.

Parents are naturally con-cerned with the basics. We can explainhow the arts are themselves basic andhow they contribute to learning the"other" basics. But we can also tell par-ents how the arts help develop ayoung person's character and values,confidence and empathy, respect andtolerance.

If, for example, you are a

member of the cast of a play, you havean obligation to learn your lines well.You have to help pull the performancetogether. You can't just ad lib and "doyour own thing." You have to work

continued on next page

Pen= 5

toward the goal of the group. Throughthe arts, children learn that there is atime for originality and a time for repli-cation, a time to be the star and a timeto be a productive member of thegroup. The arts help children build avalue system in which they learn self-discipline and responsibility; they learnto value effort and to get enjoymentand inspiration from its results.

Business leaders tell us theywant higher-order thinking skills in the21st century specifically, criticalthinking and nimbleness in judgment,creativity and imagination, cooperativedecision making, leadership, high-levelliteracy and communication, and thecapacity for problem posing and prob-lem solving. This is exactly what thearts help produce.

The so-called "creative artsindustry," moreover, is no small thing.The arts represent six percent of ourgross national product, a figure equalto wholesale trade. In 1990, consumerspending on the performing arts out-paced expenditure on either motionpictures or sports. Meanwhile, technol-ogy is tapping into the arts andincorporating them into ever moresophisticated and stimulating productsand processes. Even now future integra-tion of arts and technology is beingshaped in and by our school systems,including several districts profiled here.

How, finally, do we make thecase to other educators?

We must show, plainly andsimply, that an arts educationimproves teaching and learning.

Educators say they wantmaterials and activities that are "con-structivist," that is, concrete andhands-on. They seek materials that aremulti-modal, multicultural, appealingand challenging to the classroom'sdiverse range of learners. They lookfor activities that provide not just onemeans of assessment but multipleways to track and evaluate a student'sprogress. They want materials thatpromote critical thinking. They lookfor activities that are interdisciplinary.

PAGE 6

So what do we know fromdecades of research? We know that thematerials, the activities, the answersthat address all these needs are to befound in the arts.We know:

that an arts education contributessignificantly to improved criticalthinking, problem posing, problemsolving, and decision making;

that, as with language and mathemat-ics, the crux of an arts educationinvolves the communication, manip-ulation, interpretation, and under-standing of complex symbols;

that developing fluency in artisticexpression and understanding fostershigher-order thinking skills of analy-sis, synthesis, and evaluation;

that the arts are multi-modal,addressing and fostering the multipleintelligences of students (spatial abil-ities, for example, develop throughdrawing and sculpture, mathemati-cal-logical abilities throughproducing and listening to music,kinesthetic or physical abilitiesthrough dance, interpersonal skillsthrough drama);

that the arts develop a person's imag-ination and judgment, permittingeach individual, in Maxine Greene'sclassic phrase, to create "as if" worlds,places where we see the world afresh.

I know a teacher who editsthe school's creative arts magazine. Sheteachers her students that a story orpoem needs to have what she calls"moment," making the reader pauseand reflect on the world. An arts edu-cation is all about developing thecapacity for "moment" a seismic joltthat shakes up our consciousness, ourold encrusted ways of seeing anddoing things.

Research confirms what wealways knew intuitively: The arts teachall of us students and teachers alikeinnovation, novelty, and creativity. Welearn to be wondrous.

We know, of course, that artseducation is not the magic pill thatwill simultaneously reform schoolsand boost student achievement.

Systemic reform in the 1990s hastaught us that improving educationwill mean paying attention to all partsof the educational system. But the artsare a basic part of any program of edu-cation and crucial to any program ofreform. Again, arts education must befundamental, not incidental.

What can you as a schoolleader do to support arts educationbeyond making the case to key con-stituencies? Consider these steps:

Join the board of the local arts council.

Consider the arts background andcultural interests when hiring yournext educator, whether you are look-ing for a music teacher, a mathteacher, or a principal.

Reach out to the local university orcollege to establish or strengthen apartnership that will enhance artseducation.

Invite local arts groups to give per-formances or demonstrations at yourschools.

Call a community forum on the artsto discuss recent research on the artsand learning.

Finally, take the time to famil-iarize yourself with the variety ofprograms and practices described inthis report. While there are no sure-fire formulas for success, the vastmultiplicity of ways to incorporate thearts into schooling makes it easy forevery educator to promote the arts and,in so doing, promote high-quality edu-cation throughout our school systems.

How STUDYWAS CONDUCTED

All of the school districts consid-ered for inclusion in this reportand database were nominated

by education, arts, and arts educationorganizations at the national, state,and local levels using a set of criteriadeveloped by the project advisors andresearchers.

More than 500 school districtswere nominated and invited to submitdocumentation for further review.Some 300 districts responded. Schools,programs, and students in virtually allof these districts have been honored inrecent years for their achievements inarts education. Reviewers, however,

efore the first interviews were con-ducted or sites visited, it was

possible for the researchers to make anumber of generalizations about schooldistricts with strong arts educationbased upon the 500 district recommen-dations and the completed surveys andapplications of the 300 respondents.Through data and description, the dis-tricts provided information aboutstudent performance, breadth anddepth of arts education offerings,staffing, access, innovation, communi-ty involvement, resources, leadership,and use of guidelines such as local,state, or national standards.

Student Performance:Many of the districts have studentswho win local, state, and nationalawards, including Scholastic Artcompetitions, regional band compe-titions, Presidential Scholars in theArts recognition.

sought districts that over a number ofyears have been attempting to reachall students and all schools. Ultimately,the school districts included in thisreport were chosen because they metthis standard and because they werewilling and able to commit the timeand energy to respond to interrogationby the project team during the twoyears of the study.

All districts in the study wereasked to comment on the major strate-gies, strengths, and practices whichthey believe contribute to their abilityto teach the arts (see "ParticipatingSchool Districts in General"). Eight

A few of the districts and their statesassess student achievement in the arts.

Breadth:Most districts participating in thestudy offer visual art and music inmost of their schools.

Some districts offer theater in middleschools; many offer theater in highschools.

A few districts offer dance separatelyfrom physical education.

A growing number of districts areexpanding, adding, or planning todevelop arts and technology and/orschool-to-work programs with com-puter graphics, design, MIDI musiccomposition, video, film, animation,photography.Some districts mention special writ-ing courses and activities above andbeyond creative writing as part of anEnglish course.

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION n

of the districts were selected on thebasis of demographic and geographicalconsiderations for site visits by a teamthat included at least one researcherand one superintendent of schools.The purpose of the site visit was toprobe and clarify through a series ofquestions and observations the factorsthat enable districts to sustain qualityarts education system-wide. Phoneinterviews and document reviews wereused to determine if these factors wereat work in the districts not visited. As aresult, the study reports on a generalset of findings as well as specific strate-gies and best practices found in thedistricts. Descriptions of the districtsin this written report are used to illus-trate a major finding, crucial strategy,or outstanding practice. A completelist of districts nominated for inclusionin the study, including individuals tobe contacted in each of the districts,are provided in the database accessiblethrough the project's Web site.

Depth:Most districts offer a range of sequen-tial arts coursework in their highschools for the developing student.

The stronger districts begin arts educa-tion in the early years; frequently, thisis an area of emphasis for rebuilding.

Staffing:Most districts included in this reporthad a high percentage of full-time,certified arts education specialists.

Districts usually have more specialistsin music than in other disciplines.

Stronger districts have specialists inthe elementary schools.Medium-sized to large school sys-tems with support for arts educationusually have at least one district artscoordinator.

Districts choosing to integrate thearts across the curriculum have ahigh percentage of classroom teach-ers using arts techniques.

PAGE 7

Lvntinued from previous page

(NOTE: Districts overcoming great challengesoften had a different staff profile.)

Access:

This area is a challenge for districts.

Some districts made special attemptsat outreach to students with at-riskbackgrounds and/or disabilities whoare often underrepresented in the arts.

The strongest districts make a com-mitment to providing a basiceducation in the arts to every child,usually in the elementary years.

Districts perceive graduation require-ments in the arts as helpful inincreasing access and exposure insecondary schools.

Innovation:Urban and rural districts faced greatchallenges in offering strong artseducation.

WHO STUDIED THESCHOOL DISTRICTS

Seven school superintendents andeducators provided this studywith their knowledge of school

districts, administration, arts educa-tion, and specific programs across thenation; with their evaluation of appli-cants to this study and their time andexpertise on site visits to the "casestudy" districts, and with their invalu-able review and comment on the finaldraft of this report. At the request ofthe President's Committee and ArtsEducation Partnership, they also shareon the report's Web site (www.pcah.gov)what they feel they personally learnedfrom these school districts.

Dawn M. Ellis, who served as seniorproject associate, President's Committeeon the Arts and the Humanities and ArtsEducation Partnership, graduated fromYale University and received her Ed.M.in Administration, Planning and SocialPolicy from Harvard University.

PAGE 8

Community collaborations wereoverwhelmingly cited as a way toovercome those challenges.

Community:Most districts work with the commu-nity to offer and enhance artseducation through parent involve-ment, artists in the schools, andrelationships with arts institutions,businesses, and universities.

Resources:Most districts have a district-levelcommitment to the arts throughapportioned resources.

Many districts are rebuilding aftersevere cuts to the arts 15 years ago.

Leadership:Many districts have school boardsand superintendents who have wonawards for leadership in arts educa-

Mary Lee Fitzgerald, senior fellow,New Jersey Institute for SchoolInnovation, received her Ph.D. fromRutgers University. Previously, sheserved as New Jersey state commis-sioner of education.

Nellie King, superintendent ofLackawanna City Schools in New York,received her certificate of advancedstudy in educational administration atBuffalo State University.

Lane Plugge, superintendent of GrandIsland (NE) Public Schools, currentlyserves as president of the NebraskaCouncil of School Administration. Hereceived his master's degree from theUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha, andhis Ph.D. from the University ofNebraska at Lincoln.

Warren Newman, owner and privateconsultant for Livewire Arts, spent threeyears as the director of the Arts inEducation Program of the NationalEndowment for the Arts, prior towhich he was superintendent ofSouth Pasadena (CA) Schools. Hereceived his Ed.D. from the Universityof Southern CalifOrnia.

-:1 .1

tion, such as the KennedyCenter/National School BoardAssociation award.

Some of the strongest districts havearts-supportive school leaders whohave worked for the district for morethan a decade.District arts coordinators often take aleading role.

Guidelines:Many districts working on educa-tional reform use state and nationalstandards in the arts to shape theirarts education.

Some districts work to overcome theeffects of the "back-to-basics" stan-dards movement that moved the artsto the background, if not out of thepicture altogether.

Paul Williams, superintendent ofBeachwood (OH) City Schools, receivedhis Ph.D. from Michigan StateUniversity. Currently, he is the chair-man of SMART Consortium, a mathand science study initiative.

Brent Wilson, professor and head ofart education in the School of VisualArts at the Pennsylvania StateUniversity, holds a Ph.D. in art educa-tion from the Ohio State University,an MFA degree in painting and sculp-ture from Cranbrook Academy of Art(1958), and a bachelor of sciencedegree in art and art education fromUtah State University. His mostrecent book is The Quiet Evolution:Changing the Face of Arts Education(1997), published by the GettyEducation Institute for the Arts.

GAINING TI-E

ADVANTAGE

THESTUDY'S FINDINGS

PURPOSE AND

PROCESS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY

IS TO IDENTIFY THE CONDITIONS

AND PRACTICES THAT CREATE

AND SUSTAIN DISTRICTWIDE

COMMITMENT TO ARTS

EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS.

WHY DISTRICT-WIDE?Quality arts instruction can befound in schools throughout the

United States. Often, however, theseprograms reach only segments of thestudent population. This study exam-ines efforts in public school districtsurban, suburban, and rural through-out the United States to make the artsan essential part of the general educa-tion of all students.

All of the districts discussedhere have been recognized at thenational, state, and/or local levels forthe outstanding quality of specificaspects of their instructional programsin dance, music, theater, visual arts, orother art forms. There are lessons to belearned from each of them.

But what are the factors thatmake it possible for a district to reachthe entire student population, to treatthe arts as a subject comparable tomath, science, or social studies? Toprobe this question in depth and toadd to the information gathered fromdocuments and phone interviews,researchers visited eight demographi-cally and geographically differentschool districts.

A CENTRAL FINDINGAcentral finding emerges. Schoolleaders repeatedly affirm:

THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL

FACTOR IN SUSTAJNING ARTS

EDUCATION IN THEIR SCHOOLS

IS THE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT

OF INFLUENTIAL SEGMENTS OF

THE COMMUNITY IN SHAPING

AND IMPLEMENTING THE

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS OF

THE DISTRICT.

The real and metaphoricalwalls of the school district become"permeable." A kaleidoscope of smallcommunities composed of individualsand groups from the broader commu-nity actively engage with one anotherin arts and arts education activitiesinside and outside of the schools.Their interactions deepen their appre-ciation for and understanding of thearts and strengthen their bonds. Theyform networks that actively promotethe importance of arts education inthe general education of all studentsand in the social, civic, and culturallives of the broad community. Theirinfluence creates a degree of consensusamong the school board, the schoolsuperintendent, and major influentialsegments of the general communitythat the arts are an essential part oflearning. They work to sustain thatconsensus using a repertoire of strate-gies, resources, and skills that can beseen in the case studies and profilesin this report.

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDuarioN

THE LocAL CONTEXTAND CRITICAL

SUCCESS FACTORS

re specific characteristics of theseetworks and the consensus that is

reached vary in response to local con-texts. Vancouver, Washington, differsin specific detail from Miami, Florida,as will be seen in the case studies. Andwhile a degree of consensus is the iihequa non if the arts are to be part of theeducation of all students, other factorsmust be in place to create and sustainthe quality and scope of the district'sarts education.

These factors can be statedgenerally, but the critical lessons againlie in the way they play out in con- ,

crete situations.

NOT ALL ARE PRESENT IN EVERY

DISTRICT, BUT A SUFFICIENT

NUMBER OF THE "FOLLOWING

FACTORS MUST BE AT WORK TO

SUSTAIN ARTS EDUCATION IN *THE

SCHOOL SYSTEM.

GAINING THEsADVANTAGE:


DA... a

THE ARTS AND"MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES"

Researchers for this study found thatDr. Howard Gardner's theory of"multiple intelligences" has deeplyaffected philosophies and programsin many school districts. One district(Vancouver, WA) rearranged its learn-ing framework to reflect many waysof learning and to include the arts.Another (Redondo Beach, CA) creat-ed a technological laboratory whichstrives to include as many of the dif-ferent intelligences in its teaching aspossible. Superintendents and schoolboard members referred to theGardner research as a reason for sup-porting the arts in their schools. Againand again, the research team heard,"It's been shown, kids learn in differ-ent ways, so we need to be givingthem the opportunity to do just that."The arts, this study's researchersobserved, provide multiple ways forstudents to exercise intellect.

IV

THE ARTS ANDINTEGRATION OF INSTRUCTION

Researchers for this study noticedthat teachers frequently are tornbetween two competing ways oforganizing instruction.

One approach is to think ofeach school subject as a separateand distinct collection of knowledgebest understood, studied, andlearned by itself. Especially at thesecondary level, the school day isorganized with a specified time formathematics, music, etc.

The second way to organizeinstruction is to assume that everyschool subject has connections toother school subjects and that thebest way to learn is by encouragingstudents to actively examine thoserelationships. By providing studentswith large projects, themes, or prob-lems, educators encourage them toapply complex pieces of knowledge,skills, and inquiry processes from sev-eral school subjects simultaneously.

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

PAGE 1 0

How to MeasureCommitment to

.!Iupport for arts education in school district budgets is obviously anessential factor if all students are to have access to learning in the

arts. Districts included in this report were asked to quantify theirannual spending for arts education as a percentage of the total budgetor to provide other measures of financial support. They found it diffi-cult to do so, as they would if asked to do the same for science, socialstudies, or other school subjects. Budgeting methods and strategiesvary from school district to school district throughout the UnitedStates, but, generally, funding for arts and other subjects is encom-passed within broader categories such as personnel, facilities, materials,and so on. The advent of site-based management further complicates

the analysis as individual school buildings are often given discretion toconstruct their own budgets within general district spending.

Researchers for this report took another approach in assessingthe financial commitment districts make to arts education. Theylooked for the evidence in numbers of personnel - coordinators andarts specialists in particular - in the appropriateness of the facilities forarts instruction, in professional development programs for faculty,and in the support for students and faculty to engage with the artsand cultural resources outside of the schools. Researchers also soughtevidence that during periods of budget cutting the arts were treatedcomparably to other curricular areas. As would be expected, districtswith strong arts education in their schools make these commitmentsconsistently. Districts rebuilding their programs increase budgetsstrategically and often incrementally. On occasion, a major newinvestment - in a new school building or specialized program - is acatalyst for a general spending increase for all schools in the interestof fairness or because of a new level of support in the community.

In virtually every district with strong arts education,resources from the community or other sources supplement the reg-ular district arts education budget in the form of grants, contributedservices, equipment and supplies and the like. Personnel in thesedistricts are entrepreneurial in their search for these supplementalfunds and, in the strongest districts, treat that quest as a regular partof their professional responsibility. Fundamental support mustcome from the regular school district and school budget, but thestrongest districts further enliven their programs with these supple-mental funds.

13

CRITICAL UCCESSFACTORS for Achieving

District-WideArts Education

liFACTOR: THECOMMUNITYIN DISTRICTS WITH STRONGARTS EDUCATION, THECOMMUNITY BROADLY DEFINEDAS PARENTS AND FAMILIES,ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS,BUSINESSES, LOCAL CIVIC ANDCULTURAL LEADERS ANDINSTITUTIONS IS ACTIVELYENGAGED IN THE ARTS POLITICSAND INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMSOF THE DISTRICT.

re community assists in the teach-ig and learning activities of the

faculty and students, mobilizes andsupports arts education through politi-cal activity, uses school facilities ascommunity arts venues and providesvenues for faculty and student worksand performances.

Formal "partnerships" ofschool and community arts organiza-tions providing arts educationprograms to students can be found inmany of these districts, and the cre-ation of those partnerships is a strategya number of districts use. But the pat-tern of relationships in the strongestdistricts is more richly textured andinvolves a wide range of formal andinformal interactions among schoolstaff and the community. Schooladministrators in these districts encour-age or support an array of interactionsdescribed in the profiles, including:

active parent and communityinvolvement in school arts programs;

interdisciplinary teams involving artsspecialists in the development ofcurricula;

arts faculty involvement in commu-nity arts events;

artist residencies;

student exhibitions and perfor-mances for community audiences.

arFACTOR: THESCHOOL BOARDSCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHSTRONG ARTS EDUCATION

PROGRAMS GENERALLY HAVEBOARDS OF EDUCATION THATPROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE POLICYFRAMEWORK AND ENVIRONMENTFOR THE ARTS.

/1-7 ypically, one or more influentialmembers of the board have had

personal experiences or education thatdeveloped their knowledge and valuingof the arts and use this background to:

adopt written policies that value thearts as equal to other school subjects;

support the development of plans tostrengthen arts education, thenapportion resources in accordancewith the plan;

treat arts education equally withother subject areas when budget cutsare required;

consider the artistic qualities ofbuildings and the needs of arts edu-

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS FIMICATICIN

cation programs during facilityrenovation and development.

4FACTOR: THESUPERINTENDENT'SUPERINTENDENTS WHO

REGULARLY ARTICULATE A VISIONFOR ARTS EDUCATION ARE

CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO ITSSUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATIONAND STABILITY.

cuperintendents interviewed fOr thestudy generally credit school staff,

key board members, and/or influentialcommunity forces with assisting orconvincing them to develop a visionfor schooling that includes arts educa-tion. But the subsequent actions bythe superintendent are vital to sustain-ing district-wide arts education.

Superintendents in these dis-tricts take such actions as:

regularly articulating in writing,memos, and speeches the impoT-tance of the arts in achieving thegoals of the school district;

appointing highly effective district-wide arts coordinators;

developing a shared understandingwith their district arts coordinator(s)of the role of arts education and pro-viding support for implementation;

encouraging education staff to col-laborate among disciplines to ensuredistrict-wide initiatives apply to andinclude the arts;

committing personal time to meetingwith the arts education personnel oftheir district and to representativesfrom the arts and cultural organiza-tions of the community.

II/FACTOR:

CONTINUITYTHERE IS ENOUGH CONTINUITYIN THE SCHOOL AND

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TOIMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVEARTS EDUCATION.


4 4

Many districts examined in thisstudy have board members,

superintendents, and/or district artscoordinators who have served in theirdistricts for a decade or more. Similarly,many building-level leaders haveworked in the district or the sameschool for even longer periods.Stability in these formal leadershippositions is important in pursuing a setof educational goals, while strong com-munity traditions that embrace the artsare important factors in shaping a con-sensus supporting arts education.

School leaders told theresearchers that consensus was a key tocontinuity. Superintendents and prin-cipals who enjoyed healthyrelationships with the board and influ-ential segments of the community hadthe freedom and time to pursue theireducational visions. Demographic,political, or value shifts in the commu-nity produce board and leadershipturnover, a major problem in sustain-ing arts education.

OFACTOR: THEDISTRICT ARTS

COORDINATORDISTRICT ARTS COORDINATORSFACILITATE PROGRAM

IMPLEMENTATION THROUGHOUTA SCHOOL SYSTEM ANDMAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT OF

SUPPORT FOR ARTS EDUCATION.

School board members and superin-tendents repeatedly affirm the

essential role of the district arts coordi-nator(s) in sustaining strong artseducation programs and in keeping"the arts" part of a district's definitionof education. Their first piece ofadvice to their colleagues in other dis-tricts is to hire an effectivecoordinator. They emphasized thecare with which they searched for "theright person" - some tapping a recog-nized leader among the ranks of thearts teachers, others wooing an out-standing arts educator from anotherschool district.

PAGE 1 2

Smaller districts often lackresources for a full-time coordinatorbut add the responsibility to the work-load of a district curriculum specialistor an arts educator at a school. Whilethe approach has problems - overworkand lack of clarity among them it isessential in these districts as well.

Effective coordinators play anumber of crucial roles and provideseveral vital services:

They are often the staff membermost actively engaged with influen-tial segments of the community thatvalue the arts and are instrumentalin nurturing and mobilizing commu-nity support for arts education.

Board members credit arts coordina-tors with keeping "the arts on thetable" during budget sessions.

They negotiate between board andcentral office policies and school-leveldecision making, an increasingly criti-cal role as districts move towardssite-based management.

They often participate with school-level leadership in the screening andhiring of teachers.

Teachers in turn cite the role of dis-trict coordinator in facilitatingcommunication among individualschools and in fostering the climateof support for arts education in thecommunity and district.

FACTOR: A CADRE

OF PRINCIPALS

SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WHOCOLLECTIVELY SUPPORT THE

POLICY OF ARTS EDUCATION FORALL STUDENTS OFTEN AREINSTRUMENTAL IN THE POLICY'SSUCCESSFUL DISTRICT-WIDEIMPLEMENTATION.

Mhe study reaffirms research on therole of the principal as the prima-

ry instructional leader at the individ-ual school level. Principals createthe expectations and climate in theschool building, and their support forarts education is essential.

15

Many principals interviewedfor the study spoke of early learning orinvolvement in the arts or of profes-sional development opportunities thathelped them to decide to support artsin their schools. Others were con-vinced by the effectiveness of artseducation in addressing specific issues.For instance, principals looking tocreate a thematically focused or inter-disciplinary approach in an elementaryor middle school have found that artforms can play a central role becauseof their complex content and range ofactivities. Others have found thathard-to-reach students become activelyengaged in the arts and, subsequently,in other aspects of the school.

Similarly, parent and familyinvolvement in arts education enhancesthe overall environment for learning.

For a district as a whole to sus-tain the successful implementation ofarts education for all of its students, asufficient number of these building-level leaders must personally value thearts or be persuaded by other pragmaticconsiderations to make them an impor-tant aspect of the school. In view ofthe national trend to site-based man-agement, this factor is critical.Recognizing this, district-level leaders inseveral of the districts studied includearts education in the professional devel-opment activities of school principals.

FACTOR: THETEACHER AS ARTISTEFFECTIVE TEACHERS OF THEARTS ARE ALLOWED TO -INDEED ARE ENCOURAGED TO -CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROWIN MASTERY OF THEIR ARTFORM AS WELL AS IN THEIRTEACHING COMPETENCE.

77he presence of arts specialists in adistrict's schools proved time and

again to make the difference betweensuccessful comprehensive, sequentialarts education and those programs indevelopment. What the study found

compelling is the vibrancy that teach-ers who practice their art bring to analready strong program.

Whatever their medium ormetier, teachers who also pursue theirartistic life repeatedly told researchersfor this study that the value placed onthe professional quality of their art byschool administrators stimulates andrefreshes their commitment both totheir art and to teaching. Adminis-trators, in turn, pointed out that thebest teachers stay actively engaged intheir art form through exhibitionsand performances in district and com-munity venues. In the strongestdistricts, this commitment to theteacher as artist is reflected in recruit-ment and hiring practices that includeauditions and portfolio reviews to assessthe applicant's competence in the artform. Experienced arts teachers in thedistrict participate in these reviews.

FACTOR:

PARENT/PUBLICRELATIONSSCHOOL LEADERS IN DISTRICTSWITH STRONG, SYSTEM-WIDE

ARTS EDUCATION SEIZEOPPORTUNITIES TO MAKETHEIR PROGRAMS KNOWNTHROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITYIN ORDER TO SECURE SUPPORTAND FUNDING FOR THEM.

rn the districts profiled here, schoolleaders employ a variety of tech-

niques to engage the total schoolcommunity in arts activities that createa climate of support for arts education.Exhibition spaces and performancevenues in the schools are made avail-able to students, faculty, andcommunity artists. Free tickets are pro-vided to students, staff, and faculty forattendance at community arts events.One district provided free piano lessonsto all district staff. Others create week-long festivals of the arts engaging theschool and community organizations.

These activities are conceived "(FACTOR:as part of a general strategy to strength-en school-community ties in support of OPPORTUNITIES FORthe district's general educational goalsas well as the arts education budgetand programs. Principals toldresearchers that parents who nevercome to school for parent-teacher con-ferences will come to see their childperform, creating opportunities forbuilding relationships important to theschool and district.

Or FACTOR: ANELEMENTARY

FOUNDATIONSTRONG ARTS PROGRAMS INTHE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLYEARS ARE THE FOUNDATION

FOR STRONG SYSTEM-WIDEPROGRAMS.

District leaders advise their col-leagues to establish strong arts

education in the elementary schoolyears and to begin any rebuildingefforts at that level. They give severalreasons for doing so. Elementary pro-grams establish a foundation in thearts for all students, not just for thosein specialized programs or those whochoose an arts course of study in highschool. Moreover, in some art formssuch as instrumental music, a longperiod of time is needed for studentsto achieve even a basic level of profi-ciency. If such instruction is notbegun in elementary grades, a districtwill not have quality programs at thesecondary level.

The arts also have proved tobe strong components in the adoptionof an interdisciplinary curriculum byelementary schools. School leadersfind, too, that beginning programs inthe early years builds relationshipswith parents and community organiza-tions important to sustaining theirsupport for comprehensive arts educa-tion. These leaders advise theircolleagues seeking to reestablish strongarts programs to begin with a major,focus on the elementary years.

Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION

HIGHER LEVELS OF

ACHIEVEMENTSCHOOL LEADERS IN THESEDISTRICTS PROVIDE SPECIALIZEDARTS PROGRAMS AS PART OFTHEIR BROAD STRATEGY FORSECURING AND SUSTAINING

COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THEDISTRICT'S OVERALLEDUCATIONAL GOALS.

Districts examined in this studyoffered a wide range of special-

ized programs for students of the arts,including magnet schools, AdvancedPlacement programs, and summer andweekend programs. These programscreate an environment of excellencethat challenges teachers to continue todevelop proficiency in their art formsand encourages students to aspire toprofessional levels of performance.Students studying the arts in thesespecialized programs expressed tointerviewers their intense pride in andcommitment to their work. They com-pete for and win recognition in artscompetitions at the local, state, andnational levels. Their achievementscontribute to community enthusiasmfor the arts and a belief in the excel-lence and quality of the district'seducational system.

4 FACTOR: NATIONAL,STATE, AND OTHER

OUTSIDE FORCESMANY DISTRICTS IN THIS STUDYEMPLOY STATE OR NATIONAL

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TOADVANCE ARTS EDUCATION.

Prlicies, mandates, and funding fromthe state or national levels will not

of themselves forge the community/school consensus required for district-


PAGE 1 3

wide arts education. But committedleaders in districts examined in thisstudy marshaled such forces tostrengthen the consensus to supportpolicies and programs in the schools.National and state standards for artseducation, state education reformmovements, federal funding for generalschool improvement or targeted pro-grams or populations all were used tosupport and advance the arts educationagenda in these districts. Similarly, sup-port from private foundations hasserved to stimulate reform efforts in anumber of the districts examined.System-wide implementation, however,required intense community involve-ment and consensus.

The case studies that follow inthis report illustrate the specific waysin which consensus has been achievedand sustained in eight school districts.They also illustrate how these criticalfactors contribute to the conversion ofconsensus into programs and practices.The lessons from these districts offerpractical guidance to school and com-munity leaders in their parts of thecountry who are seeking ways to makearts education fundamental in theirschools and communities.

ir FACTOR: PLANNINGSCHOOL LEADERS IN THISSTUDY ADVISE THE ADOPTIONOF A COMPREHENSIVE VISIONAND PLAN FOR ARTS EDUCATIONBUT RECOMMEND ITSINCREMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION.

I eaders at the district and buildinglevels repeatedly told researchers

that it was important to combine acompelling vision of the importance ofarts education with a thoughtful imple-mentation plan that showed howresources would be apportioned overtime to reach all schools and students.The plan established confidence amongarts teachers and building-level admin-istrators that resources eventuallywould be available but that theincreases in district-wide support mustnecessarily be incremental. Districts

PAGE 14

have developed a number of strategiesfor allocating new resources, many ofthem based on stimulating a "bottomup" request for arts education fundingfrom school sites.

OFACTOR:CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSCHOOL DISTRICTS THATSUCCEED IN ADVANCING ARTSEDUCATION PROMOTE

REFLECTIVE PRACTICES AT ALLLEVELS OF THE SCHOOLS TOIMPROVE QUALITY.

TArlile researchers found few dis-

tricts using student assessmentsin the arts as part of a formal account-ability system, the strongest districtsactively encourage the use of artsassessment techniques for improvingstudent, teacher, and administrativeperformance. A few districts, forexample, use portfolio review for eval-uations of principals and teachers aswell as students. Others encourageteachers to set themselves a challengewithin their art form that will beaddressed and assessed throughout theyear composing new music for achoral group, for instance. Whatresearchers observed in these districtswas the disposition to reflect on andimprove practice that is central toimproving artistic achievement.

. -. .

-

S -'

. I .-

I#

Conclusionot every school

district examined in

this report exhibits these

factors to the same degree.

But the more intensively

the factors occur, the

stronger the presence of

quality arts education in

their schools. A level of

agreement among formal

and informal leadership in

the community and school

on the importance of arts

education is essential.

Implementing and

sustaining that agreement

requires a sufficient

presence of the critical

success factors to achieve a

level of quality that keeps

the consensus intact. The

following profiles and case

study reports show how

this occurs in specific local

contexts. The lessons of

this report are best learned

by analyzing these districts.

SCHOOL DISTRICTCASE STUDIESAND ILESLessons From School Districts

That Value

ARTS EDUCATION

THE STUDY'S

AUTHORSThere are, literally, hundreds ofwriters of the case studies andprofiles published in print

and on the World Wide Web in thisreport. Leaders of national arts organi-zations, chairpersons of state artscouncils, state school officers, commu-nity members wrote many an eloquentrecommendation that found its wayinto the report text and context.Superintendents, coordinators, artsspecialists, and board members provid-ed articulate, detailed, focused, andsometimes passionate reports on artseducation in their districts. The study'sresearchers, directors, project assis-tants, and editor also served ascontributors. In those instances whereit was clear which of two or morecontributors wrote a particular reportor passage, we have quoted that indi-vidual. In other cases, we quotedirectly from the "district report."

Therefore, while the casestudy sites were visited by researcherswhose observations form the basis forthe report, the profiles may reflect self-reporting. Further, the length of a

profile or case study in no way reflectsthe importance of a district or thequality of its arts education programs.In some instances, the profile maysimply reflect those features the dis-trict wanted to call to our attention.

All of the school systemsrecommended for this study whichparticipated by providing a complete,written application detailing arts edu-cation in the district can be found inthe printed report, on the Web site, orboth. Printed case studies and profilesappear alphabetically. (For a state-by-state listing, see inside back cover.)

Those districts have providedcontact information, which is availableon the study's Web site, and welcomequestions and comments from otherschool districts.

The President's Committee onthe Arts and the Humanities and theArts Education Partnership hope thisstudy will serve as a catalyst for thesharing of strategies among school dis-tricts nationwide. Both organizationsurge school board members, superin-tendents, principals, district artscoordinators, teachers, and leaders ofarts, business, civic, and parent-teacherorganizations to contact districtsdirectly to learn more firsthand about

,;'1tt_L

is

developing and sustaining strong, highquality arts education district-Wide.

THE STUDY'S WEBSITE: WWW.PCAH.GOV

Gaining the Arts Advantage: LessonsFrom School Districts That Value

Arts Education can be accessed atwww.pcah.gov on the World Wide Web.All of the profiles and case studiesincluded in this publication appear onthe Web site. The Web site includescontact information for each district.In addition, contact information is pro-vided for other districts recommendedfor inclusion in the study because of aspecific aspect of their arts education.

Several other useful additionalfiles are available on the Web site, suchas a chart of demographic data on theschool districts studied. The chart hascity or county population statistics andethnic minority percentages; per capitaincome, education, and unemploymentfigures; the rural, urban, or suburbannature of the school district; its locationin the state and nearest large city, aswell as categories of the area's primarybusinesses and industries.

On the Web site, district infor-mation may be accessed by factorsstudied as well as alphabetically byschool district or by state.

FACTORS, STATISTICS,

AND A FEW TERMS

The study's findings section detailsthe major factors that enable a

school district to provide arts educa-tion comprehensively throughout allof its schools. The factors highlightedabove each district profile are thoseilluminated in the text.

Data for this study was report-ed by the districts. It was based upon1997 information-gathering andchecked with the districts for accuracyprior to publication. Names and cir-cumstances may have changed.


Pen p

THREE WAYS THE ARTS IMPROVESCHOOLS

1. The Arts improve the SchoolClimate..

Schools organized around the artslook, sound, and feel different. All inall, the climate is different. Theschools the researchers visited wereattractive, warm, welcoming, andvisually exciting.

2. The Arts' Comprehensive TasksChallenge Students.

Arts students, with the help of theirteachers, undertake big projects. Theyproduce a play, present a concert ordance recital, create an AdvancedPlacement theme-based portfolio,mount exhibitions. In doing so, stu-dents master an enormous number ofartistic skills, direct a myriad of aes-thetic and expressive qualities towardgiven ends, and symbolize humanbehaviors and emotions in a greatvariety of ways. In artistic creation,means and ends are continually inter-related. Each small element isconnected to the creation of a com-plex but coherent whole work.

Students willingly discipline them-selves and undertake rigorouspractice and rehearsal sessions. Theylearn physical boundaries and, in theprocess, learn to see the boundariesin a world that, to many teenagers,appears to be without them. Studentsalso learn to ration their time. Theycarry the discipline required in artsmaking to the discipline of study.

3. The Arts Turn Schools IntoCommunities.

Wherever the research teams went inarts-based schools, they were greetedby smiles. Students, teachers, admin-istrators said, "We are like a family.""We support one another." "This isour place." The occupants of arts-centered schools see themselves asmembers of communities communi-ties that they have a role in creatingand sustaining. They are able tocapitalize on the fact that the artsencourage students and faculty mem-bers to work together, to create thingstogether, to perform together, to dis-play the results of their effortstogether. Teachers are continuallymodeling their skills, revealing theirinterpretations, insights, and judg-ments to the younger members ofthese arts communities.

The arts transform learning and schools.

PAGE 16

Among the terms used in theprofiles and case study are these:

Arts enrollment is the number ofstudents enrolled in arts course(s)annually.

Arts magnet schools: Someschools discussed in this study havespecial arts focuses. Designated asarts magnets, many of these schoolswere organized during the 1970s toattract students from across schoolneighborhood boundaries (Miami,FL; Milwaukee, WI). In recent years,however, new arts magnet schoolshave been developed, not to balanceethnic and economic diversity acrossa school system, but to take advan-tage of the unique contributions thatthe arts make to students education(Greenville, SC; Vancouver, WA).Arts magnet schools exist at all threelevels: elementary, middle, and highschool. Some arts magnets are highlyselective, admitting only those stu-dents who successfully audition orpresent outstanding portfolios. Otherarts magnets admit students on afirst-come, first-admitted basis or onthe basis of interest.

Artist residency programs:Many, if not all, of the districts stud-ied had residency programs, but ingeneral these programs weredesigned to enrich basic K-12 artseducation. School officials agreethat arts residency programs cannotreplace balanced, comprehensive,sequential arts education taught bycertified arts specialists.

Arts specialists are teachers hiredspecifically to teach a particular artdiscipline. (In those cases in which ateacher teaches two subjects, the artsdiscipline is the primary subject ofinstruction.)

Discipline-Based Arts Education(DBAE): Educators who take theDBAE approach, developed by theGetty Education Institute for theArts, integrate content from the fourdisciplines that contribute to thecreation, understanding, andappreciation of art:

making art (art production);

19

responding to and making judg-ments about the properties andqualities that exist in visual forms(art criticism);

acquiring knowledge about thecontributions artists and artmake to culture and society (arthistory); and

understanding the nature, mean-ing, and value of art (aesthetics).

From Getty EducationInstitute for the Arts

District arts education budgetincludes salary, materials, resources,space, travel spent annually on artseducation. It does not include capitalexpenditures unless otherwise noted.(See "How to Measure Commitmentto Arts Education" in the precedingsection.)

Infusion of the arts into the curriculum...

Integration of the arts into/across/through/throughout the curriculum...

Interdisciplinary approach toarts education...

The phrases above are currently inuse nationwide to describe approachesto curriculum and the teaching of thearts. "Infusion" (as in "arts-infused"curriculum) is used less often todaythan it was in the early 1990s. Theterm still communicates the "pouringof the arts into" a basic curriculumwhere the presence of the arts mighthave been missing altogether."Integration" conveys the creation of a"whole" curriculum by the bringingtogether of several subjects and disci-plines. The degree to which the artsand other curricular areas such asmathematics, science, or social studiesare brought together and "integrated"usually can be ascertained from thecontext of each profile or case study."Interdisciplinary" in relation to artseducation is used primarily to describeeither cooperation between arts teach-ers of different genres, such as musicand visual art, or cooperation betweenteachers of different curricular areas,such as music and mathematics.Again, context is key.

AINING THE

ADVANTAGE

SCHOOL DISTRICTCASE STUDIES

A Case Study:

nonexistent. The flowering of the artsin CSD #25, not to mention the sec-ond highest reading and mathematicsstandardized test scores for a district inthe New York City public school sys-tem, can be credited to an involvedcommunity, a forward-looking schoolboard, and the leadership of a remark-able community superintendent, Dr.Arthur Greenberg.

THE SUPERINTENDENT: TAKING

THE COMMUNITY'S CUE

CSD #25(QUEENS, NY)Factors StatisticsThe Community4 Schools (Total): 31The School Board4 Students (Total): 23,946The Superintendent-4 Per Pupil: $4,000District Arts Coordinator(s)4 Arts Teachers (Total): 91

THE LOCAL CONTEXT

ommunity School District #25(CSD #25) in Queens, New York,

serves some 24,000 children in gradespre-kindergarten through grade 12from a multicultural community. Itsstudents come from all over the world,representing more than 100 countriesand speaking 95 languages. District#25 is a highly challenged school dis-trict. At the same time, it is hugelyblessed with the artistic wealth ofNew York City. It benefits not merelyfrom opportunities for students' "expo-sure" to the arts, but from the directinvolvement of world-class artists inthe district's classrooms. Dancers,musicians, actors, visual artists fromCity Center, Young Audiences, Studio-in-a-School, Carnegie Hall, the AlvinAiley Dance Theater Foundation, theIsamu Noguchi Garden Museum, theAsia Society, the Paul Taylor DanceCompany, the Museum of Modern Art,the Marquis Studios, Theatre Moves,Columbia University, the BrooklynConservatory of Music and more playactive roles in teaching and learning inthis school district.

With such a wealth of resourcesavailable to the community, it maycome as a surprise for some to learnthat until 1991, like most of New YorkCity, the district's elementary schoolshad no music program and many of itsmodel arts partnership programs were

AA n education leader who believes./.that the arts are direct links to thephysical, intellectual, and social devel-opment of children, Dr. ArthurGreenberg interviewed for the positionof superintendent in 1990. He indicatedto the Board of Education that the firstthing he would do was to visit all theschools and ask community memberswhat they wanted to make their chil-dren's education stronger. Boardmembers laughed about hiring him onthe spot, giving him six months to hitthe road and report his findings. Afterhis time in the field and talks with par-ents (many of whom repeated the samerefrain: "This is New York City, culturalMecca of the world. Where are thearts?"), Greenberg returned to the schoolboard and identified those areas of thecurriculum that needed bolstering.

High on his list were the "expres-sive arts": visual art, dance, drama, andmusic. The superintendent's resulting"Areas of Emphasis" became the visionfor the development of all CSD #25curriculum initiatives, including theexpressive arts.

That vision has become realitythrough a number of initiatives which,taken together, make for a strong infra-structure to support and to advanceteaching and learning in and throughthe arts. The initiatives include:

the systematic restoration of the dis-trict's elementary school musicprogram (lost in budget cuts in theearly 1990s), including a sequentialprogram that supports early child-hood teachers' use of music in theclassroom, recorder instruction for allthird graders, and the opportunity forfourth through sixth graders to learnto play string or band instruments;the inclusion of community-based

yL


volunteers and the creation of a net-work of highly qualified artistmentors/partners who work with ele-mentary teachers and students onshort- and long-term projects invisual arts, music, dance, and drama;ongoing professional developmentfor arts specialists and classroomteachers, including CSD #25's DirectService to Children/ProfessionalDevelopment for Teachers model aswell as teachers' individualized plans;a team approach to all curriculuminitiatives, including the ExpressiveArts Program, to ensure that artsactivities are integrated across cur-riculum areas authentically;the consistent work on the part of thedirectors of funded programs andexpressive arts to work collaborativelyto seek competitive funding for thedistrict to provide innovative arts pro-grams (see sidebar "Finding Funding").

A COORDINATOR'S

PIVOTAL ROLE

O ne of the first moves Greenbergmade toward implementing the

community's "bring back the arts" con-sensus was hiring Dr. Sharon Dunn,the district's first arts coordinator in adecade and a half and now specialassistant to the chancellor for theentire New York City school system.Under Dunn's leadership and laterunder her successor team of ArleneJordan and Pat Lieberman, the districtconcentrated not only on hiring spe-cialists but also on bringing the valueof arts education back to the schools.

To do this, they encouraged"integration" of the arts into the cur-riculum. They also elected to make amodest start: Dunn created a smallpool of money and concentrated onthe schools most interested in havingarts education (approximately one-third of the district's schools). Asinterest among District #25 educatorshas increased, with more classroomteachers voting to add arts specialiststo their schools' "teacher cluster," thedistrict arts program and its pool offunds and grants have grown as well.

Superintendent Greenberg's phi-losophy likens the approach to TomSawyer and his fence: Limit initial par-


PAGE 1 7

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ticipation to only those most interested,let others watch the fun, and they'llline up for the chance to paint thefence (bring the arts into their class-rooms). In practice, it hasn't been quiteso easy for Community School District#25 to rebuild the arts in its schools.For one thing, the district has site-basedleadership: Principals have choices,such as whether, how, and how mucharts education to offer. For another,integration of the arts into curricula forother disciplines presents a challenge toeducators seeking to maintain a highquality of arts education district-wide.

PAGE 1 8

In fact, the researchers for thisstudy who spent several days in thedistrict did find variations in the quali-ty and rigor of arts education. But thedistrict is addressing these inconsisten-cies through professional developmentof teachers and also by strengtheningthe arts specialist programs. Addition-ally, the district has provided directassistance to principals who haverequested help to "bring back" the arts.District #25's aim is to strengthen thevalue of the arts throughout the dis-trict and give all administrators andeducators the means to provide high-quality arts education to all theirstudents.

ARTISTS AND TEACHERS

TEAM UPDecause New York is rich in cultural

partners, Community SchoolDistrict #25 has been able to develop anintensive professional development pro-gram in which artists team with

o

teachers in short- and/or long-term rela-tionships (sometimes multi-year).Artists work with teachers to developlessons appropriate to the students' cur-ricula, based on the New York Statestandards, then coach the teacher intechniques of their particular discipline.They team-teach classes, giving eachother feedback. Over time, the teacherslearn to incorporate certain artisticskills. The artists learn more about class-room management and curricula, and,in some cases, start taking educationcourses to gain teacher certification.

CSD #25 is also tapping the tal-ents of New York's institutions ofhigher learning such as St. John'sUniversity and Columbia University.Three elementary schools, for example,are partnering with Columbia arts edu-cators, researchers, and programdevelopers to find ways to incorporatemedia arts into the traditional artseducation curriculum.

"The Arts for Literacy" was the theme of theFordham University-New York CitySuperintendent Network's Forum held on oneof the days the study's research team visited.Dr. Arthur Greenberg, then superintendent ofCommunity School District #25, is the currentchair of the group. Greenberg has a reputationthroughout the boroughs for his support of artseducation, as does his former arts supervisor,Dr. Sharon Dunn. (Both have since beenrecruited by Chancellor Rudy Crew for the cen-tral administration. Greenberg, whose CSD #25successor is Michelle Frani, is now serving asSupervising Superintendent for Executive andNew-Program Development.)

"You have got to believe in the arts yourselffirst," Greenberg told his colleagues. "You can'texpect your staff to make reform, to bring backthe arts, if you won't take the lead."

Greenberg recounted his early work in District#25, espousing what he calls his Theory ofSloppy Change: Begin with schools and per-sonnel committed to the arts and strengthentheir programs first.

Columbia University's Dr. Maxine Greene alsochallenged the superintendents, urging them toclarify their philosophy of arts education, con-sider its specific application in each of theirunique districts, and determine what skills heor she needs to implement it.

21

Through small group discussions, the supenn-tendents tackled the questions of personalphilosophy and planning.

They agreed that each needed to:

develop a personal definition of "arts" fortheir district;

decide their view on "art for art's sake" andstate their commitment;

determine the utility of the arts for work,citizenship, other public values;

set out a belief system: why the arts count;

show the connections: to community,among disciplines.

And they agreed on key elements of aformal plan:

state a vision and mission, write goals andobjectives;

actively communicate with school andcommunity;

lay out a realistic timeline;

commit resources to implementation, including:

staffing and materials,

professional development for arts special-ists and others so the arts are integrated,

assessment and evaluation procedures togauge effectiveness.

A Case Study:

GREENVILLE COUNTY(SC)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/The SuperintendenWContinuity in Leadership,/District Arts Coordinator(s),IA Cadre of Principals,/Teachers Who Practice Their Art,/Parent/Public RelationsJAn Elementary Foundation,/Opportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement,/National, State, Other Outside Forces,/Planning,/

Schools (Total): 92Students (Total): 58,000Per Pupil: $6,578Arts Teachers (Total): 206

THE LOCAL CONTEXTfTile School District of Greenville_L County is the largest in SouthCarolina and one of the largest in theSoutheast, serving 58,000 students, 28percent of them African-American and72 percent white. One-fifth of the chil-dren receive free or reduced lunch.Within its 800 square miles, it encom-passes 92 urban, suburban, and ruralschools, including cluster arts magnetprograms and elementary and middleschool arts academies. Its arts programat the elementary level employs 48teams of full-time certified teachers inart, music, and physical education(dance). The district has four after-school orchestras, the only daily stringschamber music program at the highschool level in the United States, andan after-school program for gifted andtalented elementary and middle schoolstudents which engages nearly 500 stu-dents for 100 minutes twice a week inthe visual arts, drama, dance, andstrings instruction. In addition, there isa two-week summer program thatserves 250 elementary students and150 middle school students on a first-come, first-admitted basis.

GREENVILLE: EVERYTHINGGOING FOR ARTS EDUCATION

rthe arts educator or school systemdministrator regarding it from afar,

the School District of Greenville mightappear to have everything going for it.Indeed, nearly every factor that thisstudy has found to contribute to thebuilding and sustaining of strong sys-tem-wide arts education can be foundat work in Greenville:

a community that supports thearts...including parents who alwayspitch in with materials, muscle, ormatching funds for grants or special

projects; artists who participate in resi-dencies and conduct professionaldevelopment workshops for teacherson every imaginable art form; artsorganizations that work with studentsin the schools and in their own the-aters and rehearsal halls, andbusinesses such as General Electric,which provides foundation grants forneedy children to attend perfor-mances; Fluor Daniel, which makespossible programs at the Fine ArtsCenter (see sidebar), and the AmericanFederal Bank, which underwrites theArts Teacher of the Year Award;a school board, twice recognized forexcellence by the Kennedy Centerand National School BoardsAssociation, which voted approval oftwo new select schools for the arts atthe elementary and middle schoollevel, and, within the past two years,has created 58 new positions in thearts to meet the district's needs;a former superintendent, Dr.Thomas E. Kerns, who envisioned abalanced curriculum that includedthe arts in Greenville a vision thatcontinues to be supported today bythe district's current superintendent,Dr. Rudolph Gordon;continuity of support for arts educa-tion that goes back to the 1960swhen the district employed musicand art consultants to ensure qualityprograms in every school and conti-nuity of arts education delivery byexcellent art teachers who kept thedelivery of arts education consistentthroughout periods of district-levelleadership change;a cadre of principals who havestayed in the district for decades andencouraged school environmentsschools alive with murals of rollingSouth Carolina hills, dense forests,rollicking sea waves in which thearts and children thrive;district arts coordinators who havesucceeded in making the teachersand students, curricula and classschedules, instruments and art mate-rials, community and administration,band rooms and budgets for an extra-ordinarily rich set of arts educationofferings come together into a cohe-sive district-wide program;teachers who practice their art,including some, like former class-room teacher Deborah Rose, who soloved practicing her art outside theschool that she moved to teachingart full-time (see sidebar);


attention to parent/public rela-tions, reinforcing the bond betweencommunity and school district inthe most effective ways possible bysharing student art in all its myriadforms with the community throughfestivals, art shows, poetry readingsat a local cafe, performances of thejazz guitar ensemble, the string quar-tets, the gospel choir, the dancecompany, the theater productions,the superintendent's holiday greetingcards, and by communicating withparents and public the students',teachers' and districts' successes;an elementary foundation, withmandatory instruction for every stu-dent (K-5) in art, music, and physicaleducation (dance), followed by asixth-grade requirement for each stu-dent to elect either visual arts ormusic (strings, band, or choral); insome schools, it is possible to takedrama and, at the elementary artsacademy, to take daily dance classes;opportunities for higher levels ofachievement in the arts, includingthe twice-weekly, after-school giftedand talented program A.R.M.E.S.(Arts Reaching Middle andElementary Schools) attended bymore than 500 elementary and mid-dle school students in visual art,strings, dance, and drama; AdvancedPlacement courses in drawing andstudio art, music theory and art his-tory; two arts academies Stone(elementary) and League (middle)and the Fine Arts Center (secondary);national, state forces, including theNational Standards for ArtsEducation, the South Carolina Visualand Performing Arts Framework, and,overall, a state structure that hasbeen unusually supportive of artseducation (see "ABC Project" sidebar);planning, including five-year planscreated by the school board since1970 long before "strategic plan-ning" became de rigueur for schooldistricts.

FINANCIAL REALITIESA nd yet, even in Greenville, the arts

Pi.have not been are not nowmmune from the financial woes orhanges in leadership that affect the

health of arts education elsewhere inhe nation.

Financial realities first hit homen Greenville in the late 1980s andarly 1990s. In 1989, the School


22 BEST t:L`PY AVAILABLEPAGE 19

District of Greenville County had justreceived another major tribute, thestate's highest arts education honor,the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award.But in 1991, due to a serious revenueshortfall, the music and arts consultantpositions were eliminated; the follow-ing year the district lost the fifth-grade strings program.

Then, in 1995, the school boardand then-superintendent PatrickTimothy Jenny reinstated these posi-tions, and, with two new consultants,the commitment to high-level artseducation was reemphasized. Underthe leadership of Dr. Rudolph Gordon,the 1997-98 school year and the cur-rent year has seen the employment of

Greenville's pride and joy is its Fine ArtsCenter (FAC), the school district's hub forintense study in the arts. It was launched27 years ago by South Carolina arts leg-end Virginia Ulrich - community member,activist, teacher, principal, and, today,the powertiouse behind the futureGovernor's School for the Arts, which willbring top arts students to Greenville fromall over the state.

The Fine Arts Center's focus is and willcontinue to be the School District ofGreenville County, providing opportuni-ties in the fine and performing arts tothose students in the district most inter-ested and qualified. Here more than 260diverse students can expand their hori-zons beyond music, art, drama todance, photography, and creative writ-ing. Fine Arts Center students spendhalf the day at their home-base schools,the other half at the center pursuingpre-professional studies, often with aparticular concentration, under the guid-ance of highly accomplishedartist-teachers. According to studentDavid Blackwood, one highlight is theCenter's teaching faculty who "allowyou to shape your projects and facilitaterather than dictate or demonstrate."

The researchers for this study first metBlackwood when they visited the centerand found him working independentlyon his two-dimensional portfolio. Laterthey discovered that he also had a stun-ning ability to work in three dimensionscrafting metal - and that his talents hadbeen highlighted in glass on metal: TheEnamelist's Magazine. There was onemore thing: Like so many arts students,the researchers learned, he performedwell in other areas - and had just scored"perfect 800s" on the SATs.

PAGE 20

seven new related arts teams (com-prised of art, music, and physicaleducation teachers) to assist the 41 ele-mentary-level teams in place in orderto provide 30 minutes of arts educa-tion to the all-day, five-year-oldkindergartens. More teams will beadded for the 60-plus kindergartenscoming online.

The elementary arts teams, alongwith art, music, drama, and danceteachers at the middle and high schoollevels, elect "lead teachers" who repre-sent them in policy and curriculumdiscussions. The leads and the after-school choral, orchestra, band, anddrama teachers recently were awardedsalary supplements to recompensethem for the extra hours they spendeach day providing extra training tostudents.

FILLING IN GREENVILLE'S GAPSCtill, even in Greenville, most teach-

ers continue to see needs and fillthem, often without thought of rec-ompense. And even in Greenville, it isessential to find and deploy resourceswhere they are lacking.

Parents help, either as volunteersor through their direct donations or inthe more formal manner of ParentTeacher Associations. BusinessEducation Partnerships provide dollars,equipment, and supplies. The Alliancefor Quality Education - a local grantingagency whose interest is supplement-ing the budgets of public schools withfunds for innovative teachers and pro-grams distributes more than $50,000each year to schools and to teachers,some of which is for arts programs.

Southern Bell teacher grants aidarts teachers, along with those in otherdisciplines; the Metropolitan ArtsCouncil makes awards to teachers andto schools, and the South Carolina ArtsCommission, through its ArtistEducation Initiative, has an enormousimpact on the face of public education.

Service clubs, particularly RotaryClubs, underwrite three communityprojects that, over their long histories,have become community fixtures:"The Singing Christmas Tree," "SpringSing", and "A Night of Music." It isthrough their efforts that some stu-dents get their first experienceperforming for an audience in thehighly regarded arts complex in down-town Greenville, the Peace Center forthe Performing Arts.

The district emphasizes the needfor schools to develop business part-

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ners who can help the school by pro-viding volunteers for specificprograms, technology in the form ofdonated used copiers and computers,even direct donations. One of themost successful direct grant partner-ships is the one between the Fine ArtsCenter and the world's largest con-struction company, Fluor Daniel. Forseveral years, the company has under-written a major portion of the matchmonies required for one of the largestindividual school artist-in-residencegrants in South Carolina.

CHANGES INEDUCATIONAL Focus

Even in Greenville, there can beperiods of transition. The district

has experienced several in recent years:transitions from superintendents Kernsto Jenny to Gordon. In addition, theschool board has acquired more con-servative members and its focus hasshifted towards "back to basics." Soschool board members such asMargaret Griffin Burch and AnnSutherlin who together have spentmore than two decades on the schoolboard, can find themselves once again"making the case" for the arts in educa-tion at the district level.

Parents and arts educators alsofind themselves making the case at theschool level today. Since the districtmoved to site-based decision makingand the state passed "accountability"

legislation, principals are evaluated onthe test scores of their students. Butthe arts seen as difficult to "measure"- are not tested. Some Greenville prin-cipals privately expressed concern tothis study's researchers that, despitetheir support of the arts, the fact isthat student performance in the artsdoes not put their jobs at risk but itdoes in math.

Other principals said that thearts help them in so many areas - earlylearning, student engagement, parental

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involvement that keeping the artsstrong is worth the investment andwill pay off in the long run.Superintendent Gordon felt enlight-ened principals with a vision for totaleducation would find ways to includethe arts. Long-time arts teachersdeduce that since the arts are not partof the principal accountability system,they run a real risk of alienation forthe first time in decades.

POLITICAL REALITIES

Even in Greenville, administratorsmust take political realities into

account. Sometimes it is a matter offocus or emphasis. When principalEdward Holliday, for example, setabout transforming a neighborhoodelementary school into an arts-focusedschool, he encountered some commu-nity resistance. Working with thedistrict leadership, he was able to buildthe school around a broader, moreinclusive definition of the arts as theyrelate to communications. The result-ing Stone Academy of CommunicationArts has since earned kudos from "con-servative" and "liberal" communitymembers alike. In 1997 the SouthCarolina Arts Commission designatedit as an official Arts in the BasicCurriculum site.

Similarly, Dr. Roy Fluhrer, whodirects the successful 27-year-old arts-magnet high school, the Fine ArtsCenter, finds himself revisiting the mis-sion of the school and looking at newways to make it a resource for the dis-trict's other schools. Whether groundedin reality or perception, a recurringissue associated with special schools isthe drain of talent. The challengebefore Fluhrer is to unify the vision ofa high school for students specializingin the arts to that of a specialized facili-ty that serves the arts education needsof other schools as well.

Even in Greenville, the future ofthe arts in education is a little fragilein the face of competition for morefunding for "academics." The chal-lenge arts education leaders inGreenville see as the district enters the21st century will be to maintain fund-ing for the arts at levels commensuratewith its importance to student devel-opment. Fluhrer summed up, "You cando it, but you still have to work tomake it flourish."


4

AT THE HEART OF THE ARTSIN GREENVILLE:

TEAMS OF ARTS TEACHERS

A rts educators in Greenville11 function as teams, so the

researchers for this study oftenmet with teachers in pairs andfound them quite knowledgeableabout one another's work. Veteranvisual art teacher Deborah Roseand her colleague, music specialistAndrea Stephens, embody thiscollaborative spirit. When theresearchers first visited TaylorsElementary School and met Rose,her hands full of clay, she talkedwith great enthusiasm about hercareer as a classroom teacher whohad discovered she loved art somuch that she moved to teachingit full time. Stephens spoke withequal passion about the newness,excitement, and challenges of herfirst year of teaching music. Thesecolleagues share a bond that goesbeyond discipline. Rose has giventhe benefit of her teaching experi-ence to Stephens, who talkedabout classroom management andteaching ideas she learned fromthe senior teacher.

Both credited Taylors Elementaryprincipaf Mary Woods, who hasbeen at the school almost twodecades, for their productive envi-ronment. Woods is a highlyfocused, effective educator.Awards dot her office wall. She isclearly an institution in both theschool and the community atlarge. In part because of her sup-port, both music and art enjoylarge, well-equipped spaces inwhich the students seemed athome, whether learning to pinchpots or dance to Japanese music.

Whether Greenville principals willcontinue to give such strong sup-port to arts specialists remains tobe seen given South Carolina'snew accountability act which mea-sures principals' performance bytest scores in other areas of thecurriculum.

PAGE 21

A Case Study:

LAS CRUCES (NM)Factors StatisticsThe Communitr/ Schools (Total): 32The School Boarchl Students (Total): 22,454The Superintendent/ Per Pupil: $3,624Continuity in Leadership/ Arts Teachers (Total): 65A Cadre of Principals4Parent/Public Relations4Opportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement/

THE LOCAL CONTEXTre second largest city in the Statef New Mexico, Las Cruces lies

northwest of El Paso, Texas. In thisplace many cultures that have shapedthis part of the country meet, perhapsmost exuberantly in the schools ofDona Ana County.

Outside, above the doorway ofthe Las Cruces Public Schools adminis-tration building, which is housed in arenovated department store, a tiledmosaic of the district logo, designed bya young student, announces to visitorsthat the arts are at home here. Inside,the gateway to the district officesshines with the latest secondary stu-dents' art exhibit. The permanentstudent art collection can be foundjust around the corner. The vitalityand vibrancy of the building make ithard to imagine this as a school dis-trict in which the arts had no place 15years ago. In the words of schoolboard member Mary Tucker, "We hadnothing."

The lesson of Las Cruces is oneof a community taking stock andrebuilding with the arts at the heart oflearning, from kindergarten up.

AN ARTS COUNCIL ASAGENT OF CHANGE

1471en the people of Las Cruces1-look to identify the key agent of

change for arts education in their com-munity, they point to the Dona AnaArts Council. Despite band parents'and arts students' out-of-pocket contri-butions to music and visual artsactivities, the school district had noplans to restore the arts until the artscouncil organized parents in supportof arts education. The school boardbegan to listen when a larger, strongerparents' group delivered a clearer,louder message: that the school districtshould take on and build upon thearts education responsibilities the par-ents had assumed.

As one board member said, "Theparents'.support helped us decide to

PAGE 22

put a high priority on rebuilding thearts program here."

Once that decision was made in1983, the district began conducting anin-depth assessment of Las Cruces' cur-riculum and enrollment, goals andobjectives, and the school board tookto a hard look at the elementary andsecondary music program. That assess-ment and ongoing community supporteventually led to passage of a $1 mil-lion bond issue to upgrade, refurbish,and supply new instruments to themusic program. In this period, theboard also brought Jesse Gonzales onboard as superintendent to continue toincrease district support to the arts,step by step:

A Point Person for the ArtsThe next critical step was Gonzales'shiring of John Schutz, a 25-yearveteran band leader, as districtcoordinator for visual and perform-ing arts. First a part-time coordinator,then full-time, Schutz became thedistrict's "point person" for the arts."He's the voice that reminds us aboutthe arts and lets us know how we'redoing in the rebuilding process," saysa board member.

Schutz, in turn, reached out toarts educators to help them plan forgrowth. He made visual arts a prioritysince music was his specialty amove that the district's visual artseducators noted and appreciated. Hebuilt value into the visual arts byrequiring principals to bid for theexpanding programs by indicatinghow much space, matched time andmoney their schools would supply.Meanwhile, state education reformmeasures mandated that the onlylocal expenditures allowed in the dis-trict were to be for capital or materialneeds. So the community's passage ofthe $1 million bond to help refurbishmusic equipment represented a majordemonstration of community supportand a large commitment of resources.

The School's Portfolio:A Principal's Measure of SupportSince then, the commitment of keyschool leaders has also becomestronger. Las Cruces principals, inparticular, have been important tothe rebuilding of arts education.While visiting Las Cruces, thestudy's researchers/reporters had theopportunity to sit in on the sec-ondary principals' regular Thursdaymorning meeting led bySuperintendent Gonzales.

After moving through issues asvaried as uniforms, school choice,and busing extremely important inthis growing rural area of NewMexico Gonzales encouraged theprincipals to form ad hoc groups toachieve consensus on the issues. Heconcluded the meeting by remindingthem that he was coming around tomeet with each one to review anddiscuss his or her portfolio. "Take methrough it what you've achieved forthe kids, what's important," thesuperintendent said. Each principalkeeps a portfolio of accomplishmentsfor the school, for the students. Inturn, each elementary arts educatorkeeps a portfolio to share with his/herprincipal and other school leaders.

The Teacher's Portfolio: Evidenceof Success in Arts EducationIt was no surprise, therefore, thateach elementary visual arts educatorwith whom the study team metwhipped out his/her teacher portfo-lio without prompting. TeacherBonnie Hosie flipped through a sam-pling of a year's worth of studentwork, explaining the curriculum sheand other teachers had developed.

"Here we study the color wheel,and here they work with mixingcolor two ways - once in pencil, nextin fingerpaint. I can remember whenone student looked up to me andheld up his paint-covered hands andsaid, 'Orange! Red and yellow makeorange!' He looked back down atthem and never forgot. Weeks later,he would still look at his hands toremember color mixing." From skillexploration to the unit on the sea-sons, Hosie could show exactly whatshe had taught and what studentshad learned in her classes.

The Students' Portfolios:Pictures of Pride in Their WorkThe students keep portfolios, too. AsLas Cruces rebuilds the arts in theearly years, students select and main-tain portfolios demonstrating theirlearning in the visual arts throughthe years. These portfolios sit nearthe front of the classroom, a positionof honor. Students and teachersalike use them to show, gauge, andgrow. At Vista Middle School, stu-dents in the sixth through eighthgrades develop portfolios as part oftheir "Right of Passage Experience."Music and art and other subjects areincluded.

BLOCK SCHEDULING IN LAS CRUCES:No ROADBLOCK TO ARTS LEARNING

"Band parents" like Doug and Jan Brownhave long been the backbone of musicprograms nationwide. Their son Jeremy, ahigh school senior at Las Cruces' MayfieldHigh School, and his parents talked abouthis commitment to music over dinner withthe researchers during their visit.

Without a lot of fanfare, over the yearsJeremy had quietly become the trom-bone mainstay of his school band, and,when it came time to plan his schedulefor senior year, he told his parents hewanted to include music as one of hisareas of concentration.

Doug Brown was worried that, with thenew block scheduling at Mayfield, col-lege-bound Jeremy's academicperformance would suffer if he spent toomuch time in the arts. "One-fourth of myson's education was going to be spent inband. That was hard to swallow at first.Then, as I saw what playing did for him -he's a quiet kid, but he really shines inband - I saw how he learned and grew.I became a believer."

Jeremy's parents' willingness to accom-modate his music studies was matchedby Mayfield High's willingness to adapt aswell. The entire Las Cruces district ismoving towards block scheduling.Mayfield began restructuring in 1995-96as it moved to a full block schedule with afour-period day throughout the week.Traditional two-semester classes areoffered in one semester. Students takefewer courses. For Mayfield, the key tothis transition has been flexibility In orderfor Jeremy to continue to pursue bandand Advanced Placement coursework,Mayfield guidance counselors developedan independent AP English course so hecould attend band. This adaptationimpressed the Browns, who felt thatJeremy would not have to choose "arts"or "academics." He could do both.

Las Cruces uses block scheduling in dif-ferent forms, including 4x4 with a6-period Monday and the above 5x4.Arts educators mentioned their concernsabout the changes. Among them is apossible reduction in enrollment in artscourses given that students will takefewer courses on these schedules.Professional development and a risk-freeyear of experimentation have helped thetransition in Mayfield. The studentsinterviewed preferred block scheduling:"Less stress, less homework." "Moretime to learn; you're not bouncingaround so quickly." Ruth Bird, one ofthe visual arts teachers at Mayfield,appreciated the extra time to work anddevelop ideas with students.

AmlasessamegirsISWIE_.

Eighth graders schedule anappointment to present their workbefore three of their peers and theirteachers. Parents and grandparentsoften attend. The students thenanswer questions, much like an oraldissertation defense, to demonstratetheir knowledge of the material cov-ered. "It's an emotional experience.It helps them with the realizationthat middle school is over - and seewhat they have learned!" says princi-pal Olivia Ogas.

Presentations to the School Board:Keeping the Arts in MindEvery board meeting begins with astudent performance. The boardmeeting that the researchers attend-ed was packed with presentingdistrict administrators, parents ofperforming students, and other com-munity members. Led by anaward-winning elementary musicteacher, Laurie Norman, a classmarched in to the library and beganto sing and dance. The teacher con-ducted and coaxed as Orff instru-ments accompanied young voices.For the finale, large tires and bottles,wrapping paper and paper bags start-ed rattling and shaking during adifficult counterpoint piece aboutrecycling.

John Schutz explained that theperformances help keep the arts onthe table as board members - formereducators, a business leader, a formerlegislator make decisions thataffect education. Schutz, for example,has begun exploring ways to expanddance in the Las Cruces schools byengaging the community. As schoolsdabble with groups like BalletFolklorico, he can remind boardmembers of the successes of the LasCruces High School Mariachi Band,which linked arts education to com-munity culture.

One important way the boardsupports the arts is to keep the arts inmind during discussions aboutremodeling or new construction."When it's time to build a new build-ing," said a member, "that's the timeto remember the arts. I'm the onewho remembers to ask, 'What aboutthe music sound system? Whatabout the music space?' In a rapidlygrowing district, the commitment ofspace makes all the difference in theyears to come."


Continuity in Las CrucesLas Cruces has the benefit of a stableboard and a superintendent whoenjoys the board's support and,therefore, remains in his eleventhyear. But Las Cruces still faces chal-lenges of resources and expansion.The visual arts program at the ele-mentary level continues to growslowly, but it may begin facing fund-ing competition from incomingtechnology initiatives. Theaterappears to be less valued in the com-munity, and the expense of meetingADA (Americans with DisabilitiesAct) requirements for accessibility tostages has affected Las Cruces' deci-sion not to invest heavily in raisedproscenium performance spaces.Lack of a large enough performingspace limits the district and the com-munity.

Despite any drawbacks or con-cerns, however, the atmosphere fromcommunity to school leaders, super-intendent to district coordinator,parent to student, new teacher toveteran is one of arts growth andstrengthening. Las Cruces is movingforward to reform education andincluding the arts at the heart oftheir children's learning.

A Case Study:

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Factors StatisticsThe Communityq Schools (Total): 328The School Boardil Students (Total): 341,000The Superintendent/ Per Pupil: 85,137Continuity in Leadership,/ Arts Teachers (Total): 1,200District Arts Coordinator(s)./A Cadre of Principals-4Teachers Who Practice Their Art/An Elementary Foundation4Opportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement/National, State, Other Outside ForcesV

1

THE LOCAL CONTEXT-A itiami-Dade County is not only the.1. '/IL fourth largest school system inthe country - with more than 340,000students and nearly 18,000 teachers -but it is also one of the nation's mostdiverse. The district's students comefrom 155 different countries and speak150 different languages, which addslanguage barriers to the hurdles of

:poverty and other urban ills constantly: facing Miami schools leadership.


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THE SCHOOL BOARD'SCOMMITMENT

e arts, officially embraced by therchool board in the early 1990s,have become critical components of thedistrict's strategy to manage and benefitfrom its diversity. As 35-year-boardmember G. Holmes Braddock told thisstudy's visiting researchers, "As a board,we decided that we needed to make astatement about the arts that theywere as basic as any other subject."

That policy, still in place andsupported by superintendent Roger C.Cuevas nearly a decade later, reflectsthe community's politically demon-strated desire to make the arts part oflearning in Miami-Dade County. It wasa grassroots swell from the arts com-munity, which elected arts advocateBetsy H. Kaplan to the board, that ledin part to the board's commitment tothe arts.

An avid arts supporter overdecades in the classroom, community,and politics, Kaplan serves as a walk-ing, talking, voting reminder of thecommitment the board made and con-tinues to keep by its actions. Artseducation, for example, has not beencompromised to help pull up the slackelsewhere in the curriculum. Evenwhen some district schools and theirlanguage arts programs were deemed"deficient" by the State of FloridaBoard of Education, the School Boardchose not to cut art, music, and physi-cal education in favor of language arts.Instead, the Miami-Dade County boardopted to extend the school day by onehour in those schools to allow for theadditional hour of language arts. Boardmembers also advocate the artsstatewide by their participation in amultitude of arts-related conferencesand organizations. Kaplan has servedfor more than 10 years on the FloridaAlliance for Arts Education/Arts for aComplete Education board, whichmakes recommendations to the FloridaDepartment of Education.

But as many a school district hasdiscovered, the only certainty ischange. Miami-Dade County's boardof education grew from seven mem-bers to nine members in the lastelections, changing from at-large tosingle-member district representation.As a result, the board's dynamics havebegun to change. That fact as well asa relatively recent change of superin-tendent presents the board's currentchallenge: learning how to work

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together to develop and strengthenconsensus of policy direction asMiami-Dade County Public Schoolsmove into a new millennium.

Meanwhile, translating theboard's vision into a system-wide wayof teaching and learning in andthrough the arts has been and contin-ues to be the work of a large,committed network that includes thesuperintendent, school principals, dis-trict arts supervisors, teachers, parents,and civic groups. In searching for cluesto how a school district builds and sus-tains strong arts education, theresearchers for this report met withand observed many participants inthat vital network.

THE MANY LESSONS OFLILIA GARCIA AND THEDIVISION OF LIFE SKILLS

I f Betsy Kaplan has served as the1 community's arts beacon on theschool board, the lightning rod in theoperating system of arts learning isLilia Garcia, director of the Division ofLife Skills, which houses the visualand performing arts programs, alongwith physical education, for the entiredistrict.

Some 20 years ago, Garciahelped to organize arts teachers into apowerful lobby that gained the sup-port of key school board members,business leaders, local arts organiza-tions, and parents. "We became a forceto be reckoned with," said Garcia.Today Garcia is a force to be recog-nized the linchpin for district-widearts learning for all students at all lev-els in all schools, taught by full-timecertified arts specialists. Under herleadership, the Division of Life Skillshas an explicit policy of relating to"the implementation of a series ofreading, writing, and mathematicslearning strategies that are integratedwith the arts curriculums and whichfocuses on supporting the [school]District initiative of raising perfor-mance standards." It seems to matterlittle in which curriculum area the dis-trict undertakes an initiative. LiliaGarcia and her staff of arts supervisorswill ask the question, How do the artsfit into this new program?

Miami-Dade's "Sketchbook/Journal" projects, which take place in anumber of schools around the district,exemplify the initiatives that integratethe arts and other school subjects. Inthis case, it is the visual and language

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While visiting Biscayne GardensElementary School in Miami,researchers for this study had the plea-sure of meeting two sixth-gradestudents who showed them a com-pelling large-format book they and theirclassmates had made the year before.

The book, entitled A Page at a Time,grew out of an instructional unit withthe theme "Conflict and Resolution"that had been planned cooperativelyby social studies, language arts, andvisual arts teachers.

Students from five elementary schoolsin the district visited the WolfsonianMuseum, which specializes in the dec-orative and propaganda arts, in MiamiBeach. There students viewed artworksrelated to the First and Second WorldWar and, in the museum's library,perused book, many of them rare andbeautiful, that chronicled in words andimages the conflicts of this century.

Back at school, the BiscayneGardens elementary students fash-ioned a cover of stitched fabric thatevoked both chaos and calm. Inside,students painted canvas pages withvivid shapes and lines that echoedthe chaos and calm of the book'scover. At the center of each page,they mounted a photographic portraitof a student. Each portrait, however,was printed on transparent acetate,which made it possible to see frag-ments of student handwriting on thesheets beneath the photographs. Thesheets were filled with stories andhistorical accounts of how students'family members and other acquain-tances had experienced conflict intheir lives and how they had resolvedit. The students had conducted theinterviews and written the chroniclesof family struggles and triumphs.

The Wolfsonian directors and curatorsso appreciated this book and thosemade by the students in the otherparticipating schools that theypurchased them for the museum'spermanent collection.

arts. The Sketchbook/Journal's goalincludes the enhancement of chil-dren's "ability to express themselvesclearly and creatively" to provide "away for students to travel from wherethey are at the beginning of the bookto a better place at the end." Visualand verbal imagery interact as students

draw pictures that retell stories, whichthey then rewrite. They draw picturesthat show a sequence of events andthen write about the sequence. Theydraw pictures that show customsshared by different cultures, and theyshare ideas about those customs withclassmates. By transferring ideas fromone symbol system to another, andsometimes to another and another,students become involved in severalschool subjects simultaneously, andoften the arts provide the catalyst forthe translation of knowledge fromrealm to realm.

Garcia's team of arts supervisorsalso puts a lively public face on the dis-trict's arts commitment. They are outin the community in the schools, atlocal arts events presenting studentartwork, arranging performances, pro-moting the district's arts activities withwell-honed skills and polished materi-als. They practice teamwork. Withinthe first hour and a half of theresearchers' visit, the Miami-DadeCounty arts supervisors scheduledparades, ordered buses, promoted theirnew curriculum, planned professionaldevelopment activities, reorganizedtheir visitors' schedules and transporta-tion, then walked them to theArt Works Gallery at the Omni Mall towatch the jurying of student artworkfor the national Scholastic Art Awards.

The Omni Mall is one of manybusinesses partnering with the schooldistrict in a multitude of well-attendeddistrict-wide music festivals, dance andchoreography adjudication and show-cases, student exhibitions, theater artsshowcases, evenings of one-act plays.These showcases are, admittedly, goodpublic relations for the school districtand the businesses, but they also pro-vide another opportunity theopportunity for the community toassess the work of students, teachers,and arts supervisors.

Three Miami-Dade County artssupervisors on hand at the Omni Mallarticulated the importance of arts edu-cators' participation in their art form aswell as in education. Ray Azcuy, districtvisual arts supervisor, explained that heand his colleagues William Chiodo andMarie Mennes, as well as the music andtheater arts supervisors, are assessed ontheir performance and knowledge oftheir arts discipline. Robert T. Davis,currently the only music supervisor,shared a bit about his self-selected pro-fessional development portfolio for thedistrict: Part of his montage was to

write and compose a book of new holi-day pieces and make them available tothe district's music staff.

Dr. Robert D. Strickland, theaterarts supervisor, is an activist and pres-ence in the Miami theater communityLike Strickland, Miami-Dade County's1,200 district arts teachers actively par-ticipate in their disciplines. Whilevisiting the district, this report'sresearchers spent one evening attendinga professional production of Goodby,My Friduchita, a play written by dis-trict drama educator Delores Send ler.

If Miami-Dade's teachers, stu-dents, and community benefit from somany opportunities to participate in alively and creative environment, theyalso reap the rewards of opportunitiesthat, while somewhat less public, areno less important to arts education inthe district. One such high-impact pro-gram brings together students,teachers, and the rich resources of thearea's museums. Every week, 27 ele-mentary arts educators spend at leastone day in one of 16 art museums andgalleries around Miami. These "muse-um educators" facilitate deeprelationships with their adopted collec-tion for their own students and forother students who visit. While at themuseums, the teachers develop muse-um-connected study guides and othereducational materials that are used inthe schools before and after museumvisits. The curriculum materials areshared with teachers and studentsthroughout the district. The visual artsteachers/museum educators lead toursfor the 26,000 students who makes vis-its to these institutions each year.

When the teachers return totheir schools for the rest of the week,they bring the depth of knowledge ofthe collection back with them.Museum staff told this study'sresearchers how their own docentslearn from these educators. The educa-tors spoke about a tremendousopportunity for professional growth.The students talked in detailed, intel-lectual ways about the collections,their interest in art, and their relation-ships with artwork and theinstitutions. Each year student art-works created following museum visitsare exhibited in the WolfsonianMuseum. (See sidebar.)

THE PRINCIPALS' DIFFERENCE

With many award-winning schoolson the site visit list, the report's

researchers anticipated strong princi-


pals. They found them in schools thatoffered a wide range of learning for-mats "regular" to arts-focused for astudent population of every ethnicity.

Principal Frederick A. Morley ofCharles R. Drew Elementary School inMiami's "Liberty City" cordoned off thedrug wars and the prostitution downthe street by creating a school of excel-lence. Walk in and you find schooluniforms and the arts living in harmo-ny as young, mostly African-American(91 percent) children are busy explor-ing paints and clay, photography,dance, and drama. In Morley's view,the arts keep kids engaged, involved,off the streets, and in "the right stuff."

Miami Beach Senior HighSchool's principal, Dr. WilliamRénuart, also believes the arts engageyoungsters in learning. A man of col-orful speech, Renuart did not mincewords with visitors as he shared theCD of a student playing and singing aBeatles tune. "You know," he said, "this student, who made this CD hecouldn't even speak English or read it.He used to give me no end of trouble.Then he got involved in this music,and he starts this band, and that's it,he shapes up....You listened? You can'teven tell the difference.in his lan-guage; you would never know [he hadhad such problems]."

As Rénuart sees it, the arts keepkids in schools. "If they don't come toschool, you can't teach them. So I'mgoing to have arts in my school." Hishigh school is a "regular" school withstudents who recently immigratedfrom Columbia, Nicaragua, Cuba, andthe Bahamas. The school has aSaturday program, which helps keep aweb of support in place for the kids.The arts are an important part of theSaturday program, which is showinginitial success in reducing dropoutrates of young people likely to leaveschool before finishing. The school isalso working to connect learning to"real life" by employing the arts: The"ARTEC" program brings film and tech-nology together for at-risk students. Itgives back through student projectsthat serve the community.

EQUAL ACCESS AND HIGHERLEVELS OF OPPORTUNITY

Miami-Dade County Public Schooldistrict is continuously working

to keep the solid base of opportunityoffered by "regular" schools in balance

continued on next- page

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with the choice of a higher level ofopportunity in "specialized" schools.The arts have been key to that balanc-ing act. As Dr. Solomon Stinson,school board chair, affirmed, "The artshave been an integral partner in thedevelopment of every curriculum ini-tiative and education practiceproduced at each school site anddistrict-wide."

In Miami's "regular" schools,every child learns art and music,receiving 60 minutes of art and 90minutes of music every week. Manychildren also learn theater and dance.The report's researchers encounteredenthusiastic educators who set thetone for learning inside their roomsdrama teachers encouraging readingaloud (and writing in silence), artteachers bridging elementary lessonswith museum collections. They alsomet a few who were not engagingtheir students. But by and large, theresearch team found a solid base ofopportunity for the students, even inmiddle school, where the "wheel"structure six to nine weeks of lessonsin a particular area poses challenges.

The "specialized" schools theschools of choice offer a higher levelof opportunity. These hubs providethe best of arts training to the studentswho can compete and be admitted ontalent, as demonstrated in auditionand portfolio.

PAVAC, the Performing andVisual Arts Center, is a school ofchoice within Miami NorthwesternSenior High, a school that serves a pri-marily African-American urbancommunity where barbed wire andcement barriers are part of the neigh-borhood landscape. But open thedoors of PAVAC, and visitors find stu-dents focused on music. In onerehearsal space, a teacher admonishedstudents all trying to get into theswing of jazz for not tuning up first:"If this were the gig, and you weren'ttuned, you would lose the gig."

The Design and ArchitectureSenior High School can be found inMiami's fashion and design district.Here one can sense the creativity andpick up students' sense of humor, too:"The Phantoms" the school's nonexis-tent sports team rendered in a largemural guard the door. Outfits offeathers, leather, lace, and cloth adornthe windows. Design and Architecturestudents cut and paste, engineer anddesign their way to portfolios andskills that make them ready to corn-

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pete in the applied arts worlds waitingfor them in Miami, New York, LosAngeles. This study's researchers metone parent who pulled her child out ofa private school to attend this publicschool of choice.

The New World School of theArts is another unusual institution,offering both high school and stateuniversity collegiate programs with thehighest level of pre-professional train-ing, constant exposure to outsideartists, and great expectations forachievement. Students here includ-ing 40 high school students who metwith report researchers speak of pur-pose and discipline, of the teacherswho care, and a place to be themselvesand pursue their goals. They speak ofhard work and of summer plans whichwill help them continue to learn more

from performing opportunities toworking on a portfolio. And, they say,the school cares for them: When onestudent had no money for danceshoes, teachers and the school found away. Regrets? "That the day is notlonger!" one student exclaimed. "Thatwe do not have dorms here, since Itravel an hour and a half to get hereeach day."

Schools of choice raise issues ofequity. The Miami-Dade magnet pro-gram, which is intertwined with theLife Skills program, certainly is theplace where arts shine the brightest.But what the researchers found inMiami as well as in Milwaukee andother districts with strong magnet pro-grams is that the arts help create anenvironment for learning no matterthe focus of the magnet school. Inother words, a science and technologymagnet school that incorporates thearts will have a more vital environ-ment for learning.

While Miami's 16 special artsschools/programs reach only 4,900students a small percentage of the340,000 student population theyreach them well. The question forthe district leader is how to expandupon the resources of the choiceschools. How does a school districtcontinue to raise the level of all theother schools, so they, too, experienceexcellence in the arts and in learning?Miami does not have easy answers.Instead, it works hard to ensure thatthe baseline -- the least a child will get-- is a strong arts education. Many aschool district in America would beproud to do just that.

'Af

A Case Study:

MILWAUKEE (WOFactors StatisticsThe Community-4The SuperintendenNContinuity in Leadership-4A Cadre of Principals-4National, State, Other

Outside Forces-4


THE LOCAL CONTEXTror more than 150 years, Milwaukee

Public Schools have demonstrated astrong commitment to the arts in edu-cation. Indeed, innovative artseducation is a trademark of MPS educa-tion. Not only does each school havebudget line items for the arts programs,but the community, parents, the schoolboard, and partnerships round out theresources that MPS creatively utilizes toprovide model arts programmingthroughout Milwaukee's schools.

Largely as an outcome ofMilwaukee's efforts to achieve ethnicbalance of students across the district,the MPS system today is shaped by thediversity of its schools. By designingmagnet and special focus schools, thedistrict has tried to entice students totravel from their neighborhoods toother parts of the city to enroll in spe-cial programs.

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CONTINUITY AND CHOICE:STRIKING A BALANCE FORARTS EDUCATIONrrhe Milwaukee Public Schools dis-1 trict has had considerable successwith its efforts. Today, 26 of MPS's 114elementary schools are "ci ide":

Students from anywhere in the districtmay attend them. Eleven schools withmiddle school-aged students are "city-wide," and 12 are "regular." Of the 21schools with high school students,nine are "regular," and 12 are "city-wide." Whether "regular" or "citywide,"each school must provide the commu-

Matters of Choice in Milwaukee: Three Schools of ArtHow is Milwaukee's vast array of educationalchoices and specialized programs reconciled withthe general expectation that all students shouldreceive a balanced education in (1) the sciencesand mathematics; (2) the language arts; (3) visualarts and performing arts; (4) the humanities andsocial studies; (5) vocational options; and (6)physical education?

By making every school special and by giving thearts an important place in many of its schools,Milwaukee provides a model for other districtswhere there is a wish to offer students a choice ofquality educational programs.

It is important to point out that the great diversity ofschool organizational plans ancfprograms are notimposed from the top down but just the reverse.However, because the district has such a history ofcentral office leadership in the arts, the innovativeschools include the arts as a matter of course. Thispractice has served to institutionalize the artsdespite numerous changes, including changes indistrict leadership.

Three schools of art provide three different mod-els of choice:

Elm Creathm Arts Elementary School

Twenty-one years ago, before Elm ElementarySchool became Milwaukee's Creative ArtsElementary School, its students' achievement testscores placed the children in the district's lowest10 percent. After one year as an arts magnetschool, although 50 percent of the neighborhood'sstudents remained in the school, the students'achievement test scores placed them in the dis-trict's upper 10 percent.

Surely there were many factors that contributed tothe first year's dramatic rise in test scores: aninflux of new students whose parents wished themto receive a special type of education, enthusiasticteachers and administrators specially selected towork in the school, a curriculum that integrated thearts with each school subject, and active coopera-tive learning.

Parents, teachers, school administrators, artssupervisors, and students explain studentachievement at Elm by pointing to these factors:

The arts make schools engaging places for children.

Teaching and learning are fun.

Reading, calculating, and other "academics" arenot so onerous when they are done in the contextof the arts (for example, students learn to com-pute through dance).

The arts schools are kinetically engaging.

They are places where learning is valued.

They also are places where the arts can flourishsimply because they have facilities for dance, the-ater, and other art forms. In addition, teachers andadministrators in the arts-focused schools empha-size the importance of a dedicated staff and ahigh level of parent participation in planningschool missions and programs.

Achievement test scores are very high inMilwaukee's four arts-focused schools. Thesescores and other data and information, however,have not been used to determine what it is aboutthe arts that facilitates students' learning andchanges their attitudes toward school. In manycases the data already exist; they await analysis inMilwaukee and in other cities where students havethe option to attend arts schools.

A.E. Burdick's TraditionalEducational Program

A. E. Burdick is a neighborhood K-8 school that,according to its description, offers a "traditionaleducational program." Descriptions notwithstand-ing, education at Burdick is far from traditional.The school places special emphasis on music,computer technology, and multimedia education.The music program creates an atmosphere ofinnovation and excitement that pervades theschool. The two full-time music teachers and part-time instrumental teachers have created a musicprogram in which every student plays a musicalinstrument. In the words of one teacher, "Everykid expects to play an instrument." Actually, everystudent plays several instruments, sings, andmore. They are all composers and conductors.

The students and teachers have created anorchestra's worth of "instruments"- an amazingcollection of plastic bottles and buckets, tubes,pans, pieces of wood, metal percussion objectsthat hang from a wire extending the width of themusic room, all sorts of things that create soundswhen blown into, stroked, or beaten upon. As asuccession of student composers mounted the"podium" to conduct their compositions, otherstudents informed the researchers, "Sure, wecould recognize each kid's style, even if we could-n't see who was conducting." Students are alsoable to improvise seemingly endless compositionswithout the aid of a conductor.

Not all the instruments created in the school are"low-tech." When funds were unavailable to pur-chase a drum synthesizer, one of the musicteachers and his students constructed one.

The music teachers wrote proposals and receivedgrants for computers on which students both com-pose and perform their compositions. The school

nity with its philosophy of education,mission statement (see sidebar), orga-nization, and instructional approach.

For the arts, Milwaukee studentsmay self-select their school, choosingamong an arts elementary school, twoarts middle schools, one arts highschool, as well as an enormous array of

has also received grants to underwrite the acquisi-tion of digital photographic equipment so thatstudents can create a multimedia yearbook thatincorporates sound and includes students' owncompositions and performances, photographicimages, video clips, images and information fromthe Internet, produced and issued to students ineither CD-ROM or video formats.

Creating a multimedia yearbook is an enormouslycomplex task that requires students to acquireskills and competencies relating to a variety ofcomputer programs. The task also requires themto make thousands of design decisions relating tothe relationships among graphic designs andsounds, video clips, still images, and musicalcompositions. By the time the yearbook studentscomplete eighth grade they know just abouteverything necessary to live productively withinthe digital age.

Throughout the year students work with musiciansin residence - composers and performers. Themusic program fills the entire school. In the wordsof one of the music teachers, "We wanted to incor-porate music into all areas of the curriculum. Weare a school family." Because of music, Burdick is ahappy family and a joyous place.

Milwaukee School of Languages

Milwaukee School of Languages for students ingrades 6 through 8 "offers continuing languageimmersion in French, German and Spanish (with abeginning elective in Japanese) for students fromelementary programs or with sufficient languageproficiency. Math, language arts, and social studiesare taught in the second language in grades 6-8."

In actuality, the arts - literature, music, visual arts,and theater - provide the content for large seg-ments of the School of Language curriculum. Thereason is simple; The study of a language comesto life though the culture of its country of origin.And what reveals culture? The arts.

The school's language teachers in each subjectmatter area are able to rely upon a vast collectionof visual and music resources developed to sup-port the music and art curricula. (The districtspends literally millions of dollars on arts resourcematerials on a regular cycle - the last being pur-chased in 1993. These reproductions, recordings,books, and other resource materials are placed ineach school - just like textbooks.) More Important-ly, the language school's visual arts teachers serveas resources for their colleagues, suggesting theartworks that provided the specific subject matterfor each language teacher's individual curriculum.



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ASSESSMENT AND THE ARTS

Milwaukee is experimenting with a dis-trict-wide assessment program involvingauthentic/performance-based tasks. In thearts portion of the assessment initiative,the National Standards for Arts Educationhave provided some evidence.Nevertheless, Milwaukee arts teachers areworking in new territory. With the assis-tance of assessment consultants, districtteachers developed three comprehensivearts assessment tasks - one for fifthgrade, one for middle school, and one forhigh school students. The three taskswere designed to assess students'strengths and weaknesses relating to thedevelopment, communication, or expres-sion of an idea through the use of artisticskills and imagination.

Fifth-grade students are asked to use avariety of art forms to create a televisioncommercial and incorporate the design ofa logo. The task assesses students' abilityto use the arts to sell a product. Middleschool students are asked to produce awork, in an art form of their choice, thatconveys the idea "This Is My School." Thetask for high school students is creating aself-portrait that expresses "Who I Am."They are permitted to develop their self-portraits through one or more of the artsvisual arts, dance/movement, theater/act-ing, creative writing, or music. Throughcomprehensive assessment exercises,students are to demonstrate:

(1) their preference for a particular artform or combination of art forms,

(2) the degree to which they have mas-tered the skills, techniques, andprocesses associated with the form(s),and (3) how imaginatively they can use theform to express an idea.

The program's launch was not withoutproblems. By the spring of 1994, theteachers who had worked on the develop-ment of the exercises had conducted pilottests of the assessment tasks in their ownclassrooms. The following spring, meet-ings were held to prepare teachers toadminister the tasks. The arts tasks wereadministered by teachers on an optionalbasis in the spring of 1996 and again inthe spring of 1997. (Teachers of mathe-matics, writing, and science were requiredto administer assessment tasks in theseareas.) Although arts teachers were notrequired to administer the assessmenttasks, in the fifth grade approximately35,000 students completed the task.

Issues pertaining to the scoring of stu-dents' responses and how the findingsmight be analyzed and presented to thepublic are still being developed. Indeed, itis an enormous initiative for which thereare few, if any, models to follow.Nevertheless, the approach representsimportant advances, permitting students torespond to a task employing a preferredart form or forms, and the task itself simul-taneously assesses many of the NationalStandards for Arts Education.

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special programs that include the artsas an important component. Differentschools regular as well as specializedschools also offer a variety of curricu-lar emphases, instructional approaches,and organizational structures.

No matter which kind of schoolthis study's researchers visited inMilwaukee, they found the arts strongand hard at work. In many respects,the MPS district seemed to bring to lifethe second goal of the NationalStandards for Arts Education, K-12Teaching and Learning Goals:"Students will participate and gainknowledge in all of the arts (visualarts, dance, theater, literature, music),developing personal vehicles for selfexpression reinforced in an integratedcurriculum."

While Milwaukee principals,teachers, and parents in each schoolhave been given enormous latitude todevelop the kinds of schools theydesire, at the same time the districtadministrators and curriculum special-ists, through their work in curriculumand assessment, send strong signalsthat all schools, regardless of their par-ticular specializations, are expected topresent balanced programs thatinclude the arts.

Milwaukee can be seen as a self-renewing system. During the past fewyears, with a rapid turnover in superin-tendents, administrative support forthe arts has varied somewhat.Regardless of the level of support, thearts curriculum specialists continued towork with individual schools. Some ofthe schools with exemplary arts pro-grams continued to flourish in timeswhen central support was weaker.These schools continued to innovateand have provided exemplary modelsfor other schools to follow.

In other words, the authoritythat resides both within schools andwithin central administration,although sometimes fluctuatingbetween these two poles, insures thatarts leadership and innovation remainwithin the Milwaukee Public Schoolssystem and keeps the arts relativelystrong throughout the entire system.

COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP

1V1PS provides an excellent exampleof the advantages that come

when leadership responsibilities areshared among individual schools andcentral district office administratorsand curriculum specialists. In

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Milwaukee, this pattern of collabora-tive leadership pervades virtually everydimension of education and, in largemeasure, accounts for the strength ofthe district's arts programs.

Another important contributingfactor in sustaining strong arts educa-tion programs is, of course, thecommitment of the superintendent.Today, Superintendent Alan S. Brownsupports and articulates a vision for"one of the outstanding urban arts edu-cation programs in the world." To thatend, he is working to achieve "qualityarts instruction for all children in thedistrict which includes high standardsand effective assessment" and "expan-sion of the highly successful arts-centered schools and programs."

COORDINATING MOREWITH LESS

Tn Milwaukee, visual arts and music1 curriculum supervisors have beenand continue to be leaders nationallyas well as in the state and district. Inrecent years, however, budget reduc-tions have left their mark onMilwaukee. Like many other schooldistricts around the country, MPS hasreduced the size of its central officearts supervisory staff.

In the early 1980s, the centraloffice art supervisory staff was large,with one art curriculum specialist, oneart supervisor, and, at different times,anywhere from four to six supervisingteachers of art who also worked fromthe district office. Now there are justtwo curriculum specialists one forart, the other for music in the centraloffice, while a second art specialistworks in the Division of Curriculumand Instruction on programs relatingto the arts and special education. Theresources of one art and one musicsupervisor are stretched thinly as theywork to serve the needs of hundreds ofvisual arts and music teachers.

ADDING ARTS SPECIALISTS

Milwaukee visual arts teachersreport that they missed the close

contact, opportunities for professionaldevelopment, and instructional sup-port they used to receive from thecadre of art supervisors. However, whilelosing arts coordinators, the districtwas gaining art and music specialists inthe elementary schools. Once a few ele-mentary schools began to add specialarts teachers to their staffs, the arts cur-

MILWAUKEE'S ACE PROGRAMArts in Community Education - ACE -is a comprehensive education partner-ship between the Milwaukee SymphonyOrchestra and 25 private and parochialschools in eight school districts, includ-ing Milwaukee Public Schools. ACEbrings learning through music into theclassroom every day, aiming toadvance each child's overall learningand development.

ACE pursues that goal through a seriesof culturally diverse arts experiencesthat are integrated throughout the cur-riculum beginning in kindergarten andcontinuing through each grade level.These experiences are structuredaround a coordinating theme for eachgrade. For example, kindergartnerslearn about the "Family of Music" (com-poser, conductor, performer, audience)- a theme which emphasizes socialdevelopment and the relationshipsfound within all types of "families."Third and fourth graders develop cultur-al awareness, sensitivity, and pride byexploring cultural heritages and cross-influences found in communitiesworldwide (third grade) and inWisconsin (fourth grade). Fifth gradersbecome "Ace Inventors" and exploreinterdependence in artistic and scientif-ic processes and problem solving.

Supporting each theme, MSO providesan interdisciplinary curriculum, three orfour in-school ensemble workshops pergrade, an evening family concert ateach school, a specially designed con-cert by the full orchestra for each gradelevel (parents invited), teacher in-ser-vices and summer curriculum planningworkshops, and a parent newsletter. Anambitious assessment componentannually documents ACE's progressand effectiveness in achieving interdis-

ciplinary and critical thinking, problemsolving, self-esteem, self-confidence,motivation, cooperation, listening,communication, and creativity.

At the middle school level, ACE'semphasis broadens to encompassthree areas:

integrating the arts across the schoolcurriculum, bridging students' learn-ing in academic subjects and the arts;

supporting schools' music and artscurricula through close contact withMSO musicians and other outstand-ing professional artists;

addressing school-to-work issuesthrough broad access to MSO andother arts industry resources and per-sonnel.

At the sixth-grade level, a team of twoMSO musicians are designated to workwith arts and academic facultythroughout the school year. As part-ners, they plan and implement allprogram components, including ACEcurriculum, artist visits, parent involve-ment, and assessment.

In 1998-99, 50 specially preparedensembles and individual artists aremaking 400 presentations in ACEschools. MSO musicians, conductor,and chorus comprise 22 of them.Another 28 involve community "culturalpartners," such as the American IndianCenter, Ballet Wisconsin, Chance ,

Dancecircus, Discovery WorldMuseum, and more.

Now in its ninth year, Arts inCommunity Education is funded bygrants from the National Endowmentfor the Arts, GE Fund, Harley DavidsonFoundation, Emory T. Clark FamilyFoundation, among many others.

riculum supervisors were presentedwith the equity argument: "If specialistsare good for some schools, why aren'tthey good for all schools?"

Today all of Milwaukee's elemen-tary schools, in addition to its middleand high schools, are served by art andmusic specialists. It is noteworthy thatthe addition of art and music specialiststo the elementary level was accom-plished during the same time thatmuch of the authority to establish edu-cational programs was being transferredfrom the district to individual schools.

THE MILWAUKEE

COMIvfUNITY: INSIDE ANDOUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS

re Milwaukee community plays aritical and ongoing role from out-

side the school system (as advocatesand hinders) and from inside the sys-tem (through artist residencies andprogram partnerships). MPS is develop-ing new partnerships all the time. Twostand out: the Milwaukee Symphony'sACE program (see sidebar) and the dis-

32Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION

APPLAUSE

Milwaukee district's arts programshave received considerable local,state, national, even internationalattention. Dutch educators are study-ing MPS's Elm Creative Arts Schoolas a model for schools in theNetherlands. Elm also was selectedfor a 1997 Business Week Award forInstructional Innovation. LincolnCenter Middle School received theCity of Milwaukee Award ofExcellence for its collaborative pro-grams involving students, educators,artists, and performing arts groups.The Wisconsin Alliance for ArtsEducation recognized 10 Milwaukeeelementary schools for their exem-plary programs. The MilwaukeePublic Schools arts programs wereexamined by researchers for TowardCivilization: A Report to thePresident and Congress on ArtsEducation (1988). The Milwaukeevisual arts program was studied indepth by the Rand Corporation andthe Getty Education Institute for theArts; the results were reported inBeyond Creating: The Place for Art inAmerica's Schools (1985).

trict's collaboration with theMilwaukee Art Museum. The museumpartnership provides curriculum mate-rials for teachers, junior docentprograms, arts classes for teachers, andopportunities for in-class guest speak-ers and artists. Through theMilwaukee Art Museum's new programwith Lincoln Center Middle School ofthe Arts, spaces in the school havebeen designed as studio and perfor-mance spaces for community artsgroups. The school studios are"bartered" for artists' school programs.Their studios are intermingled withclassrooms throughout the schoolbuilding, resulting in artist-studentinteractions all day, every day - anartist residency in the fullest sense.

PAGE 29

A Case Study:

REDONDOFactorsThe Community./The Superintendent./A Cadre of Principals./Parent/Public Relations./National, State, Other

Outside Forces./Continuous improvement,/

BEACH (CA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 12Students (Total): 7,255Per Pupil: $4,800Arts Teachers (Total): 47

THE LOCAL CONTEXT°Ine of three adjacent middle-come "beach towns" south of Los

Angeles International Airport and sep-arate spiritually if not physically fromL.A., Redondo Beach is, in many ways,a community caught in the middle.Economically, an educator points out,we're "not rich enough to afford every-thing we need in education" unlikeextremely well-to-do neighbors but"not disadvantaged enough to qualifyfor grant assistance" unlike otherneighboring communities. On aver-age, a Redondo family has an incomeof $48,000. The impact of immigrationis beginning to be felt, and the num-ber of Spanish-speaking families is onthe rise. Of the 7,255 students inRedondo Beach Unified SchoolDistrict, 38 percent are nonwhite; 8percent live below the poverty line.

Redondo Beach Unified SchoolDistrict until recently a K-8 districtwith a separate high school district isa small system: one high school, onecontinuation high school, two middleschools, and eight elementary schools.Historically, the school board hasvoted to sustain the arts - with justone major cut of the strings programduring a hard budget time. This com-mitment has not been easy to sustainin California, ever since Proposition 13was passed more than a decade agoand made funding arts education diffi-cult. But Redondo Beach also has ahistory of capitalizing on its opportu-nities. From the early days of its artseducation renewal, Redondo BeachUnified School District has found part-ners to help the district create andsustain its arts education programs.

The City of Redondo Beach andits recreation department, for exam-ple, assisted the district in developinga K-6 vocal music instruction pro-gram. Los Angeles' Getty EducationInstitute for the Arts providedteacher/administrator workshops thatproved particularly effective in creat-ing value and interest for integratingart production and analysis within the

PAGE 30

classroom to lasting effect. Daily, thedistrict reaps the benefit of its partner-ship with parents and grandparentswho provide experiential arts educa-tion at the elementary level. Thisvolunteer effort has become institution-alized as the Hands on Art program.

Recently, new partnerships havebegun shaping Redondo Beach's identi-ty into a school system concerned witharts through the electronic media.With this strategy, Redondo is answer-ing the L.A. County Office ofEducation's call for content and estab-lishing a 21st century vision for itselfby developing partnerships and secur-ing grants that support and advancethe integration of arts and technology.

A SUPERINTENDENT'S VISIONFOR HER DISTRICT'S 21STCENTURY PARTNERSHIP:

ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

It is not surprising that given theproximity of Los Angeles, numerous

technology-based corporations, andthe Hollywood film industry that thereis high demand in the region for stu-dents prepared to pursue careers in thearts and entertainment. RedondoBeach decided to seize the day andtake community involvement to the"next level."

Initiative Partner

Pairing the arts and technologyas "agents of change" is a strategy bornof the well-tended connections to busi-ness and county leaders of the latesuperintendent of Redondo Beach, Dr.Beverly Rohrer. A strong, vocal mem-ber of Arts Tech 100, a national artsadvocacy group of businesses,organizations, educators, arts patrons,and others, she served on theCalifornia Department of EducationSuperintendent's Task Force on theVisual and Performing Arts. The listbelow of Redondo's technology/artsinitiatives many of which have beenunderwritten by businesses is testa-ment to her vision and commitmentto the Redondo Beach community andits children's futures.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT

Among the initiatives above, thisstudy's team of researchers, who

spent several days in Redondo Beach,found a handful of rare gems and afew that were more common. But themost important discovery was the col-lective impact of innovative work andthe overall elevation of the level oflearning and access to opportunity inthis school district.

During the researchers' visit,Redondo Beach high school studentswere engaged in the Interstate Musical

Description

ArtsEDNet, LA. CulturalArts Collaborative ArtsProject

Getty Education Institutefor the Arts

District teachers trained inDiscipline-Based Arts Educationdevelop technology componentsand K-6 lessons for arts websites under development.

Boardwalk Art: LinkingArts, Culture andCommunity

City of Redondo Beach K-16 students will use electroniccommunication to organize artsevents involving the community.

Futures Academy TRW, GTE, Cal State,Dominguez Hills, NASA,Apple Computer, AT&T

To train teachers and communi-ties in South Bay in integrationof technology in educationalreform.

CAD/Graphics Lab Teacher donation Mac Lab for district graphic artsdonated by families of twoinstructors.

Center for Excellence inFine Arts

Los Angeles CountySchools - Office ofSuperintendent, AT&T

District to provide countyschools with assistance in inte-gration of arts into curriculausing technology.

Student-managedBeach Net housing ArtsKnowledgeNetTM

GTE, Cisco, City ofRedondo Beach, SunMicro Computers

Computer network establishedand run by students, serves 14districts sites, city government,and all teachers and students;houses online collection of artsresources, including a teacherarea of arts standards, lessons,assessments.

Principals, Parents, School Board Members: Providing a Firm Foundat!on for Innovation

Redondo Beach did not venture into col-laborations with high-tech firms andHollywood without prior experience withpartnerships and strong support at home.Former and current school board mem-bers, parents and grandparents, andprincipals have woven a sort of safety netfor arts education as the district exploresthe arts and technology connection.

Principals as Partners

Redondo's emerging vision for the artsand technology stems in part from long-standing policies and programs aimed atproviding "a comprehensive arts educa-tion program (which) includes a written,sequential curriculum in music and thevisual arts" (July 6, 1993 board policy6142.6). The teacher/administrator work-shops of Los Angeles Getty EducationInstitute for the Arts have been particular-ly effective in creating a value and interestfor integrating art production and analysiswithin the classroom.

Principals such as Dr. Jeffrey Bordofsky ofWashington School still speak about theirGetty training, although it may have takenplace more than a decade ago. (Bordofskyrecently chose to save art classes andspace during the classroom reductionmovement by consolidating other supportareas.) Although the funds from its earlyGetty partnership have run out, RedondoBeach maintains an art mentor position,held by Elsie Shigeta, to continue to traineducators in using Discipline-Based ArtsEducation (DBAE). The reason principalsare willing to devote teacher and adminis-

trator time to training - even though thereare pressures to offer only math and read-ing is that they have seen firsthand thesuccesses of thematic learning.

Every principal has a different story to tell:One middle school principal used todance with the San Francisco Ballet. Theprincipal of the continuation high schoolsaid art and madrigal singing were impor-tant parts of her own childhoodeducation; dance was her college minor.

The principal of Tulita Elementarydeclared, "Art is a powerful connectingpiece." Because integrating arts into othersubjects helps her teachers make connec-tions with Redondo's large population ofstudents with disabilities, she found waysto support arts education through Title 1money. Yet another principal had beentransformed by a fingerpainting workshopfor administrators.

Each Redondo Beach principal in his orher own way has a place for the arts - inpersonal life as well as in school. It isthis openness of the "gatekeepers" thathelps arts education find its way intoRedondo Beach classrooms in many dif-ferent manners.

A Board Member's Music Stand

Music has a strong board of educationadvocate in former president ValerieDombrowski. Her son, who has disabilities,found a niche in his Redondo schoolingand in life through music. "I want to bringback the string orchestra first," she says.

With the steel drum band a popular hit onthe football field and the district takingover support for the vocal music programfrom the city partnership, the music pro-gram is gaining strength. However, musicteachers do not yet find sufficientresources and colleagues to feel fully sup-ported. Although Redondo elementaryclassroom teachers feel they are able tofully integrate the visual arts, they are stilllooking for ways to expand music.

Parents as Arts Teachers

Parent involvement in the arts educationat the elementary level has become insti-tutionalized in a program called Hands onArt. This grassroots program trains parentvolunteers to make projects with a varietyof visual arts materials.

The chairman of the program, MarilynScara, speaks about the attention to qual-ity in parent-training to the extent ofordering special brushes from overseasand securing donations of rice paper foran Asian art project. Training is ongoing,and the parents enter into a long-termrelationship with one or more elementaryclasses with their children and teach visu-al arts experiences for a project a month.

This program has been in place for years,with parents and grandparents taking theopportunity to develop a visual arts inter-est or even background and assist in theirown child's education. One grandmothervolunteer has followed her four grandchil-dren over eight years of their schooling.

Theatre Project, an ambitious andcomplex undertaking that linked threeother high schools - one in Texas,Northern California, and Illinois -with Redondo. The 40 or so Redondostudents in the project talked atlength and in detail about the chal-lenges of collaborating creativelyacross time and land barriers. Theydescribed how they were video confer-encing the far-flung classes in order tobrainstorm. E-mail and online chatswere their avenues for jointly craftingthe plot and script. Through ongoinge-mail discussions, they jointly workwith students from Texas. The studentsemployed MIDI technology to com-pose music, share and critique scores.They found ways to adapt a time-hon-ored tradition of creative collaborationusing the tools of the future.

But - this part is important - itwas not about the tools. It was aboutthe play, the give and take, meetingdeadlines, surpassing boundaries, andglimpsing success.

In the process, the students learnfrom and with each other. OneRedondo senior and a pre-eminentMIDI musical composer (the schoolconsults with him in development ofMIDI classes) proudly shared with theresearchers the promotional video ofthe production, which included a fewbars of the song he was composing. "Itworks, it really works, it's going to begreat!" he exclaimed. His fellow stu-dents warmly received this newestcreation. Soon after, the black boxtheater hummed with the expectantenergy of auditioning. It was clearwho the writers were as they noddedtheir heads approvingly, listening tofirst interpretations.

What Redondo students werelearning was the basics of creation,criticism, and performance. How havethey learned it? Interactively with stu-dents from around the country, usingthe tools technology has to offer.When we asked the group of studentswhy they cared so much about this


project, they responded overwhelm-ingly, "It's ours!" "It's our baby." "Wemade this." "We worked hard.Collaboration isn't easy, but I can seethe light at the end of the tunnel!"

Simultaneously, in the threeother communities, classes were gear-ing up, casting parts, making theircontributions to the collaborative orig-inal production which was to receiveits premiere performance in Redondoa month later. Deborah Johns and PaulCollette, the theater instructional teambehind the initiative, confided that theendeavor had been more difficult thanthey had originally imagined. It wasalso proving more rewarding.

The time and overtime thisgroup of Redondo students and teach-ers were putting into the interactiveproduction seemed to be nothing incomparison to their belief in the pro-ject and in themselves: They werebreaking new ground and changingthe face of learning.

BEST COln- AVAILABLE


PAGE 31

Bringing Adult Education into theSchools Brings Good Things to Art

'ThRedondo district collaborates with its neighboring beach districts to

offer evening classes at the South Bay Adult School on school grounds.

e

Classes range from Basic Skills and Parent Education to Crafts & DecorativeArts, Fine Arts & Music, and Communication. Basic skills classes Such asEnglish as a Second Language considered a "mandated" class can beoffered free to the public. Adults are charged a fee for arts courses. The_presence of this after-hours arts education on school grounds benefits theK-12 students in a number of ways:

a Shared Resources: Interest from the adult education TV ProductionWorkshop, for example, led to an increased demand for equipment, andthe eventual acquisition of a video production studio now shared with theRedondo high school students.

Shared Personnel: The assistant principal of the Adult School also spear-heads development of Redondo High School's Center for theAdvancement of Art and Entertainment (CAAE). Her talents as an admin-istrator help spread her value of the arts within the district structure and tothe community at large.New Arts Advocates: Many of the students in the adult education classesseem to be older than parents with school children. These adults withoutchildren speak highly of their arts experiences and their communities.Individuals who value the arts are ripe for mobilizing in support of the artsin local schools.

DISCOVERING WHAT WORKSMot every endeavor succeeds equal-

ly well. Redondo's Discovery Lab,for example, was established as "acareer-to-work modular lab based uponDr. Howard Gardner's theory of sevenintelligences." The lab provides stu-dents with tools to help create andmanipulate graphics, write interactivescreen plays, and aurally composemusic. Students interface with com-puters and their ideas, but notnecessarily with each other or theteacher. Using Gardner's intelligencesmodel, the Discovery Lab program ismissing the kinesthetic (movement)and interpersonal (person-to-personcommunication) intelligences.Students working with the lab arelearning important skills for the 21stcentury. The question is whether theyare acquiring an education in the arts.

The challenge for Redondo Beach- and, in the future, for thousands ofschool districts across America islearning how to connect the.arts tonew media while still teaching thebasics of the original artistic disciplines.

PAGE 32

A NEW TRACK FORARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

rreachers, administrators, and stu-.1 dents in Redondo Beach have all

played a role in the development of anew track within Redondo Union HighSchools called the Center for theAdvancement of Art and Entertainment(CAAE). It is designed to offer special-ized study in film, computer graphicsand art, computer-aided design and ani-mation, musical theater, MIDI music,CD production, and broadcasting,among other areas. In each area ofstudy, students are expected to meetstandards in "Artistic Perception,Creative Expression, Historical andCultural Context, and AestheticValuing" to complete a specialization.

AN ELEMENT OF RISKth the face of the financial challenges

/ presented by the State of California,Redondo's strategy is to merge artswith technology, then turn the districtinto a resource for others. No otherdistrict visited by the study'sresearchers demonstrated such anentrepreneurial spirit, with a portfolioof "proprietary" ideas ready to market.

35

As in every new venture, thereare risks: The district may discover itsvaried approach makes it more diffi-cult for students to systematicallybuild certain skills as defined by thetraditional fine arts K-12 curriculum.At the same time, there may be gains:a town meeting full of business peoplewho are partners for technology first,but also for the arts; a license toexperiment; students interested, excit-ed, and skilled in doing creative thingswith technology; and access toresources for the arts that might not beavailable any other way.

A LEADERSHIP CHALLENGETiere is another challenge Redondo

Bleach faces a challenge everyschool district faces at one time oranother: change in leadership.Redondo's present and future leadersmust build upon the strengths of con-sensus and value for the arts ineducation that Beverly Rohrer helpedthe community develop.

A Case Study:

VANCOUVER (WA)Factors , StatisticsThe Community,/ Schools (Total): 33The School Board,/ Students (Total): 19,000The Superintendent/ Per Pupil: $6,043District Arts Coordinator(s),/ Arts Teachers (Total): 129A Cadre of Principals,/Parent/Public RelationsgOpportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement,/Planning,/Continuous Improvement,/

THE LOCAL CONTEXT

Vancouver, Washington - a suburbof Portland, Oregon, and not to be

confused with Vancouver, BritishColumbia was once a thriving ship-building center. Some 70,000 shipworkers built 80 ships here duringWorld War II. But in 1989, scores ofmanufacturing plants closed, and15,000 high-wage, mostly union jobsdisappeared. As a result, Vancouverfamily incomes plummeted. The aver-age household's income loss real, notadjusted was $5,000 over the previ-ous decade's income. Consequently,the number of students receiving freeand reduced lunch skyrocketed from12 to 49 percent. Adding to the localeconomic troubles, the Vancouverschool district faced the need to repairat least 27 older school buildings.

Curiously, it was the need toaddress facility rehabilitation thatsparked Vancouver's educationalreform and, in turn, spurred the corn-munitys economic revitalization.

How VANCOUVER ACHIEVEDCONSENSUS OF VISION

The School Board Challenges theSuperintendentChanges in the Vancouver schoolsystem have been directed by itssuperintendent of 18 years, Dr. JamesParsley. Yet he is the first to point outthat the call for education reformcame not from him but from theVancouver Board of Education. Itwas 1989, and Dr. Parsley had justpresented to the school board hisannual report summarizing the previ-ous year's activities and making arecommendation for facilities repairs."I can remember," Jim Parsleyrecalled, "my board president takingthe report and tossing it across thetable and saying, 'All it talks about isbricks and mortar. All this talksabout is asphalt and roofs. There'sno vision in this. There's no direc-tion. There's nothing in here forkids. I want and expect a strategicplan for the school district."

The Superintendent ConnectsWith the CommunitySuperintendent Parsley met theboard's challenge, but not by turningto his staff to write a strategic plan.Instead, he turned to the communityof Vancouver and engaged the citi-zens in developing a plan that wouldbelong to them.

"Our first effort," he told this study'steam of researchers/reporters, "was toconnect with the community oncoming up with a vision and a mis-sion statement. We had a steeringgroup of 80 key citizens - parents,business leaders, students, some fac-ulty, a couple of board memberswho involved 800 people in a seriesof town hall meetings. It was therethat we started making connectionsto a broader picture of public educa-tion. Through parent groups westarted hearing advocates for whatthe district would have to do to getready for the 21st century. All of asudden the lights started to comeon. Our four critical strategic goalsemerged from that process."

Consensus Leads to Strategic Goalsand District ReorganizationWith consensus of vision developingamong the community, the schoolboard, and the superintendent,Vancouver began shaping these spe-cific, measurable, achievable goals:

1. Revitalization of the Curriculum

2. Preparation of Staff for the 21stCentury

3. Rehabilitation of Facilities

4. Community Partnerships

The emerging consensus also provid-ed a foundation for the kind ofsweeping administrative changesthat would be needed to implementVancouver's vision.

In 1990, the district eliminated 24 cen-tral office positions and reconstitutedoperations. Weekly school board meet-ings moved to alternating agendas:Every other week the board meets onfiscal matters; at alternate meetings, itaddresses the strategic plan and moni-tors all the systems and roles.

The superintendent's role, in particu-lar, underwent significant change inthis period. As Dr. Parsley explained,"I became the 'planner' for the schooldistrict. Half my time and title wasmoved over into the area of strategicplanning. By my heading up thiseffort, we eliminated about 10 layersof bureaucracy between planningand the decisions of the board."

How GOALS WERE SETAND MET

Wiat would Vancouver have to dot-lo get their children ready for

the 21st century? This was the ques-tion that drove the community'sdiscussions on education reform andultimately shaped its four goals.Goal 1: Revitalization of theCurriculum "What's important?"Vancouver residents asked themselves."What do we want to emphasize, whatdo we want to preserve, what do wewant to strengthen?"

According to the superintendent,initial strategic planning around revi-talization of the curriculum led tosome raging debates.

One debate involved the role ofthe arts in education. "We had peoplewho were engineers from the hightech companies," he explained, "whowere saying, 'Wipe out the arts. Wedon't need them. We need math. Weneed this, we need that." It was

1,4 363;Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION

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another issue - choice that helped tofocus the arts issue. "All of a sudden,"said Dr. Parsley, "the arts surfaced notfrom the point of view of someonesaying, 'Oh, I like the arts' or 'I've hadexperienced in the arts' but really fromlooking at the kinds of kids we serveand knowing that the light can comeon for some kids through the arts.That was an 'Aha!"Goal 2: Staff DevelopmentVancouver determined through itsplanning process that if it were to beprepared for the 21st century, thenthe district needed staff up to thechallenge.

That decision eventually led tothe commitment of an unprecedented$8 million in staff development andthe creation of Vancouver's Center forLeadership, a special staff training anddevelopment center. Last year alone,nearly 30,000 people participated inits programs.Goal 3: Facilities RehabilitationWhile the school board's response to


PAGE 33

Dr. Parsley's original annual reportserved to focus attention on the needfor a strategic plan, it did not eliminatethe need to do something about dilapi-dated buildings and the funds to fixthem. Given the economic realities OfVancouver and the fact that only 26percent of the voters had school-agedchildren, opposition to two key bondissues was anticipated. Once again, theschool leaders tapped the 800 commu-nity members who had helped shapethe Vancouver vision and enlisted theirhelp in educating the electorate.

Meanwhile, educators and par-ents "went all over town," said Dr.Parsley, "and we brought kids with us.We met in front of Rotary, and we toldour story. If it was a music story, we hadkids as part of the presentation. I proba-bly spoke to 40 or 50 different serviceclubs," he added. The bond issuespassed overwhelmingly - with 70-somepercent of the voters approving fundingfor 27 construction projects.

How does a community that isnot affluent "buy in" to educationreform of this scope? Jim Parsley cred-its the community's involvement inthe strategic initiatives and a hopefulvision of the future: "People said, 'Iwant thg dream."Goal 4: Community PartnershipWith the community's backing of thevision and the funding needed forfacilities in place, school leaders sys-tematically began seeking out andengaging organizations and individualsof substantial means. The districtdeveloped partnerships with locallybased corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard Company, Inc., and withdonors, such as Leslie Durst, whoseleadership gifts to Vancouver arts edu-cation stem from her arts-richchildhood in New York City. Today,Vancouver schools benefit from aneducational foundation which main-tains approximately $1 million inassets, spending interest income onchildren's education needs, from musi-cal instruments for needy students totravel funds for competitions. Schooldistrict employees' payroll deductions -in addition to United Way checkoffs -amount to 25 percent of the founda-tion's annual revenue.

HOW VANCOUVERIMPLEMENTED II'S PLAN

In 1989, Portland's loss wasVancouver's gain when Superintendent

Jim Parsley hired a talented dance educa-tor who had served as head of Portland's

PAGE 34

arts magnet school. Deborah Brzoska'sown vision proved a fine fit withVancouver's; she espoused "All the artsfor all the students" in elementaryschool, and she advocated a specializedsecondary school for the arts as one ofthe district's "choice" options.

Elementary Arts for AllPrior to Deb Brzoska's arrival,Vancouver already had an"ArtsBlock" firmly in place as part ofthe tapestry of education offered toeach elementary school student.Brzoska sought to expand andenhance the program. She helpedensure that "elementary arts" includ-ed dance, visual arts, and musictaught by specialists by bringing inpracticing artists/educators trained atStanford, Columbia, and Juilliard.A Specialized Arts School forSecondary ChoiceAt the secondary level, the Vancouvercommunity's demand for "choice"shapes the schools. The school dis-trict's vision is for every high schoolto have a focus. Science and technol-ogy, arts and academics, internationalbaccalaureate, and individualized edu-cation plans have already beencreated; health is on its way.

For the arts, Brzoska envisioneda school fed by the entire K-12 district.The newly emerging Vancouver Schoolof Arts and Academics brings togethera group of 600 students selected byinterest - not talent - to learn in anarts-centered curriculum. With assis-tance from the College Board, theGetty Education Institute for the Arts,and a board of community members,Brzoska and other educators are creat-ing a school starting at the sixth gradewith arts teaching and experiencestruly at the core.

Every staff member - from jani-tors to secretaries, teachers toadministrators - has an arts interest oractivity. The highly charged educatorswrangle daily with the evolution ofthe school and the breadth of its focus.In the "academic" half of the day, themath, science, and language teachersuse their own arts knowledge to teachin an integrated manner. HowardGardner's theory of "multiple intelli-gences" is frequently mentionedregarding the modes of learning andtheir choices of environments.

Meanwhile, other high schoolsin the district offer the arts in othersways. For example, in the new, archi-tectural award-winning Skyview highschool, which focuses on science and

3 7

technology, the arts are slated to playan important role, thanks largely toPrincipal Rich Larson's values and theopportunity presented by facilityreform. Skyview's performing facilitiesare the largest in the town, and localarts groups are already scheduling theirseasons around its use.

Other high schools offer the artsin more traditional ways, such as par-ticipation in marching bands whichperform competitively and becomepart of a school's identity along withits sports teams. At the VancouverPersonalized Learning Center, wherestudents all have individualized learn-ing programs, there is an ad hoctheater improvisation group thatformed out of student and teacherinterest, not systemic support.

How TEACHERS, PARENTS,AND ADMINISTRATORS VIEWVANCOUVER'S CHANGES

Today in Vancouver, elementaryschools give broad-based arts expe-

riences. The middle schools providevarying levels of experiences with a"wheel of study" designed for exposureand electives ranging from choir todrama. The high schools also have arange of programs, including somevery strong traditional music, art, anddrama. Then there is the VancouverSchool of Arts and Academics, whichembraces dance, creative writing, film,and video. The district's challenge is tobalance broad exposure and high stan-dards with focused opportunities.

A town meeting with parents,students, teachers, school board mem-bers, and administrators helped thisstudy's researchers better understandhow Vancouver grapples with its newdirection. There is some tensionbetween teachers who have one footin the "arts school" and those who donot. A number of board memberspointed out that some students stillwill want the arts in a "balanced envi-ronment" in which they can alsocheerlead or do sports. (The Arts andAcademics high school takes studentsthrough a rigorous extra-period schoolday and does not offer sports.)

Everyone agreed that planningfor change is best. "Start with wherethe people are," said one teacher."Build the trust, respect, and leave timeto plan." And, Dr. Parsley, added later,"Deliver on your promises. That buildscredibility with the community."

A Case Study:

WYOMING (OH)Factors StatisticsThe Community4 Schools (Total): 3The School Board4 Students (Total): 1,800The Superintendent4 Per Pupil: $6,700Continuity in Leadership,/ Arts Teachers (Total): 15District Arts Coordinator(s)JOpportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement4

On Thursday, February 5, 1998, itsnowed steadily for a second day,resulting in the heaviest snowfallever recorded in the Cincinnati,Ohio, area. The night before, inthe suburb of Wyoming,Superintendent Ted Knapke hadcanceled school for that day.Researchers visiting the communi-ty on behalf of the President'sCommittee on the Arts and theHumanities and the ArtsEducation Partnership figured theywould have to reschedule theevening town meeting on arts edu-cation. That proved unnecessary:More than 150 Wyoming citizensdrove or walked through fallingsnow on mostly unplowed streetsand sidewalks to talk with them.

Wat was it about Wyoming andaIrts education that would pro-

duce such a good turnout in such badweather?

Dr. Paul Williams, the superin-tendent of Beachwood (OH) CitySchools and one of the visitors toWyoming for this study, came tobelieve that the development of artsin Wyoming, Ohio as well as inVancouver, Washington was through"communities of practice." (See side-bar, also Vancouver case study.)

"We found," he wrote, "that thesecommunities practiced advanced artseducation. In Wyoming, the arts weredeveloped within congruent values ofthe larger community. The motivationcame from the parents, grandparents,and citizens of the district."

Situated on the outskirts ofCincinnati, Wyoming is a landlockedcommunity of some 8,000 people and3,300 households, 60 to 70 percent of

them without school-age children. Percapita income hovers around $30,000.Unemployment is low. Housing costsare higher in Wyoming than in otherparts of the region, but many a parenthas been willing to pay the price inorder to access the local schools. Thereare only three schools in this 2.57-square-mile district: the elementaryschool with plus or minus 690 stu-dents, the middle school with 580,and the high school with 530.

Just about everyone who livesin Wyoming, the researchers learned,seems to be proud of the schools.People used words and phrases like"high expectations," "quality," "rigor,""caring," "distinctive," "excellent," and"a sense of mission." It's fair to say thatthe character of the community is sub-stantially defined by a system-wideeducation program of which the artsare a prized part.

BUILDING A "COMMUNITYOF PRACTICE"

Ctudents who grow up in middle andupper middle class homes generally

do better than those less advantaged.In Wyoming, most students haveadvantages that come from the thingsthat money can buy travel, comput-ers, cultural events and those moneycan't buy parents who graduatedfrom college, who have books in theirhomes, who expect their children towork hard, and who monitor the chil-dren's progress.

In such an environment, how toprovide equity and opportunity for theless advantaged can become the kindof challenge that divides communities.In this community of practice,Wyoming's citizens seized upon aproblem and, in seeking a solution,developed a strategy for all students'success. When Wyoming school lead-ers observed not long ago that a higherthan average percentage of minoritystudents were achieving below the restof the students, they turned to thecommunity's black leaders and said,"We need your help." Intervention pro-grams soon were developed andimplemented with the support of min-isters, civic leaders, parents, teachers,administrators, and students who wereenlisted to help lower-achieving stu-dents. The outcome is, in the words ofone board member, "a bottom end thathas shifted up."


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PAGE 35

LEADERSHIP'S CONSENSUSAND CONTINUITY

Mhe Wyoming school board has/ found community consensus-building to be a very productivestrategy. The board seeks to know thecollective mind of Wyoming's citizensand to work to resolve issues beforethey become serious enough to dividethe community. Its members also takean active interest in the courses ofstudy for each school subject, havingnew curriculum guides, for example,presented at special board meetings.The actions of the five-person boardare usually unanimous.

A sense of stability and continuityalso comes from the superintendent'soffice, where the occupants tend to stayfor a long time. In fact, only eightsuperintendents - averaging 15 and ahalf years' service each have served inthe Wyoming school system since it wasfounded in 1874.

For most of the past 124 years,the superintendents have stood firmlyin support of the arts. Wyoming's cur-rent superintendent, Ted Knapke, whois in his third year with the district,avidly seeks to sustain and enlarge therole of the arts in the education of thewhole child. He is building upon thesame philosophy that guided his pre-decessor, Robert Yearout. "The arts inWyoming are a central part of the totalprogram, not an aside," Yearoutobserved. "I never thought of art andmusic as any less vital than any otherpart of the program. One time[because of budget problems] wemoved to cut the fourth-grade stringsprogram. The community came downon our heads."

STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT

That community includes a vitally/ important constituency: the studentsthemselves. More than 90 percent ofWyoming's high school students go onto college and most of them have beenactive in the arts. Football players, forexample, have been known to marchwith the band at half-time in theirfootball uniforms. From 75 to 80 musicstudents - 15 percent of the studentbody willingly return in the eveningsfor full orchestra rehearsals. Many highschool students take Advanced Place-ment courses in the arts. In music andvisual arts competitions, Wyoming stu-dents perform with distinction and

PAGE 36

receive a surprisingly high number ofawards and scholarships for a small dis-trict. Indeed, it was the success ofWyoming's visual arts students inregional and national competitions thatfirst brought the district to the attentionof the President's Committee.

CREATING A CULTUREOF SUCCESS

S uccess is grown in Wyoming. In thearts programs where the music

and visual arts are taught in separatecourses, and creative writing is integrat-ed throughout the curriculum - thequality of teaching and learning beginsat the beginning, in kindergarten, andcontinues to build through graduation.

Alison Youkilis is the high schoolart instructor/district art coordinator.She explains, "Our elementary art pro-gram has always been in place, and wework at making sure that any andevery student feels that he/she cantake art and music classes and be suc-cessful. Often, too, our kids are goingall the way, K-12, through our schools.So our educators are able to build oneach others' work."

In grades K-8, 100 percent of thestudents participate in music and thevisual arts. In grades 9-12, nearly 70percent of the students elect to partici-pate in the arts programs. Everystudent (K-4) receives at least 60 min-utes of visual art and 60 minutes ofmusic instruction each week. Stringinstruction begins the second half offourth grade, band and vocal music infifth grade. Middle schoolers arerequired to receive 100 minutes perweek of visual arts instruction and 125minutes of music.

In high school, the music offer-ings are rich, and the rewards forstudents come in the form of scholar-ships, superior and excellent ratings inall-state competitions, invitations toparticipate in Cincinnati Junior Strings,Cincinnati Youth Symphony, and theYouth Chorus of the annual MayFestival. Many have gone on to careersin music; many more have gone forthwith success as vocational musiciansand as future patrons of the arts.

The visual arts program serves toillustrate how Wyoming builds its cur-riculum from one level and course toanother. In the eighth grade, for exam-ple, Wyoming students begin to learnphotography starting with a shoe box.They make a pinhole camera, take a

u 3 9:7\

series of photographs based on atheme, develop negatives, make prints,and mount and bind their pho-tographs in a small handmade book.When these same students begin theirfirst photography course in the highschool, they do so with a solid under-standing of photography. In highschool, they use a variety of camerasand printing processes before theymove to the computer where they canmanipulate their photographs usingdigital technology.

Seniors at Wyoming High Schoolare required to take four academic sub-jects during their final year, andAdvanced Placement art counts as anacademic subject. This, according tohigh school art instructor AlisonYoukilis, is another one of the reasonswhy bright students are attracted to art.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT'S

WELCOME CHALLENGE

Tiie College Board's Advancedlnacement program in the visual

arts has been an important factor inmaking the high school studio artprograms rigorous and substantial.Students, usually seniors (juniors insome schools, such as Wyoming HighSchool) work for a year to develop abody of work consisting of up to 20pieces representing a range of mediaand ideas.

Students' portfolios are judgedeach summer at the Educational TestingService in Princeton, New Jersey. Ratedon a five-point scale, students who scorethree or above qualify for advancedplacement in colleges and universities.In other words, if they choose to majorin art, they are not required to takebasic college art courses.

Approximately half of thenation's high schools currently offerAdvanced Placement courses. Studentsin these schools may select from among18 subjects although not all schoolsoffer all subjects. Advanced Placementcourses are seen as a means to challengestudents with rigorous content andhigh standards. Schools are even evalu-ated according to the percentage ofstudents who are permitted to takeAdvanced Placement courses and sub-mit their work for examination.

One of the AP coursesPhotography is the direct result ofstudent interest and initiative. Youkilisexplains, "It came from the kids. One

"The Middle Man" - An Important Principal to Remember

Without that middle school artsprogram bridging students'

elementary and high school studies,would a school system's arts edu-cation still be strong and effective?Where, for example, wouldWyoming be today if middle schoolprincipal Brandon Cortes had notmet an art teacher who wouldn'ttake "no" for an answer?

Brandon Cortes' office displays areproduction of a painting byAmerican artist Keith Haring, whogained his initial fame by makingchalk drawings in New York subwaystations on the kind of black tar-paper that's used to back emptyposter frames. The principal pur-chased it during a visit to a Haringexhibition in Toronto.

Cortes' interest in art and the powerof art to educate took root severalyears ago when one of Wyoming'smiddle school visual arts teachersasked him to add a visit to the ArtInstitute to the itinerary of the annu-al school trip to Chicago. "Whywould we want to do that?" heremembered asking her, thinkingthat students' interest in art wouldbe no greater than his own andimagining with horror the problems

day the students said to me, 'Whycan't we have AP Photography like wehave AP Studio Art?' So I went to thephone and called the AP organization,and they said that as long as the chil-dren did the required drawings andsculpture, then we could do it. So thenI had to go back and convince theadministration to create AP Photogra-phy, and the next year 13 kids signedup!"

The visual arts program atWyoming High School ranks veryhigh. In the 1998 graduating class of90, nearly 19 percent - 17 students -submitted Advanced Placement artportfolios. An additional seven junior-year students also submitted portfolios.This is an astonishing percentage,more remarkable still in light of thefact that every portfolio ever submitted

that he and the teachers wouldhave controlling disgruntled stu-dents who didn't want to be in anart museum.

So he rejected the visit.Immediately, the art teacher senthim an e-mail message protesting,"You are undercutting everything Istand for, everything I have beentrying to teach." Cortes changed hismind and the Art Institute hasbecome a regular stop on theChicago itinerary. During the 1997-98 trip, 60 of the 100 studentselected to visit the Art Institute.

Brandon Cortes is good at listeningto the views of others. He has creat-ed an 18-member "EnvisioningCommittee" composed of parentsand teachers who meet monthly toask "Where are we going?" Amongthe issues discussed are curriculum,the climate and culture of theschool, and even a radical proposalto discontinue administering stan-dardized tests in favor of authenticand performance-based assessmentprocedures developed by teachers.

One outcome of the process is aproposal prepared by a teacher tomove the school's instructional pro-

by a Wyoming High School studenthas received a passing grade.

The reason so many studentsenjoy the Advanced Placement Artchallenge, explains Youkilis, is that"Advanced Placement forces highschool students to look at their workas a unit rather than just as individualpieces. AP means looking for a style, atheme, a direction. AP demands thatyou understand what you are saying.Students write essays about their port-folios; they have to explain why theyhave undertaken a particular theme.For example, one girl who received a 5- the highest score explored thestruggles of an anorexic friend, withthe friend's permission."

As for the teacher, Youkilis feelsthat "you relate to AP students differ-ently because they have undertaken a

40,Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION

gram toward tasks that studentssee as benefiting them throughmeaningful applications to theirlives (and not just fulfilling the wish-es of parents, teachers, or thesystem). It calls for comprehensive,issues-based instructional units,jointly planned and presented byteams of teachers representingeach subject area. The arts teach-ers, Cortes noted, play an essentialrole in each of the integrated units -something he didn't understandvery well a few years ago.

Brandon Cortes' lesson in the artsis simple: If school administratorsare to understand the role that thearts can play in students' lives, theymay have to begin by learning moreabout the role the arts play in theirown lives.

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

real task. You get to know these kidson an emotional level. It's the portfo-lio, the discipline, the rigor, the visualsearch and the 'I Search' paper theywrite to explain their portfolios thatwill probably change their lives." Formany it has. Between 40 to 50 ofYoukilis' students have become graphicdesigners, and 25 to 30 have becomephotographers. Others are filmmakers,fashion designers, art teachers, andjewelry makers.

There is something else the stu-dents get in the AP art courses: a placeand space in time to think, create, andrelate. Says Youkilis, "Their art class istheir oasis in the day. The kids listento the radio, talk to each other, talkwith us teachers. Either they think I'ma deaf mute or they are just free


PAGE 37

enough to talk around me aboutwhat's on their minds or going on intheir lives. Sometimes, it puts you onthe .spot." According to a student, "It'slike a team - the AP team. And teach-ers really care. They give support forwhat you want to do."

Adds Youkilis, "It's so thrilling tolearn so much from my students. Andto see them learn. But you do have tobe willing to walk the kids through theAP arts process. I've never had a kidwho didn't make it, though, and withfewer than 500 kids in the school, wehave a smaller base to pull from thando schools of 3,000 students. We'vebeen so lucky with the performance ofour children, because other kids see artstudents winning contests and the likeand say to themselves, 'There's a chancethat I, too, can perform at that level."

THE REAL WORLD'SCHALLENGES

For the Wyoming City Schoolsdistrict and its arts education

departments to maintain their currentlevel of performance requires the samekind of creativity and discipline thatits students demonstrate.

Ted Knapke says that one of thegreatest challenges he faces as superin-tendent is providing the level ofprograms and resources needed tomeet the community's expectationswhen the tax base isn't high enoughto sustain it. "Our income tax base ishigh," he says, "but education in Ohiois based heavily on property tax, andin that respect, we're an average dis-trict. We have no malls, no realindustry. So we ask our parents to helppay for the extras. Our teachers writegrants. We go to businesses for equip-ment or help through partnerships.We go to the voters for money."

Knapke believes that Wyomingis fortunate to have a community thatcontinues to reach in its pocket tomake high quality education possible.But he sees a nationwide problem inthe point of view that even withoutadequate funding any community cancreate a strong school system thatincludes the arts.

"There is a phrase 'Do morewith less' that unfortunately trans-lates into 'Get rid of the things youdon't need.' In a lot of communitieswhat people think they don't need isthe arts."

PAGE 38

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Knapke adds, "I'm hopeful andoptimistic that the research that's beenconducted in the last 10 years willhelp make the case that you can'texpect children to do well in the'basics' without having the full experi-ence of education, including the arts.If our children are going to beinvolved in using information andsolving problems, then just teaching

"I'm hopeful andoptimistic that theresearch that's beenconducted in thelast 10 years willhelp make the casethat you can't expectchildren to do well inthe 'basics' withouthaving the fullexperience ofeducation, includingthe arts . . ."

41

arithmetic and reading isn't enough.We need to stress the whole child, thewhole package. Some 30 percent of thekids in this country live in poverty:How do you motivate them to doreading and writing when theirschools are the ones that are the firstto cut the arts whenever costs go up.And they are the ones who most needthe arts, because the arts get the kidsinvolved with school and learning.

"That's something," Knapke con-cludes, "I would hope legislators andother leaders would work to change."

"It does take money for art tohappen," adds Alison Youkilis. "Inorder to do photography, you have tohave a camera and photo paper. Thisgets to one of the most unfortunateparts of public education: that becausemoney is so minimal, we as teachersare afraid to dream and afraid to do itand go and reach the next level."

Youkilis concluded on a note ofoptimism "If you dream it enoughand long enough and say it to the rightpeople, it happens." But in her com-ments, in Ted Knapke's assessment, andin many citizens' remarks, there is arecognition of the fragility of arts sys-tems. The Wyoming communityseems to appreciate that consensusmust be maintained with vigilance,and that no place is perfect. Wyomingis part of the real world where there isalways more to be done.

GANING THE

ADVANTAGE

SCHOOL DISTRICTPROFILES

A Profile:

ANCHORAGE (AK)Factors StatisticsThe Community 4 Schools (Total): 89National, State, and Other Students (Total): 48,066

Outside Forces NI Per Pupil: $7,788Arts Teachers (Total): 192

L ocated near the Matsu Valley andthe Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage is

the largest city in Alaska. Its schooldistrict ranks as the 82nd largestschool district in the country, and itserves approximately 48,000 studentsin 89 schools.

In the past few years, thedistrict has organized 11 communitybudget committees to review all schoolprograms. This practice has led togreater awareness of the district's strongarts programs, and, after the request ofone committee to cut arts funding, thesuperintendent rejected the recommen-dation while electing to maintain allsupport for arts education.

Each year the school district paysfor release time for about 20 schooldistrict employees who play in theAnchorage Symphony. In return, thesymphony supplies buses to transportseveral hundred students to a "YoungPeople's Concert" performed duringthe school day.

For six years, the school district ofAnchorage, Alaska, has worked in part-nership with the Alaska Center for thePerforming Arts to build a strong coop-erative arts education program largelythrough staff development. That partner-ship has helped to spawn other initiativesin Alaska and to serve as a model forpartnerships around the nation.

The school district-performingarts center collaboration was solidifiedwhen the two organizations cametogether to assist the John F. KennedyCenter for the Performing Arts withthe planning of an arts education-focused Alaskan residency for its NationalSymphony Orchestra. Out of that effortcame a National Symphony Orchestra"American Residencies" program, anexpanded Kennedy Center PerformingArts Centers and Schools: Partners inEducation Program, and, in Anchorage,a continuing program of activities forAnchorage teachers.

Today, the Anchorage SchoolDistrict-Alaska Center for thePerforming Arts partnership each yearoffers both arts specialists and class-room teachers workshops at whichartists help teachers explore new waysto engage youngsters in the classroom.The partnership also provides specialdiscounted tickets for teachers to attendperformances and pre- or post-lectures.

Teachers who enroll in the pro-gram earn two graduate credits forattending 30 hours of events or onecredit for attending 15 hours. Earninga "B" grade requires submitting a cer-tificate of attendance and a journal ofcomments and summaries of theevents attended. For an "A," teacherscomplete the "B" requirements and,additionally, create a set of five lessonplans (eight for two credits) that incor-porates arts activities derived from thearts events. The fees are $75 for onecredit, $150 for two.

For the 1997-98 workshops,attended by 68 Anchorage teachers,topics ranged from cowboy poetry, sto-ries, and songs for incorporation inunits on the American West to basicrules of improvisation. The pre- andpost-performance events included aninsider's view of the Anchorage Opera'swinter productions and a review of amaterials packet for teachers thataccompanies the Symphony's "YoungPeople's Concert" for area fifth graders.

The Anchorage community andthe schools collaborate in other pro-ductive ways. For example, the staff ofa local museum and several districtteachers came together in a curriculumcommittee which developed a teacherinstructional activity packet designedto help teachers prepare students forfield trips to the museum's permanentAlaskan exhibit. It supports both thearts and the social studies curricula inthe schools.

A Profile:

ANN ARBOR (MI)Factors StatisticsThe Community-NIContinuity in LeadershipqPlanning-NIContinuous lmproyemenb/


re Ann Arbor School Districtocated in a university town 40

miles from Detroit has benefitedgreatly from 20 years of ongoing arts

42Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION

advocacy by community and schoolleaders. This sustained support hashelped to advance full access to thearts for all students, teacher training,curriculum integration, and the artsthrough technology.

In Ann Arbor, a district that isespecially strong in music education,the commitment to arts access for allstudents may be most evident in thefifth grade. All fifth-grade studentsapproximately 1,260 in 1998 learnhow to play a musical instrument.Participation in the program for allstudents is possible because the districtprovides instruments and supplies toall students at no charge. The vastmajority of students choose to contin-ue their music studies, encouraged bythe district's 58 music specialists.

Many of the answers to ques-tions of access in the Ann Arbordistrict have been provided by com-munity partnerships. A cooperativeoutreach tutorial program, which thedistrict funds with the help of a localbusiness association, allows many stu-dents who could not otherwise affordit to receive private lessons throughoutthe year from music teachers in thecommunity. Scholarships contributedby the district annually send morethan 20 students to the summer all-state program at the InterlochenCenter for the Arts.

Additional scholarship opportu-nities are made available through thecollaboration of the district and com-munity and arts organizations.

"I live in a single-parent house-hold; my mom worked as a secretary.There was no money to send me tomusic camp," said an alumna, now aUniversity of Miami music student,who once attended Interlochen on anAnn Arbor cdmmunity scholarship."The camp experience left me in awe.It pushed me to be a better person."

Community partnerships havealso played a role in shaping better artseducation including visual arts,dance, and music. In-school residen-cies, performances, and master classesengage students as active participants.Meanwhile, frequent teacher work-shops reinforce strategies for applyingthe arts throughout the curriculum.Ann Arbor's music and arts teachersrecently joined forces in the schooldistrict's "Arts and Technology" course,which allows students to explorecareers in both areas.

PAGE 39

A Profile:

ARLINGTONFactorsThe CommunityqThe School Board4Parent/Public Relationm/An Elementary

Foundatiort/

(VA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 41Students (Total): 17,568Per Pupil: $9,330Arts Teachers (Total): 104

Pr le public school system of/ Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of

Washington, D.C., educates one of thenation's most diverse and sophisticatedstudent populations 17,500 studentsfrom around the world speaking 53 dif-ferent languages. Students consistentlyscore well above state and national aver-ages on standardized tests. The highschool graduation rate is 92.5 percent.

The Arlington School Board, itschairman noted,"understands the ben-efits every student receives from thearts." That understanding is clearthroughout the Arlington school sys-tem, where the arts music, visual arts,theater, and dance (included in thephysical education curriculum) aregiven full consideration as academicdisciplines, complete with weeklyinstructional time of elementary stu-dents in music and the visual arts,certified specialists in each field, staffdevelopment opportunities, residen-cies, special-focus programs, and acomprehensive, sequential curriculumthat more than meets national stan-dards. In addition, Arlington hasformed numerous community-basedand arts-organization partnerships. Thedistrict has partnered with the John F.Kennedy Center for the PerformingArts in that institution's PerformingArts Centers and Schools program.

Just as schools have reported inthis study that arts teachers who prac-tice their art contribute to the qualityof a district's arts education, schoolboard members who are activelyengaged with the arts on a personal orprofessional level bring somethingmore to their jobs as well. As a recentboard chairperson, Mary Hynes, point-ed out in an awards nomination letter,"School board members are also activeartists. Libby Garvey plays the pianoand sings with a performing group;Diane Smith is a member of the boardof the Arlington Arts Center, a profes-sional gallery; I received my bachelor'sdegree in textiles. All board membersenjoy school arts events throughoutthe year. In addition to supporting stu-

PAGE 40

dent perforthances, we enjoy commu-nity and professional performances,exhibits, and lectures."

A Profile:

ATLANTA (GA)Factors StatisticsThe School Board 11The Superintendent/National, State, and

Other Outside ForcemlPlannine


The Atlanta Public Schools'board members value the arts, and,therefore, they fund the arts. TheAtlanta school district is one the fewin this national study that includes aline item and discrete funds allocatedspecifically for arts education. Fundsspecified for arts programs cannot bediverted to other disciplines. Schoolleaders believe that this approachhelps protect arts programs from lossesthat could threaten basic needs. In adistrict in which 80 percent of the stu-dents are considered poor, this strategyhas been key to maintaining equalaccess to quality arts schooling. In1997-98, for example, the board allo-cated $1,000,000 beyond the budgetrequest to refurbish band instruments.

District leaders have been equal-ly diligent and creative in seekingsupport for the arts from Atlanta'sbusiness community and from uncon-ventional sources as well. Forexample, when the Georgia Legislatureoffered school districts a Special LocalOption Sales Tax a one cent sales taxfor school construction and renova-tion wheels started turning. Thesuperintendent assessed needs and pre-sented his case to the community,including the need for equipment andspace for music students. The resultwas community approval to redirectthese funds to instruction. During1997-98, fine arts programs received2,600,000 new dollars to upgrade pro-grams over three to five years.

Benjamin Canada, who is nowsuperintendent of Portland, Oregon,public schools and an advisor to thisstudy, served as superintendent ofAtlanta from 1993 to 199. He madearticulating the value of the arts to thecommunity a fundamental part of hisjob. The message was well received:Today Atlanta has the highest level of

43

Atlanta Public Schools' Music AdvisoryCommittee (MAC) is composed of 10music teachers who represent K-12instruction in general music, band, cho-rus, and orchestra proportionately. Theyare invited to participate in the MAC bythe district music coordinator. Atlantaschool leaders say that the group hasopened communications by educatingteachers in administrative proceduresand limitations and providing them witha way to voice their concerns in a timely,appropriate, and effective fashion.

tie MAC surveys staff for input on issuesboth small and large, including funding,staffing, and supplemental pay and bringsthose issues to their meetings. The MACdiscusses the issues and offers sugges-tions on how to make improvements. Themusic coordinator takes these sugges-tions under advisement when developingproposals for the administration and theBoard of Education.

The MAC has provided assistance inpublishing a music teachers' handbookfor the school system, providing specifi-cations and installation priorities for newmusic technology, and recommendingteachers for staff development. It insti-tuted free piano lessons for the district'semployees, making the point that whatis good for the students is good for theireducators, too.

new funding for arts education in morethan five decades, a new magnetschool for arts, science, and technologyis underway, and national standards forarts education have been implemented.

A Profile:

BEAUFORTCOUNTY (SC)Factors StatisticsA Cadre of Principals4Opportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievements/National, State, Other

Outside Forces./


B eaufort County Public Schools beganadvocating for arts education in

1989 when the district joined the Artsin the Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project(see Greenville, SC, case study). In orderfor the district to join the statewide ABCeffort, the necessary funding for it hadto be approved by each individual

school, which had responsibility for site-based arts funding.

The choice to participate madeby the Beaufort schools reflected thesupport of both school principals andthe community. What's more,although private sources have con-tributed generously to the artseducation programs, the schools ofBeaufort have chosen not to rely onthis "soft money" to cover the dis-trict's payroll of nearly 80 artsspecialists. Instead, the nearly $60,000in private funding raised by the com-munity is used for "extras" - scholarships,arts festivals, and special projects.

The community's involvementwith Beaufort County Public Schoolsincludes partnerships with local artsorganizations such as the Arts Councilof Beaufort County and the Self-FamilyArts Center. The former education pro-gram director of the South CarolinaArts Commission, Jill Warzer, pointedout, "Every performing and presentingorganization of note has initiated aneducational outreach componentwhich may be as diverse as providingartists and ensembles in the schools tofunding scholarship initiatives."

A Profile:

BOISE (ID)FactorsThe Community,/Continuity in Leadership,/

StatisticsSchools (Total): 41Students (Total): 26,680Per Pupil: $4,719Arts Teachers (Total): 185

Qnce a stop on the Chautauqua cir-cuit, Boise is an example of a place

where music took hold at the turn ofthe century and continues to play avital role in the life of the communitytoday.

Each year during the first weekin May, this metropolitan communityof approximately 250,000 people,"drops everything and makes musicfor itself," explained Larry Williams,coordinator of music in the BoiseSchools.

"Music Week" in 1998 markedthe 80th anniversary of this celebra-tion nine full days of music in theparks, churches, performance halls,and schools. "It permeates all of ourinstitutions at every level," Williamsnoted, "and everyone gets in on the

act." The mayor is a musician; thegovernor is a clarinetist. The annualevent is so important to the communi-ty - helping to define it and provideits cohesion - that a 30-member coor-dinating committee meets monthly toplan it.

BOVE AVERAGECounselors in each of the highschools in Boise, ID, reviewed therecords of students involved in schoolactivities. They found that studentswho participated in the orchestra hadgrade point averages and attendancerecords higher than school averages.

Boise Independent SchoolDistrict spends "upwards of 15 per-cent" of its $133 million general fundbudget on the arts, including salaries,supplies, equipment, busing for specialfield trips and more. This financialcommitment supports a high qualityinstructional staff (11.5 percent, or 185certified arts teachers, of the district's1,600 teachers). It provides for thespace required for teaching classes invisual arts, musical arts, dance andmovement, theater, and creative writ-ing. Boise also makes sure there istime for the arts: To promote ratherthan restrict student electives, Boisehas seven-period days plus a "zero"period class opportunity at many of itssecondary schools.

In addition, Boise schools makethe most of the outreach programs ofthe area's arts organization such as theIdaho Academy of Dance, which offersa 10-week artist-in-residence programto four schools each semester.

A Profile:

BURLINGTON (WI)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/Planning,/


fli-te K-12 school district of_I Burlington, a town just north of

the Wisconsin-Illinois state line that isknown for its chocolate factory, servessome 3,500 students in seven schools.A supportive school board and admin-istration have managed to resist cuts

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION44

to arts education programs in the faceof tightened budgets with the help ofcommunity partnerships, parents'fund-raising efforts, and joint buyingof arts materials.

A Profile:

CHARLOTTE -MECXLEMEURG sjanDFactors StatisticsThe Community.;National, State, Other

Outside Forces.'Planning,/


Eifteen years ago, Charlotte-Mecklen-r burg, like other districts its size,faced many competing demands on itsresources and offered limited arts edu-cation to its students. Yet the com-munity also had a number of strongarts advocates with a powerful visionof what the arts could do for students.Their vision was grounded in theshared conviction that the arts play animportant role in helping children tothink critically and to find creativeapproaches in solving problems. Theybelieved, too, in the role the arts playin learning across the curriculum.

Bringing that vision to life,however, required a plan. So the com-munity's arts advocates, working withthe school system's arts administrationand the Arts & Science Council ofCharlotte and Mecklenburg County,brought in the Wolf Organization(now Wolf, Keens and Company) ofBoston as consultants to assist in plan-ning.

A number of strategies and activ-ities contributed to and helped shapethe resulting plan. A survey conductedby the consultants found "overwhelm-ing" community support for the arts ineducation, including endorsement by92 percent of respondents for addition-al classroom instruction in the arts. Asa result, school arts administrators andlocal artists began exploring optionstogether. They articulated a missionand goals statement with the aim ofbuilding a high-quality, comprehen-sive arts education program that wouldbe nationally recognized within fiveyears' time.

The Arts & Science Council,which funds services for schoolchild-ren, established a new policy pro-

_ --- ---continued on next page

PAGE 41

posed by the local arts group thatdesignates arts education as a top prior-ity. The policy appropriates one-thirdof all new monies raised to supporteducational programs that directly ben-efit Charlotte-Mecklenburg youth. At atime when public funding of the artswas an issue for debate, the Arts &Science Council stepped into the voidto facilitate and distribute the supportnecessary to keep arts programs inCharlotte-Mecklenburg schools.

The Wolf Organization, mean-while, began developing a 10-year plandesigned to integrate arts in the

"The World of Oz" andOther "Great Ideas" inCharlotte-Mecklenburg

In 1997, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schoolsand the Cultural Education Collaborativeof the Arts & Science Council premiered"The World of Oz" as a model for the firstcollaboration of their new partnership.This literacy-based program connectedsocial studies, math, communication, sci-ence, and the arts in an integratedapproach to learning at all grade levels(K-12). Together with sponsors FirstUnion National Bank (which provided$100,000 support), the Charlotte CityCenter Partners, and 15 cultural, arts,and science organizations throughout thecommunity, the Cultural EducationCollaborative designed a year-long seriesof classroom activities, a curriculumguide, instructional plans (delivered viathe Internet), and off-site education pro-grams and performances for allChariotte-Mecklenburg students.

School-based 'World of Oz" units werealigned with the Charlotte-MecklenburgSchools' Performance standards. Twelveinstructional activities featured an arts andscience focus connected to other subjectareas, and additional cufficulum-basedarts, cultural, and science programs werebrought into the classroom throughout theyear by artists, scientists, and affiliateorganizations. In the local community,special museum exhibitions and perfor-mances were offered, and a "yellow brickroad" wound through Charlotte's uptownCultural District.

The "Grants for Great Ideas" programrewards creative curricular thinkingthrough the granting of funds ($25,000annually) for new programs and teachercollaboration such as "The RainbowConnection," which brings together ele-mentary school arts teachers to createmeaningful integrated units.

PAGE 42

schools through the North CarolinaStandard Course of Study. The Arts &Science Council also began requiringgroups seeking grants to specify on theapplications how their service wouldinterface with the Standard Course ofStudy. In other words, a criteria forfunding became a program's relevanceto the goals set down in the state stan-dards. Also, multiple, interrelatedexperiences became the norm. (See"The World of Oz.")

The Arts & Science Council alsoformed the Cultural EducationCollaborative, an organization taskedwith the coordination of arts educa-tion activities between the schools andlocal arts and science organizations.Additionally, the Council has support-ed the renovation of an arts facilitydevoted to arts education and the col-laboration of the schools and com-munity organizations.

Local businesses includingnational banks headquartered inCharlotte have rallied around artseducation efforts as well. TheEducation Foundation, which hasreceived national recognition, providesgrants to support new initiatives, suchas the formation of a quintet of musicteachers to perform in the system'sschools. In this way, the teachers arerecognized as musicians as well asinstructors.

Today Charlotte-Mecklenburg'slong-range planning is manifest ineach student's education. Every ele-mentary student in the district is nowtaught art and music every week bytrained specialists. The district's stu-dents also may look forward to theavailability of Advanced Placementcourses in the arts when they reachsecondary school. Carefully plannedblock scheduling has not onlyincreased opportunities for offeringnew, specialized courses but also hasafforded students a greater ability toenroll in programs of their choice. Atthe high school level, the system as awhole is moving away from generalistarts courses into more specific contentareas with higher expectations.

45

A Profile:

CHARLOTTESVILLE (VA)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/An Elementary Foundation,/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of AchievemenNContinuous lmprovemenN


ror more than two decades, the/ Charlottesville City Schools districthas nurtured an environment for thegrowth of ever-stronger arts programsand ever-greater access to them.

Charlottesville City Schools'orchestra program, for example, hasflourished since the early 1980sgrowing from eight to nearly 100members, garnering state and nationalawards, playing at the White Houseand state conferences. The choral andband programs also have won studentparticipation and their share ofawards. The growth of these programsis the result of careful cultivation. Tointerest fourth graders in a year-longfifth-grade arts course, CharlottesvilleCity Schools created the Fine ArtsIntroduction and RecruitmentProgram. Fine arts teachers go intoeach fourth-grade classroom, some-times with older students, to describetheir programs or give hands-ondemonstrations of their instruments.In addition, the Charlottesville andUniversity Symphony Orchestra per-forms an annual "Young People'sConcert" for all fourth graders on thegrounds of the University of Virginia.

With the district's populationrepresenting a wide socio-economicrange, Charlottesville City has madeaccessibility a major goal. Over theyears, Charlottesville City Schools hasstockpiled some 200 good band instru-ments and 100 good orchestrainstruments. The district purchasedthese musical instruments with fundsallocated in the budget. Additionally,four or five instruments are donatedeach year. Students are able to rent aninstrument at $75 per year, with thefee going to the instrument repair bud-get. According to Jeff Suling, the finearts coordinator, "The fee tends tomake the students take better care ofthe instruments." For those who can-not afford the rental fee, the $75 iswaived. Similarly, the $10 fee forCharlottesville City Schools' visual artsprogram is waived for some students.

Ethnicity as well as economicneed is a consideration in the schooldistrict, which attempts to pull students

"IF You BUILD IT . . ."

"If you build it, they will come" is an axiom thatdoes not necessarily hold true for an arts center.All across America well-meaning arts leadershave built local and regional arts centers only towonder where to find audiences to supportthem. That, in part, is how many an "educationoutreach" program began to help build the nextaudience. Then there are communities likeCharlottesville, Virginia.

Charlottesville has a fine 1,276-seat PerformingArts Center in Charlottesville High School. This isnot the standard high school auditorium retrofit-ted for occasional concerts. The Center was builtwith a separate entrance to provide the feeling ofa separate performance venue. The school dis-tricts' performing arts groups perform here, to besure, but so do local, state, national and interna-tional performing arts groups, such as theMoscow Ballet.

The school district employs a full-time theatermanager and assistant to run the theater day today, separately from other school facilities, andcharges for the use of the hall at different ratesfor various groups. Everyone benefits, particular-ly the students. The school system gainsrevenues, the students gain a great space toperform and display their talents, and the com-munity gains a center for the arts as well as atangible manifestation of the link between thearts and education, school and community,future artist and future audience.

of all groups into the arts programs.Charlottesville has found that while allethnic groups take visual arts and vocalmusic, fewer minority students partici-pate in instrumental music. To gaintheir interest, teachers will visit musicclasses with minority students for ahands-on introduction to musicalinstruments to show their realnessand accessibility.

In the visual arts, students aretested in fourth grade using the sameset of criteria the district uses to identi-fy students for its "gifted classes."After a thorough judging process,those who show visual arts skills areoffered the opportunity to participatein a fifth-grade program calledArtQuest. Students meet weekly afterschool with art teachers and an artistin residence. They develop goals, cri-tique their own artwork, and maintaina portfolio. The program focuses oncreating art, learning new techniques,studying the art and art history of vari-ous cultures, and visiting museumsand galleries. The district cites twopractices that have contributed to thesuccess of this effort: (1) all art teach-ers are invited to participate, and (2)students are provided with transporta-tion home.

A Profile:

CHELMSFORD (MA)Factors StatisticsThe Communitr/ Schools (Total): 7The Superintendent4 Students (Total): 5,512A Cadre of Principals's/ Per Pupil: $5,500An Elementary Arts Teachers (Total): 31

FoundatiorNPlanning./

For more than 25 years, theChelmsford School District, approx-

imately 50 miles northwest of Boston,has maintained strong arts educationwhile struggling against state-level taxcuts and funding limitations. Facedwith extensive budget cuts a decadeago, Chelmsford was forced to take acomprehensive approach towardrebuilding its arts education programs.After conducting a survey and review-ing existing programs, the districtleaders developed a five-year, system-wide plan to make curriculum andschedule changes.

The district began to:reinstate (after a five-year absence)weekly visual art classes in the ele-mentary schools, in addition toweekly music and choir classes;introduce dance classes for secondgraders with the help of an artist-in-residence grant from theMassachusetts Cultural Council;form small music groups of fourth-grade beginning students whomeet once a week;establish a new graduation require-ment for all high school studentsto have 15 fine arts credits by theend of their senior year (beginningwith the class of 2001);add a high school-level course intheater.

At the middle school level,Chelmsford faced difficulties with artsscheduling. To meet this challenge,block scheduling was instituted witharts schedules completely restructuredinto an arts block. Instead of studentsbeing taken out of classes to go tomusic rehearsals, they now have theseclasses daily, along with other disci-plines. As a result, the middle schoolmusic programs witnessed a 50 per-cent increase in student participationand interest.

The changes have been support-ed by the community. The ChelmsfordFriends of Music organization, whichhas provided consistent financial andpolitical support for arts education formany years, sporisors in-school artistvisits and residencies, transportation to

Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION 46

arts venues, scholarship aid, and thepurchase of instruments and banduniforms. School councils and parent-teacher organizations further supplementarts education needs. A school boardcommitted to backing arts initiativeshas influenced the opinions of fellowboard members, and both superinten-dent and principals have teamed toprovide leadership in restructuringChelmsford's arts education.

A Profile:

CHITTENDEN1FactorsThe Community4Teachers Who Practice

Their Art./National, State, Other

Outside Forces4Continuous Improvement/

SOUTHStatisticsSchools (Total): 6Students (Total): 4,100Per Pupil: $7,800Arts Teachers (Total): 17

e school district of ChittendenRouth situated south of

Vermont's largest city, Burlingtoncomprises a number of independenttowns in a largely rural setting. A chal-lenge to the continuity of arts pro-grams and instruction is posed by thefact that each of the towns within thedistrict is run by autonomous, sepa-rate, and independent school boards.As a result, although the school districtas a whole is making great stridestoward proficiency in the arts, eachindividual town is approaching thisgoal at a different rate and throughdifferent methods.

Despite the challenges this com-plex arrangement presents, ChittendenSouth has set the goal of a comprehen-sive, sequential, and high-quality artsprogram for all of its students. Placingequal emphasis on the value of music,art, theater, and dance, the district isworking as a whole to see that each dis-cipline is represented fully through adistrict-wide standards committee. Artseducators throughout the district consultone another on student achievement inthe context of the Vermont Frameworkstandards document.

Many teachers use the arts inintegrated units, both with and with-out assistance from arts instructors,and they collaborate among disciplinesand schools. Music teachers of smallelementary schools meet regularly,share ideas, and even plan joint con-certs. The distance between sites in thedistrict makes it difficult for students

continued au next page

minF 4%

to establish relationships and friend-ships in other schools, so suchopportunities are of special significance.

Instructors at the CharlotteCentral School aware that past limi-tations of planning time with teachersand contact time with students cur-tailed diffusion of the arts amongdisciplines are participating in amulti-year collaboration between alocal pottery artisan/parent and an artteacher that is designed to integrate artand social studies.

Many arts educators in the dis-trict have become leaders in the state,developing rubrics and benchmarks ina five-year, ongoing development ofassessment techniques. District artsteachers and students collaborativelyshare and critique student work onlinewith artists and other districts througha statewide Web project with theVermont Arts Council. Student musiccompositions are digitized, artwork isscanned, and portfolios are retainedelectronically. Student work is also dis-played on school home pages.

A Profile:

CLEVELANDFactorsThe Community./National, State, Other

Outside Forces./Planning./

(OH)StatisticsSchools (Total): 119Students (Total): 74,026Per Pupil: $7,151Arts Teachers (Total): 257

Qne of the most financially chal-lenged school districts in the nation,

Cleveland Public Schools, has succeededin creating a strong and successful basisfor arts education through the concertedeffort of six local foundations.

According to Dr. Richard Boyd,who was serving as superintendentappointed by the state in 1995, thefoundations decided to contribute tothe systemic improvement of arts edu-cation in the schools rather thansimply continue to help keep local artsgroups viable. The staff at one founda-tion questioned, for example, theefficacy of continuing to spend$50,000 a year to send all of the thirdgrade children to a performance of thesymphony once a year. "How doesthat change kids in the long run?"they asked themselves.

PAGE 44

To determine how best to usethe foundations' resources, the sixorganizations came together and hiredthe Boston-based Wolf Organization toconduct a comprehensive study. Theconsulting group identified and metwith every agency in the countyinvolved in the arts and ultimately rec-ommended the creation of a commit-tee of school district personnel andarts group leaders tasked with formu-lating the approach.

Meanwhile, with a salary subsidyfrom one of the foundations, one indi-vidual was hired to work in the schoolsystem and another to work with acoalition of cultural groups. The objec-tive: to explore how arts groups couldwork to meet the needs of the schools.Visits to Chicago, Milwaukee, andother large school systems with suc-cessful arts/schools collaborationsproved invaluable. As part of this ini-tiative, the Cleveland team establisheda link to the Web site of the ChicagoArts Partnership in Education (CAPE),and they now exchange lesson plansand best practices.

The resulting program supportedby the six foundations is known asICARE for "Initiative for CulturalArts in Education." It is administeredby the Cleveland Cultural Coalition,which also raises funds from business-es and corporations. ICARE's mission isto connect "the resources of the GreaterCleveland cultural community to theneeds of the Cleveland Public Schoolsin a way that places arts and culture atthe center of the school curriculum."

Of the 119 schools in theCleveland system, a dozen are nowengaged in 11 different partnershipsestablished by this program. TheCleveland Opera, the ClevelandMuseum of Art, Young Audiences ofGreater Cleveland, and the ClevelandOrchestra are just a few of the localgroups that have helped create andintegrate lesson plans in the schools.

To participate in the ICARE pro-gram, a school or an arts group mustsubmit a proposal based upon aschool's needs. The cultural partnermust make a minimum commitmentof five years to the school. Dependingon the school's needs, ICARE providesfunding for professional developmentfor arts specialists and classroom teach-ers, the fees of artist/educators fromoutside the school, compensation forteacher and artist planning time, andmaterials for arts education projects.

47

ICARE has set forth eight expec-tations for individual school/culturalinstitution partnerships. The partnersare expected to commit to:

1. a long-term relationship2. joint planning3. professional development for all

participants4. identification of specific learning

objectives of all disciplines5. development of engaging and par-

ticipatory activities for students6. on-site and school-site programming

7. integration of cultural experiencesinto the daily school curriculum

8. accountability through programevaluation and student assessment

To help partners meet expecta-tions, ICARE supports professionaldevelopment of teachers, artists, par-ents, and administrators. ICARE offersa summer institute on curriculumdevelopment and a series of at leastsix workshops on partnershipmechanics, student assessment, parentinvolvement and other areas relevantto arts education.

After two years of operation, pro-gram evaluations conducted by ICARE,the 12 schools, and the WolfOrganization showed improved atten-dance at partnership schools. Testscores had improved at some sites. Andat one school, which services childrenwith behavioral problems, both behav-ior and attendance have improved.

Expansion of the program tomore schools is one clear goal. Suchexpansion would require the fullfinancial participation of the Cleve-land school district, as well as theinvolvement of cultural institutions,artists, and parents, to ensure its suc-cess and long-term viability. Changesin the governance of Cleveland PublicSchools from state control to thecity of Cleveland are likely to havean impact. Also, the ICARE administra-tors note, as the Cleveland schooldistrict moves to site-based manage-ment, individual schools will receivemore funds from the district. This newmoney could help support arts educa-tion at those sites. Given ICARE'sschool staff technical assistance inassessment, accountability, use of com-munity resources and grant-writing,the skills should be in place to enablearts education to remain viable with-out complete dependency upon ICARE.

A Profile:

CLovis (CA)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The Superintendent,/National, State, Other

Outside Forces,/

A Profile:

COEUR IVALENE271 (ID)Factors


The Clovis Unified School District is.1 located in a growing suburb ofFresno, California, where change isoccurring rapidly as new families moveinto the district known for its small-town charm and good schools.

Arts education in Clovis schoolshas succeeded because of top-downsupport. "My goal is to have every stu-dents involved in the arts every day,"says Dr. Walter L. Buster, superinten-dent. His interest is to focus on astudent's need for a well-rounded edu-cation of mind, body, and spirit. Awell-rounded education includes studyof the arts.

One of the district's schools,Valley Oak Elementary, is participatingin the Transforming Education Throughthe Arts Challenge, supported by theGetty Education Institute for the Artsand the Annenberg Foundation. ValleyOak is one of 36 schools throughoutthe country that are participating in theChallenge. During the first year, teach-ers at the school learned about theDiscipline-Based Arts Education (DBAE)method of teaching the arts and havebegun integrating the arts across othersubjects. This one school's involvementis helping other schools to learn aboutthe whole school change modelthrough district-wide workshops.

Among the many ways the com-munity supports arts in the schools isthe Clovis Arts Docent program, whichsends parents and volunteers to visitclassrooms weekly to discuss and sharehistory and research about works ofart. The program, in existence formore than 15 years, involves trainingby art teachers, and sometimes partici-pation in DBAE classes.

The Community./The Superintendent,/Continuity in Leadership,/An Elementary

Foundation,/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement,/


A resort community overlooking a1-1 lake of the same name, Coeurd'Alene boomed as a center for loggingand mining during the 1880s. In the1990s, it has been building a forward-looking, technology-integrated programof arts education that is firmly rootedin a century-old tradition of support.

Coeur d'Alene's arts programshave benefited greatly from a remark-able continuity of staffing. Twotypical examples are the current highschool band director only the thirdsince the late 1920s and an instruc-tor in the high school art programwho only recently retired after 26years of service. Vocal and elementarymusic teachers have been added to thefaculty over many years, and the dis-trict achieved full-time, elementarythrough high school music coverage in1986. The high quality of instructionin Coeur d'Alene has been recognizedat the local, state, and national levelsthrough numerous awards and invita-tions to staff to participate in specialtraining opportunities.

Dr. David Rawls, superintendent,believes that arts programs must beavailable to all children beginning atan early age. He also supports ongoingarts education for all, as well as deeper,broader, and more comprehensiveopportunities for students as theirskills and talents develop.

In Coeur d'Alene, all elementarystudents take regularly scheduled artand music classes, and services are alsoprovided to pre-school and specialeducation students. Special chorusesare offered to fourth and fifth graderswho wish to gain additional singingexperience, and all sixth graders areexposed to music and art in a series of"exploratory" classes. At the seventh-grade and high school levels, art andmusic become elective classes (dramabecomes an elective at the high schoollevel), while some music classes areopen to any student who registers andothers are open by audition.

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION4,a

In addition to traditional areasof the arts curriculum visual arts,music, creative writing, theater anddance video production 'and graphicdesign are offered at the middle and,high school levels, and specializedvisual arts instruction at the elemen-tary level. Integration of the artscurriculum into other content areas isencouraged, particularly at the elemen-tary level, and each school designates aline item for arts education in itsrespective budget. Curricultim guideswere developed to involve not juststaff and administrators in arts educa-tion, but also members of thecommunity.

Community partnerships areabundant at both the local (Citizens'Council for the Arts) and state (IdahoCommission on the Arts) levels.Through active advocacy efforts, grantshave been received for artist residen-cies, innovative programs, musicalinstruments, curriculum materials,choir robes, and technology equip-ment. Local businesses donatematerials that would otherwise be dis-carded to the visual arts program:flooring companies donate discardedtile; printing companies donate cutpaper, and interior designers give fab-ric and wallpaper samples. Parentvolunteers assist in the classrooms orwith special projects, and they areoften the initiators of fund raisers andother awareness-building projects.

The introduction of technologyprovides the district with an opportuni-ty to explore skills necessary for manyarts-based careers. Through partner-ships with Adobe and Macromedia,teachers have learned to use newresources, expanding their own teach-ing to include technology.

This effort has been so successfulthat individual Coeur d'Alene instruc-tors have been selected as NorthwestTechnology Teacher of the Year.'Teacher Mike Clabby directed anAmerican history class at Lakes MiddleSchool through a year-long project cul-minating in the production of aCD-ROM. Using the advanced softwareDirector and Sound Edit 15, he brokethe class into small teams and led stu-dents acting as writers, artists, researchdirectors and project directors todesign segments focusing on topicsranging from slavery to the U.S. gov-ernment.

PAGE 45

A Profile:

COLUMBUSFactorsThe Community4The School BoarthiDistrict Arts

Coordinator(s)-4National, State, Other

Outside Forces4

A Profile:

CSD #3 (NY, NY)Factors Statistics

(NE)StatisticsSchools (Total): 10Students (Total): 3,538Per Pupil: $4,855Arts Teachers (Total): 17

Ciolumbus, NE, is a small rural townapproximately 70 miles west of

Omaha. The Columbus Public Schoolsimplemented a Discipline-Based ArtsEducation program more than adecade ago. Ann Masters, NebraskaDepartment of Education, recommend-ed the district for this study:

Because of Columbus' involvement[with DBAE] on a national level,secondary art educator JeanDetlefsen has served on theNational Board of ProfessionalTeaching Standards SettingCommittee and has coordinatedNebraska's K-12 Visual andPerforming Arts Curriculum Frame-works Project that was funded bythe U.S. Department of Education,Office of Innovation.Columbus continues to be interest-ed in excellence in arts education asthey begin their work to ensure thatall high school students receivevisual arts education through inte-grating the visual arts into history,language arts, and foreign languageclasses. This curriculum program issupported by an Annenberg-GettyArts Partnership award which pro-vides staff development, technicalassistance, and materials to 36school buildings in the nation.

Columbus Public Schools' expe-riences with Discipline-Based ArtsEducation are documented in BrentWilson's The Quiet Evolution: Changingthe Face of Arts Education (1997), pub-lished by the Getty Education Institutefor the Arts.

PAGE 46

The Communitr/An Elementary

Foundatiom/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement-4National, State, Other

Outside Forces-4Continuous

Improvement/


Even after New York City cut all of itsschool arts programs in the early

1970s, Community School District #3(CSD #3) on Manhattan's Upper WestSide has succeeded in keeping the artsalive in its schools. The concerted fundraising efforts of district parents hasbeen one major factor. Another is thebuilding of strong, enduring partner-ships with arts organizations andinstitutions.

From its broad and deep experi-ence with partnerships, CSD #3 offersvaluable lessons in how to developand manage external arts educationresources. Particularly instructive arethe district's expectations of both theschools and the participatinginstitutions.

"We demand a great deal morefrom these institutions than a short pre-packaged residency program that comesand goes within a period of weeks andoffers little more than an enrichmentexperience to our students and theirteachers," Shelly Alpert, CSD #3 direc-tor of cultural arts wrote in the district'sreport for this study. She elaborated:

CSD #3 insists upon ongoingprofessional development for ourpedagogical staff; workshops for par-ents, and an ongoing and long-termteaching artist presence in the school(20 weeks or more). We expect ourclassroom teachers to become educa-ted in the residency discipline and totake responsibility for teaching, plan-ning, program implementation, andintegration into other subject areas. Ifa classroom teacher is working with aperformance-based program, s/he isalso responsible for attendance at per-formances and exhibits both in schooland at the cultural institution on anongoing basis. We have learned thatall members of the school community,including the principal, who areafforded the privilege of working witha particular institution, must make acommitment of time, energy, and will-ingness to be educated in order for theprogram to be effective and to contin-

4 9--,

ue over time. Moreover, there must bea willingness to constantly evaluatethe goals and outcomes of the pro-gram and to work toward positivechange and program effectiveness.

The challenge for CSD #3, thedistrict's leadership points out, is ininstitutionalizing these partnershipsand making them part of the fabric ofteaching and learning in this Upper

Community School District #3 hasestablished partnerships with theseinstitutions and organizations, amongothers. Funding for the partnershipsis provided by a range of sources,including grants obtained by the schooldistrict or by the partnering organization.

Carnegie Hall (Schools PartnershipLINK-UP! Program)

CUNY Graduate Center

42nd Street Fund

Lincoln Center Institute

Metropolitan Opera Guild(Creating Original Opera Program)

Museum of Modern Art(Visual Thinking Curriculum, or VTC)

Music for the World Foundation

New York Philharmonic

Studio in a School

Teachers College, Columbia University(including the Creative ArtsLaboratory, or CAL)

Artists in residencies, which also arefunded in many different ways, haveincluded:

Alvin Ailey Dance Company

American Ballroom Dance InstituteArts HorizonsBallet Hispanic

Bloomingdale House of MusicBlue Heron Theater

Chamber Music Society ofLincoln Center

Children's Art CarnivalCity Center

Elaine Kaufman Cultural CenterLE.A.P.

Metropolitan Museum of ArtMidori Foundation ResidenciesNational Dance InstituteNew York City Ballet

92nd Street Y Chamber SymphonyStudio Museum in HarlemSymphony Space C.A.P.

Teachers and Writers CollaborativeWestern Wind Vocal Ensemble

Young Audiences of New York

West Side community.The many arts partnership initia-

tives of the district are supported bythe school board, which has consis-tently approved budgets with majorfunding for the partnerships, for thedistrict's arts-based schools (TheCentre School, Wadleigh AlternativeArts Middle School, School for Writingand Publishing, West Side AcademyMiddle School, and the Special MusicSchool of America), and for salaries fora full-time arts coordinator and artsstaff developer.

Community SuperintendentPatricia A. Romandetto also supportsthe arts education programs andwould like to see the district's schoolsuse the arts as a tool for restructuring.Parents, meanwhile, demonstrate theirsupport through countless fund raisersand vigorous advocacy. Alpert pointsout that even in New York City, as inso many districts across the country,"It is often parental pressure that haspersuaded the district to fund full-timepositions in the arts."

A Profile:

EAST STROUDSBURG (PA)FactorsThe Community-NJThe School Board4An Elementary Foundation4Continuous Improvement,/


Nrest led in the Pocono Mountains,1 )I East Stroudsburg Area SchoolDistrict provides a sequentially devel-oped foundation in basic arts educa-tion at the elementary level and offerselectives and activities in the visualarts, music, and drama from grades 8through 12. With this firm base andthe school board's continuing financialsupport of the arts programs, the dis-trict is fertile ground for pilot progamsin arts education.

One such program began six orseven years ago under the guidance ofResica Elementary School principalGreg Naudascher and Becky Gorton,an early childhood educator atNorthampton Area CommunityCollege. Their schools formed one of12 core teams in "Arts as a Way ofLearning," a national training programdeveloped by Binney & Smith to

enhance educators' efforts to integratethe arts across the curriculum. Locatedin nearby Easton, Binney & Smithbecame an active partner in the Resicaproject, which resulted in a formal in-service program.

One good collaboration led toanother, which was launched twoyears ago. The second partnershipbetween Resica and East StroudsburgUniversity was initiated byNaudascher and Dr. Patricia Pinciotti, aprofessor of education whose grant-writing efforts resulted in fundingfrom Heinz. This collaboration's focusis ongoing staff development to givethe district's arts specialists and class-room teachers a knowledge base in artsand integration strategies.

Additionally, that collaborationhas led a project to build students'inquiry skills. At the start of the year,the elementary students from Resicaand college students from East Strouds-burg University visit the Allentown ArtMuseum. The purpose of the museumvisit, Greg Naudascher explains, "is forthe students to learn how to reallylook at a piece of art, to interpret awork in a systematic way and respondin a journal in words and pictures.Later, we will use this journal to lookat a piece of art and tie what we'veobserved into curricular themes, sayTurner's work if the theme is oceans.In the spring, we plan to return to anart museum to the MetropolitanMuseum of Art in New York whichwill give the students an opportunityto use the inquiry skills they've devel-oped over the year."

East Stroudsburg Area SchoolDistrict has a consistent curriculum forthe school system, but each school hasthe freedom to determine how todeliver it. The effects of Resica's explo-rations in arts-based learning arebeginning to be seen elsewhere in thedistrict. Says Naudascher, "We've cho-sen to look at the arts as an importantpart of what we do at Resica. We areseeing a ripple effect elsewhere in thedistrict. One thing that's occurring isthat Howard Gardner's theory of mul-tiple intelligences is pervading ourschools. So more and more administra-tors and teachers are seeing how thearts dovetail with that, and they arelooking at how to make the arts workin their classrooms and schools."

5 0Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION

A Profile:

EL DORADOFactorsThe CommunitrlContinuity in Leadership-NI

#15 (AR)StatisticsSchools (Total): 9Students (Total): 4,800Per Pupil: $4,021Arts Teachers (Total): 20

re El Dorado School System has aradition of excellence in the arts

that spans more than 50 years.The music program holds the

record for longevity. A trophy case inthe high school gymnasium displaysawards won by district musical groupsdating back to 1928. El Dorado wasone of the first school systems in thestate to recognize the importance ofhaving certified music specialists toteach music classes to elementary stu-dents. "Having this very importantfoundation," the district reports, "isone of the factors in the developmentof outstanding programs in the sec-ondary schools." In addition to itsleadership in hiring, the district wasthe first, and for many years the only,school system in the state to offerorchestra instruction as part of the cur-riculum. The string program wasinstituted in the late 1950s at aboutthe same time a community orchestrawas formed.

El Dorado Schools' ThespianTroupe No. 42, granted a charter in1936, is active today as it draws uponstudents in grades 9 - 12 who have theopportunity to take Drama I, II, III,and IV. A fully equipped "LittleTheater" on the high school campusfacilitates student-produced theaterworks. Each semester the students pro-duce a play which they present to thedistrict's elementary and secondaryschools as well as other area highschools. Students also participate inindividual competitions at the regionaland state level.

Although much of the art activi-ty at the elementary level.is the workof the classroom teachers, El Doradohas a certified arts specialist who workswith children in special arts projects.Classes in the middle and high schoolsare taught by certified art teachers.

The district allocates 3 percent ofits budget to arts education and providesdesignated music classrooms in each ele-mentary school, ensemble rehearsalrooms in each secondary school, artsrooms in each middle school, and twoart rooms in the high school.


PAGE 47

The community, which has sup-ported arts education in the districtthrough ongoing advocacy and artsorganization partnerships, recently insti-tutionalized its support when a group ofcitizens established an educationalendowment. In creating the endow-ment, which is dedicated to fundinginnovative programs beyond the scopeof the district's financial resources, thefounders stated their belief that the finearts are core subjects.

A Profile:

ELMIRA (NY)Factors StatisticsThe Community-4Continuity in Leadership-4An Elementary

Foundation's/


Located in New York's Finger Lakesregion not far from the Pennsylvania

border, Elmira is the state's 16th largestschool district, serving more than 8,200students in 13 schools. AlthoughElmira's economy took a downturn inthe 1980s with the loss of manufactur-ing jobs, the city is making a comebackwith recent employment growth.

Elmira has a strong history offine arts and boasts a program in placefor more than half a century. Thebreadth and depth of the district's finearts program are rare among small cityschool districts. It provides a widerange of courses including instrumen-tal and vocal music opportunities andadvanced electives in sculpture, oilpainting, photography, and ceramics.In a district with 49 percent of its stu-dents receiving free or reduced meals,elective enrollment ranges from 43 to77 percent of eligible students.

Elmira's school leaders seek abalanced curriculum of academics, aes-thetics, and athletics, believing that anappreciation of culture and the arts isessential to the education of the wholeperson. Their aim is to establish thearts within a cultural and historicalcontext that conveys both the distinctnature of each art form and the inter-relationships among art forms.

The district has developed twoarts programs with different purposes:(1) core curricular arts education and(2) arts integration.

PAGE 48

The purpose of the art and music"core" is "sequential development ofstudent art/music knowledge, skills,and attitudes K-12." The distinguish-ing characteristics of this programinclude a focus on the production ofart, providing a dedicated classroomspace and time, as well as high expecta-tions in student performance andproduction. The "integrated arts" pro-gram focuses more on exposure andopportunity for multidisciplinary learn-ing in a project-focused environment.

An example of the integrated-arts program is the whole-schoolprogram at Coburn Elementary School,which serves 850 pre-kindergarten tosixth-grade students. Its integratedarts program provides classes in grades2 to 6 with two artists in residence,one in the fall and one in the spring.Each artist has expertise in a culture ortime period being studied in the socialstudies curriculum of that grade level.The aim is also to integrate science,mathematics, and language arts intothe unit. For example, third-gradestudents studying Africa with a resi-dent artist over a period of two orthree weeks learn different dances forplanting, weddings, and hunting.Classroom activities also focus onlearning about African languages, eco-nomics, costumes, and government.Students have an opportunity todemonstrate their knowledge byexhibiting their work and performingin a song-and-dance festival for par-ents, peers, and communityrepresentatives.

Coburn's program has receivedadditional funding from the Arts ofthe Southern Finger Lakes and theNew York State Council of the Arts.The program serves as a model for theother eight elementary schools in thedistrict and has been recognizedstatewide as an exemplary program.

The Elmira School District alsoprovides opportunities for students toparticipate in summer arts programs.The Integrated Arts SummerExperience for third graders serves asan immersion experience with a spe-cial focus on beginning musicalinstruments. The children also studytheater, dance, visual arts, and vocalmusic in this program, which runsdaily, three hours a day for six weeks.

51

A Profile:

FAIRFAX COUNTY (VA)Factors StatisticsThe Community-4The School Board4Planning-4


rairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).1 serves a sprawling suburban regionof Virginia across the Potomac Riverfrom Washington, D.C. Once a largelyrural area, the county began expand-ing rapidly in the early 1970s and1980s as new business and commercialcenters located within its boundaries.These changes brought increasedwealth and growth to schools andschool programs (including arts educa-tion programs). But as the growthslowed in the late 1980s and early1990s, school budgets became politicalas well as fiscal issues.

The district is in the fortunateposition of having substantial andwell-organized community support forarts education, as well as a highlydiverse population that generally rec-ognizes the significance of the arts toeducation. Fairfax County studentsoriginate from more than 150 coun-tries and speak more than 100different languages and dialects. Some93 percent of the district's graduates goon to college.

Fairfax County Public Schools'commitment to the arts began in 1964when the district implemented bandin grades 5 through 12. String pro-grams in grades 4 through 12 followed,and choral programs have been inplace since the 1950s. Elementary gen-eral music began in the 1960s, andtheater arts came into their own whenseparated from English programs in aself-sustaining department.

Beginning in 1985, a new empha-sis was placed on arts education,resulting in a significant increase incourse offerings, staffing, and studentenrollment. In 1991, the district's FineArts Office, allying itself with a numberof community leaders, stated the needfor a "clear vision for the arts, a com-mon agenda." A public-privatepartnership the Fairfax ArtsCoalition for Education (FACE) wasformed to spearhead an advocacy effort.

Composed of parents, teachers,students, business leaders, arts organi-zations, and other members of thecommunity, FACE meets regularly tofurther a proactive arts agenda for the

schools. The heightened awarenesswhich the organization promotes wascritical to curtailing cuts to arts bud-gets when the school system facedacross-the-board cutbacks during 1991-93. The successes of FACE have beenattributed in part to the fact that thegroup has represented a philosophy ofarts education as opposed to individualprograms or instructors. Therefore,decisions beneficial to the entire com-munity of children have been arrivedat more easily.

The agenda and calendar of FACEare set to impact the budgetary deci-sions of both the Fairfax CountySchool Board and Board of Supervisors,a strategy that has proved effective ona regular basis. Each year from 1992through 1997, the elimination of thefourth-grade strings program was slot-ted as a budget reduction. In the wakeof FACE's campaign of letters, faxes,e-mails, telephone calls, and publicadvocacy appearances, the proposedcut never took place. Attempts to elimi-nate or reduce the elementary artprogram also met with such resistancefrom the organization that the pro-gram not only was retained but grew innumber of instructors from 75 to 102.As a result of its participation in FACE,the parent-teacher organization ofFairfax County led the way in promot-ing a fine arts graduation requirementseparate from the practical arts.

A Profile:

FREMONT COUNTY 14(WY)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/ Schools (Total): 3The Superintendent4 Students (Total): 737National, State, Other Per Pupil: $9,076

Outside Forces,/ Arts Teachers (Total): 11Planning-4

Tremont County School District 14the only K-12 school district on

the Wind River Indian Reservationnear Ethete, Wyoming was formedby community members who held avision of educating their childrenwhile incorporating the Native Amer-ican culture into the curriculum. Withthe dual challenge of education andpreservation of culture before them,Fremont County has relied on the artsto meet the needs of its students.

Superintendent Lonny Hoffmanbelieves that "paying attention to the

students as individuals, acknowledgingtheir culture, building positive self-concepts, and instilling andreinforcing a sense of worth throughthe application of the arts" has beenkey to shaping the Fremont district'seducational vision.

This arts-centered philosophycombines the uniqueness of a tradi-tional culture with the multiple waysof knowing that the arts encourage.Native arts experiences are offered atall levels and to all students and areembedded in nearly all classes acrossthe curriculum. Singing, music, dance,and traditional handcrafts are taughtin combination with lessons on sym-bolism and nature studies, and specialevents such as Native AmericanHeritage Week and Native AmericanDay give occasion for district-wide par-ticipation in traditional celebrations.

Fremont County's curriculum isdesigned by a district-wide team com-posed of board members, educationstaff, and members of the community.Native American language and cultureplay an inseparable and integrated rolein the articulation of all PerformanceStandards, which exist at the school,district, and national but not statelevels. The county's curriculum reviewprocess is continual, as administratorsstrongly believe that becoming "toocomfortable or satisfied can jeopardizeany successful program or system."Illustrated books in native languages arepublished by the district for use ininstruction, and Native American lan-guage courses are offered alongside otherlanguages. Cultural immersion programsat the K-2 level ensure preservation at thiscritical stage of development.

Given a community that copeswith unemployment as high as 90 per-cent, the district seeks outside supportfor cross-curricular projects. With theassistance of the Bureau of LandManagement and the Wyoming StateHistoric Preservation Office, an archeol-ogy curriculum block was establishedthat integrates the fields of photogra-phy, math, science, and culturalhistory. A grant to preserve oral tradi-tions and storytelling provides studentswith opportunities to use sound andvideo technology to conduct researchand record cultural events while com-bining the disciplines of English, socialstudies, math, communication, music,art, and photography. The efforts ofstudents participating in these and sim-ilar projects have been recognized atthe state and national levels, and a


Fremont County student recently rep-resented the state of Wyoming at theNational History Day Competition.

Elders of the Arapaho andShoshone tribes, who officiate at reli-gious ceremonies, offer advice, andgovern the tribe, are among the corn-munity members involved in thisprocess. Demonstrations of traditionalarts and crafts, singing, drumming anddancing are regularly presented to thestudents by community artists.

A partnership with the LanderValley Medical Center yields a specialannual exhibit of student art, and stu-dents from Fremont's high school(Wyoming Indian) became the firstand only high school students invitedto exhibit their work in the MainGallery of the Wyoming StateMuseum. Local businesses present artscholarships for students attendingand graduating from Wyoming IndianHigh School, and a local printer pro-duces calendars illustrated withstudent artwork and provides them ona complimentary basis to the commu-nity.

Fremont administrators believethat "when you, as a district, reach outto bring the community into your artseducation reform, the collaborations areas varied as the towns in our county."Districts have emphasized this outreachas the link that makes their educationin the arts relevant.

A Profile:

FULTON COUNTY (GA)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/An Elementary Foundation,/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement,/National, State, Other

Outside Forces,/Planning,1Continuous Improvement,/


Students in Fulton County, Georgia,begin their arts learning with a

strong elementary visual arts andmusic foundation, move to an artsrequirement in sixth through eighthgrades, and, in high school, maychoose from a wide range of arts elec-tives visual art, music, dance,theater, television and film produc-tion, graphic communications anddesign, and arts and technology. The


PAGE 49

Fulton district also offers two magnethigh schools: (1) the School of Artsand Sciences, with courses such asmusic theory, history of the arts, com-position, conducting, and choreographyand (2) the School for Visual andPerforming Arts, with ballet, jazz band,sculpture, play production and setdesign, ceramics, commercial design,and graphic art and printing.

To support these arts-intensiveprograms, the district offers staff devel-opment courses year-round. To betterserve elementary and middle schoolstudents with special needs, FultonCounty employs three adaptive artsspecialists and three music therapists.The Music Education Department, ArtEducation Department, and Services forExceptional Children work cooperative-ly to schedule and prioritize classes; apair of art and music specialists share ahome-base school where they meetevery Friday as well as periodically withother specialists for sharing arid plan-ning. Ultimately, the therapists are ableto achieve goals of special educationand life skills in addition to goals ofthe regular elementary and middlemusic and art education curriculum.

The community is central to thesuccess of arts education in the district.Parents volunteer at school events,organize and support school fundrais-ing and booster club efforts. They alsovolunteer to share their personal exper-tise with students in the classroom.

In advocating the importance ofarts education to the community, theFulton County district has formedalliances with many regional business-es, including Georgia Power Company,Nations Bank, and the Music and ArtsCenter. These businesses have provid-ed support by donating venue spacefor arts events, providing scholarshipsto outstanding arts students, andassisting with fundraising.

The school board supports artseducation financially, but this supportgoes beyond dollars. Both teachers andstudents are frequently recognized forachievement in the arts. Moreover, theFulton County Board of Education hasworked for state support of the artsthrough frequent communication andadvocacy with the State Board. Forexample, Fulton County's superinten-dent, Stephen Dol linger, testified at aState Board meeting on the need toinclude fine arts classes in the formulafor students who hope to graduate fromGeorgia high schools with a "CollegePreparatory Diploma with Distinction."

PAGE 50

A Profile:

GLEN RIDGE (NJ)FactorsThe Community-4The School Board./ Stat ist icsThe Superintendent-4 Schools (Total): 5Continuity in Leadership./ Students (Total): 1,408A Cadre of Principals./ Per Pupil: $8,716Parent/Public Relations./ Arts Teachers (Total): 4An Elementary Foundation./Planning./Continuous Improvemenbl

17 len Ridge Public School District hasa 30-year history of support for the

arts, an engaged community, and aschool board that supports the arts notonly in words but in deeds hiring asuperintendent, Judith Conk, who wasone of the authors of the State CoreCurriculum Content Standards in theArts and president of the Alliance forArts Education/New Jersey. Conk speaksto the importance of:

supportive administrative leadership"When you sit with a board dur-

ing budget cutting, it is vital to havearticulate spokespersons who canshow how the arts help children suc-ceed in learning";teachers with vision who "make a dif-ference in making the case for artssupport" because they see this is "notjust the battle of art for art's sake ver-sus integrating the arts, but aboutengaging with the arts as a whole";community involvement andpartnerships to help the districtmaximize resources.

Glen Ridge parents advocate fortheir children's education and roll uptheir sleeves to work together in self-supporting enrichment committeesaimed at providing high quality artsexperiences and artists in the schools.The Music Parents Association orga-nized a "get out the vote" campaignthat was responsible for passing theschool budget with increased artsfunding. Community members withspecial talents find ways to share themwith the children; Chuck Mangione,for example, rehearsed the jazz bandin one of his compositions. An actorwho had performed in "Jesus ChristSuperstar" helped with the high schooltheater's summer production. Thecommunity also supports innovationin arts education, among other areas ofthe curriculum, by providing seedmoney for research and special projects.

There is also ingenuity at workhere: For example, when a high school

53

VOTE "YES" FOR THE ARTS BUDGET

Glen Ridge Public Schools arts special-ists, classroom teachers, anddepartment heads recognize that work-ing together to create a budgetmaximizes the resources available tothem in order to run their programs.

The budget process in Glen Ridgebegins with consensus among the edu-cators. Then it moves to administratorsfor review first to the principals ofeach school, then to the superinten-dent, then on to the school board. Buthere's where Glen Ridge departs fromthe ordinary. Instead of a vote on thebudget by the Board of Education, thebudget is put before the public for avote. This is the point at which commu-nity support for arts-based items iscrucial when competition is high forthe limited resources. Because thepublic vote provides an opportunity forthe public's opinions to be voiced,community groups such as the MusicParents Association organize "get outthe vote campaigns" to build supportfor the arts. For the past couple ofyears, these campaigns have beensuccessful: The allocation for artseducation has increased.

principal became aware of a growingstudent desire for drama courses, theprincipal found a neighboring highschool that was willing to provideinteractive distance learning courses"allowing students at two differentsites to pursue their love of theater."A similar solution led to a film pro-duction class.

The Glen Ridge Board ofEducation nurtures such creativethinking and also recognizes achieve-ment and new ideas from teachersand students at each board meeting's"Showcase of Successes." A teacher oforigami, for instance, taught this artform in the context of the study ofgeometry. He demonstrated his tech-niques at a board meeting, and, saidSuperintendent Conk, "people couldsee that the arts are grounded inmany subjects."

Art teachers also assign a two-month sculpture homework projectand will visit students at home toadvise them on their sculpturing. Theconstant communication amongadministrators, parents, students, andteachers serves to further strengthenGlen Ridge arts education programs.

A Profile:

HAMILTONFactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/A Cadre of Principals,/An Elementary

Foundation,/National, State, Other

Outside Forces-NJPlanning./Continuous

Improvement,/

(OH)StatisticsSchools (Total): 18Students (Total): 10,034Per Pupil: $4,437Arts Teachers (Total): 40

jamilton, located approximately 201 1 miles from Cincinnati, is home toone of the nation's leading efforts todemonstrate the effectiveness of qualitydaily arts experiences in the traditionalneighborhood elementary school. Thesuccess of Hamilton's experimentaleducational program rests with acommunity school boards, superin-tendents, principals, teachers, parents,artists, local institutions willing totake risks and plan and work together.

Under conducive conditions cre-ated by increased development of artseducation policy at the national andstate levels, the cities of Hamilton andneighboring Fairfield resolved during1990 to map out a Cultural Action Planfor their schools, beginning at the ele-mentary level. Conducted by Burgardand Associates of Beaufort, NorthCarolina, this plan had two immediategoals: (1) the construction of a newarts center in Hamilton and (2) theinstitution in the Hamilton andFairfield schools of a comprehensivearts education program supported bythat same arts center. The programoutlined in the plan called SPECTRA+(Schools, Parents, Educators, Children,Teachers Rediscover the Arts) wasimplemented during the 1991-92school year. Through an applicationprocess in 1990, one elementary schoolin each city (Hamilton and Fairfield)was selected to become a SPECTRA+site. After a year of planning, the pro-gram was introduced at each school in1992 and later expanded to add twoadditional sites in Hamilton.

SPECTRA+ is a methodology thatplaces the arts in the daily curriculumas a basic subject. The program hasfive major components:1. Arts instruction2. Arts integration3. Artists in residence

4. Professional development forteachers

5. Evaluation and advocacy

These components combine intoa curriculum that involves art, music,dance, drama, literary, and media arts.Each school must offer arts instructionin music, visual art, dance, and dramaat least one hour per week, and class-room teachers are trained to deliveracademic subjects through the arts byteaming and planning with arts teach-ers and artists.

Teachers are required to schedulebuilt-in planning time among theirpeers and arts specialists to enable artsintegration activities in content areas.Among the activities yielded by thecollaborative planning are a projectthat teaches students to write theirown operas, impromptu "sidewalk con-certs" for the community, and thestaging of an evening of dinner theater.

Local artist-in-residence programsare an integral part of school activities.Artists become a part of the school cul-ture, sharing their creativity with allgrade levels of students and teachers,and filling in the gaps in those instanceswhere certified personnel cannotinstruct in underrepresented art forms.Residencies are planned in advance ses-sions to ensure maximum effectiveness.Follow-up frequently takes the form ofteachers electing to repeat what theyhave learned from the artists.

Parents are a valuable resource tothe SPECTRA+ program and sites, sew-ing as mentors, tutors, and classroomaides, and supporting school activitiessuch as "Fine Arts Evenings." Theyalso serve on site-based decision-mak-ing teams and, joining with membersof the school board, advocate for theprogram and basic arts education at thelocal and state level.

As SPECTRA+ school districtselsewhere have found, student perfor-mances before school board membersresulted in record turnouts, surpassingattendance of these same parents atparent-teacher conferences.

A funding arrangement forSPECTRA+ was created through a part-nership between the pair of schooldistricts and the Hamilton-FairfieldArts Association (which became theFitton Center for the Creative artswhen it opened in 1992). The arrange-ment allowed the schools to assumemore funding responsibility as theFitton Center gradually pulled backboth financially and programmaticallyduring the four-year program evalua-tion period (1991-94). Fundingprovisions from the Goals 2000:Educate America Act and a separate

"Le


SPECTRA+ line item (40 percent oftotal program funding) in the district'sannual budget also aided implementa-tion, as well as assistance from MiamiUniversity of Ohio and the Ohio ArtsCouncil.

The Fitton Center for theCreative Arts is the principal SPECTRA+player, providing funding, leadership,core values, and beliefs upon which tobuild the program, as well as the"ABCDE" (Arts Basic Center for theDevelopment of Educators) program ofteacher development and training.Through ABCDE, educators are trainedin why and how to transform schoolculture through the arts.

The typical cost of the SPECTRA+program including staff professionaldevelopment, artists-in-residence, artsspecialists, coordinators, materials andequipment, varies depending onschool size and needs, but it begins inyear one at $15,000 to $20,000, increas-ing to $40,000 to $60,000 by the yearfour. Evaluation costs are an additionalaverage of $2,500 or more annually.Numerous sources of funding aretapped: boards of education, state andlocal arts councils and agencies, stateeducation agencies, private and corpo-rate foundations, and individuals.

Program effectiveness, studentcreativity, teacher/student attitudes,academic and thinking skill improve-ment, attendance, discipline andschool atmosphere are among the areasmeasured to assess curriculum effec-tiveness. The effects of SPECTRA+ havebeen demonstrated in improved stu-dent performance as measured in theareas of reading, math comprehension,and creative thinking.

Self-esteem and attendance rateswere also heightened, and students arefrequent finalists and award winners atthe state and national levels.

These outcomes have heraldedthe expansion of SPECTRA+ in otherschool districts across Ohio, in Calif-ornia, and in New York. In the homedistrict of Fairfield, any school canbecome a SPECTRA+ site, but as theprogram is not "one size fits all," eachschool uses the tenets of the program'splan to design a program that suits thatindividual site.

$4 BEST COPY AVAILABLEPAGE 51

A Profile:

HATTIESBURG (MS)Factors StatisticsThe Community./The Superintendent./A Cadre of Principals./National, State, Other

Outside Forces-4


"Theater at Hattiesburg High School wasalways more than just putting on a play. Itinvolved learning from others and fromobservation; through our travels we alwaysfound innovations that we would not haveexperienced if we had confined ourselves tosouth Mississippi....Most importantly, theaterhas taught me more about myself Throughit, I have learned my own strengths andweaknesses. I have realized my limitationsand discovered unrecognized possibilities."

Kyle Robert Jefcoat, alumnus; GraduateStudent, Duke University Law School;Former President, Yale DramaticAssociation

masgine developing a district-wide

rt education program that:/aensures sequential music instructionby certified music specialists for everystudent K-6, followed in middle andhigh school by opportunities toprogress to bands, choral groups,orchestras, and a percussion ensemble;provides drama instruction in 40 per-cent of its schools;offers dance courses in middle andhigh school and forms a dance"team" that competes;expands secondary school visual artsinstruction to include ceramics, tex-tile design, video arts, andphotography.

Now imagine developing thatprogram in a community that mustmeet the unique needs of a culturallydiverse student population and in astate where state-level funding for artseducation is virtually nonexistent.

How would you meet thosechallenges? According to Penny Wallin,director of secondary education,Hattiesburg Public School District beganto address them in the process of devel-oping a comprehensive strategic plan in1994. In that process, Wallin explains,"the community-wide commitment toarts education was 'reinvented."

Funding today comes from avariety of sources: partnerships withlocal arts councils, local business sup-port, the Mississippi State University,and parents.

PAGE 52

"Parents, no matter their socio-economic status, love to see theirchildren succeed and perform," saysWallin. "Even if funding is harder toachieve, it takes very little money tohang up a child's art work or highlighttheir achievements at a PTA meeting.Arts don't take formalized systems toget going. It's all because parents carefor their children."

Hattiesburg Public SchoolDistrict also finds that access to thelatest research linking the arts to learn-ing and brain development is essentialfor educating administrators andteachers about the arts. Therefore, thedistrict holds monthly meetings ofprincipals and six meetings of fine artsteachers each year to meet that objec-tive. In addition, Hattiesburg turns to

"The status of the arts in Hattiesburg PublicSchools is.. a direct reflection of the leader-ship of the supenntendent and hiscommitment to educating all children,"Penny Wallin, district director of secondaryeducation, wrote. "The fact is, in a state thatfalls woefully short in its support for formalarts education, any focus on the arts has tohave leadership and commitment at thelocal level to exist and thrive."

A Profile:

H ENRICO COUNTY (VA)Factors StatisticsThe Community./The School Board-4The Superintendent./An Elementary FoundationqOpportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement./


7-be best evidence of support for arts/ education in Henrico County (VA)

Public Schools is the district's curricu-lum, K-12. Elementary students takeclasses from art and music specialistswho serve all 39 elementary schools.Middle school and high school studentsmay study in the fields of music, visualarts, theater, and creative writing, andthey may choose among a wide rangeof courses, including barbershop quar-tets, music theory, computer graphics,art history, speech communication, and

55

the local university for help in provid-ing staff development for establishedteachers.

Three important things are hap-pening in Hattiesburg due in part tothese communications efforts and ahigh level of community support:

1. The district allocation for artseducation is continuing toincrease annually.

2. The arts were not singled out forreductions during the last budgetcrisis.

3. A line item has been added to thedistrict budget for visual arts sup-plies, augmenting site-basedfunding for the arts.

Dr. Gordon Walker, Hattiesburg's superinten-dent, has a clear vision for arts educationbased upon personal conviction. That con-viction stems from a childhood incident. Anart teacher criticized his picture of an eagleand discouraged him from drawing Today, asimilar picture of an eagle drawn by his sonnow hangs in his office as a reminder of thatchildhood experience. Walker recognizesthat not all children are the same when itcomes to artistic ability, yet it is the school'sresponsibility to see that "all students' livesare enriched and enhanced through acade-mic achievement in the arts."

journalism. Students from the eighthigh schools also may elect to partici-pate in arts classes held at Henrico HighSchool's Center for the Arts. This pro-gram offers double periods devoted tothe visual arts, dance, musical theater,and drama.

An additional outlet for studentartistic expression is the Henrico PublicSchools-run cable station, Channel 36,which features a variety of programshighlighting the arts in the area.

Support for arts education comesfrom several key constituencies, includ-ing the superintendent, school boardmembers, teachers, business leaders,and parents, who have come to havehigh expectations of the district. (BothHenrico's Tuckahoe Middle School andDouglas S. Freeman High School havebeen selected as Blue Ribbon Schoolsby the U.S. Department of Education).

A Profile:

HILLSBOROUGHCOUNTY (FL)Factors StatisticsThe CommunityJThe School Board./Continuity in Leadership4District Arts

Coordinator(s)4

Schools (fotal): 174Students (Total): 146,389Per Pupil: $3,505Arts Teachers (Total): 587

th 1973, Hillsborough County1 Tampa had no art museum, no per-forming arts center, and just one visualarts elementary teacher. Today, thecommunity is home to an art museum,a performing arts center, and a schoolsystem with nearly 600 certified visualarts and music teachers, visiting artists,and professional development programfor teachers of the arts conductedthrough the partnering state university.

The sea change didn't justhappen. "It took many people whohad the same thoughts," said the firstvisual arts teacher, Joe Testasecca. "Ourattitude was 'We're going to do it!"

Change was first felt in the windin the early 1970s, around the timeTestasecca was hired and began look-ing for ways to put the arts into theschools. The visual arts instructorlearned of a model in Boston for anartists-in-schools program adminis-tered in conjunction with a local artscouncil. Fortunately, Tampa had asmall, young arts council, and thecommunity was beginning to takesteps toward the establishment of amuseum and a performing arts center.

So Testasecca went to the schoolboard, explaining the program he want-ed to launch, and was granted $15,000in seed money. The resulting program

Artists-in-the-Schools continues tobe funded by the school board andjointly sponsored by the school boardand the county arts council. It hasgrown to include performances, work-shops and field trips for children,teacher training, curriculum andresource development. One importantfactor in maintaining the financial sup-port, Testasecca points out, is regularreports to the school board.

By 1989, with the arts center upand running and community supportfor the arts in the schools growing, theschool board voted to put visual artsprograms in the elementary schools.Within four months, the former lonearts teacher was directing the recruit-ment and training of more than 70

visual arts specialists. Soon thereafter,a team of university professors, mem-bers of the Tampa Museum of Art andArts Council staffs, and school districtemployees developed an elementaryarts curriculum that is still in placethroughout the system. Today,through a collaboration with theTampa Museum of Art, HillsboroughCounty's arts specialists and regularclassroom teachers readily access cur-riculum-integrated materials in aMedia Resource Center.

Art specialists have tended tostay with the county schools over theyears. They are constantly motivatedto grow: Twice a year there are profes-sional study days in each artsdiscipline, and there are frequentopportunities to participate in profes-sional development seminars andworkshops. The district's schoolchild-ren, of course, benefit from theconsistency and years of experience.

Educational administrators at alllevels of the system make sure thatwhen funding cuts are necessary, alldepartments take equal cuts. The sup-port the arts now receive is due tosolid partnerships throughout thecommunity and consistent advocacyby both district and arts council staffs.

A Profile:

HOWARD COUNTY (MD)Factors StatisticsThe Community4 Schools (Total): 61Parent/Public Relations./ Students (Total): 40,275Opportunities for Higher Per Pupil: $6,100

Levels of Achievement4 Arts Teachers (Total): 232

Based largely on the district's andcommunity's belief that the arts are

an integral part of a child's learning, theHoward County Public Schools' budgetfor the arts has been increasing since1991 at a rate that surpasses the amountneeded to cover basic costs. As a result,Howard County Schools now have:

arts courses that are a standard partof the K-12 curriculum;visual and musical arts requirementsfor middle school students in grades6 - 8, plus the options of chorus,piano, and band (45 percent of thetotal school population opts to par-ticipate in band);a requirement for high school studentsto complete at least one fine arts course

56fr,

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION'

Redefining its mission in the early1990s, the Howard County ArtsCouncil wanted to strengthen its dedi-cation to the schools in HowardCounty. With the district's acceptance,the two groups sat down to figure outa way to reach the students as well asthe community. The solution was torenovate the auditorium at Wilde LakeHigh School into a state of the artteaching facility that also could serveas a community theater.

Home to more than a million people,Howard County is situated betweenBaltimore and Washington, D.C. Thecouncil hoped the renovated auditori-um would appeal to performing artsgroups that often did not have thefinancial means to rent theater spacein Baltimore or Washington. Theschools, meanwhile, would acquire animpeccable arts learning facility anddirect access to the performing artists.

In further discussions, the school dis-trict and the arts council identified aneed to form a governing committee"to guarantee an appropriate sharingarrangement among the parties and tomaintain the quality of the performingarts space." The committee would bemade up of representatives of thecommunity, the arts, and the MarylandDepartment of Education. It also wasdetermined that "priority will be givento arts and educational objectives ofthe Department of Education" fol-lowed by Howard County arts andsponsoring organizations. However,an outside management team wouldoversee the day-to-day operations ofthe theater, such as contracts, boxoffice, scheduling, and publicity.

After studying the costs of construct-ing a new facility, the two groupsdecided it would be far more cost-effi-cient to renovate the Wilde Lake HighSchool's theater for a tenth of the costof a new facility. In order to pay for therenovation, the groups relied on apublic/private partnership. The publicpartners included Howard County, theState of Maryland, and the NationalEndowment for the Arts through agrant to the Howard County ArtsCouncil. The private supporters, bothindividuals and corporations, includeJames Rouse and his firm, the RouseCompany, developer of Baltimore'sInner Harbor, Boston's Fanueil Hall,and Columbia, MD. Rouse personallydonated $100,000, although he askedthat his gift be kept anonymous untilthe opening of the facility, which heattended with his grandson, actorEdward Norton.


PAGE 53

theater, dance, music, and visual artare all offered for graduation;additional arts specialists on staff, withthe visual arts staff alone growing from32 to more than 80 in 10 years.

Howard County has sought sup-port from the community as it hasgrown its arts education program. Theschool district publishes a yearlycalendar highlighting student artworkas part of its community outreachefforts. Most fruitful has been its part-nership with the Howard County ArtsCouncil. The arts council has assistedthe district with fund raising and thebuilding of a community theater facili-ty within the district's Wilde LakeHigh School (see sidebar.)

A Profile:

INDEPENDENCE (MO)Factors StatisticsThe Community4The Superintendent,/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of AchievemenW


Indepenclence, Missouri, best knownas the hometown of President

Harry S Truman, is also recognizedtoday for its district-wide arts educa-tion program. According to AssistantSuperintendent Marcia Haskin, thereare three key factors at work:

Sustained support: A comprehensivewritten curriculum and a commit-ment to coordinators, departmentchairs, and certified art teachers (K-12) allow the district to have acoordinated arts program that focuseson student achievement and devel-ops community involvement.Teachers have the freedom to pursueinnovative grants that link otherpartners, bring additional resources,and integrate with more traditionalacademic areas.Community Involvement: Artists,arts organizations, public audiences,local businesses, and funders partnerwith the district's teachers and stu-dents for program development aswell as performances. This involve-ment is seen in:

Arts Partners - sequentially intro-ducing students to and involving

PAGE 54

them in the arts through theresources of local arts institutions;Bingham Fine Arts Academy andthe Music Arts Institute - providingselected students with individual-ized instruction;Multiple Piano Concert - featuring120 piano players in concert, manyof them from the Independenceschool district;Telecommunity Center - giving stu-dents access to two computer labsat Southwestern Bell's communitycenter;The Mayor's Christmas Concert andthe Truman Concert - offering per-formance opportunities for students.

With nearly 350 musical perfor-mances a year and frequent requestsof local festivals, foundations, andcommunity sites to feature studentwork at exhibitions, festivals, andfund raisers, the students ofIndependence's schools are a visibleand active reminder to the commu-nity of the value of the district's artsprogram.Student Achievement: Appreciationand performance both count inIndependence.Many students demonstrate excep-tional talent in the arts, and thedistrict strives to showcase that talentfor the benefit primarily of the stu-dent but also for the district. Giventhe high level of free or reducedlunch participation (the elementaryaverage is 41 percent) and the highnumber of adults in the communitywithout a high school diploma or aGED (10,000), showcase and awardopportunities enable many studentsto pursue their talents beyond thehigh school setting. Many of the stu-dents afforded these opportunitiesnow work professionally in the arts.Student appreciation of the arts isanother aspect considered crucial tothe overall development of youngpeople. By providing all studentswith a wide range of arts experiencesthrough such programs as ArtsPartners and the Mayor's ChristmasConcert, students learn teamworkand audience skills and gain anincreased understanding of the arts.The district also believes that artexperiences add to overall academicachievement levels.

In addition to these critical fac-tors, Independence has the activeinvolvement of its superintendent, Dr.

F57

Robert Watkins who, following in thearts-committed steps of his predecessor,has established an academy to furtherenhance arts education in the district.

A Profile:

IOWA CITY (IA)Factors StatisticsNational, State,

Other Outside ForcesqSchools (Total): 22Students (Total): 10,445Per Pupil: $3,763Arts Teachers (Total): 66

7-De Iowa City Community Schoolistrict has found that the follow-

ing comprehensive curriculum reviewprocess has helped the district to meetstate mandates. It also helps schooldistrict leaders keep tab on its progressin arts education. The district shares ithere for the use of other school districts:

Iowa City Community School DistrictComprehensive Curriculum ReviewProcess

YEAR ONEEstablish the self-study committee;chairperson is curricular areacoordinator.Select committee members.Develop a budget and timeline forYears 1 - 3 that includes funding,release time, inservice, and text-book/materials purchase.Appoint program subcommittees.Establish program intent.Document district goals, programmission statement, program goals,learner outcomes, sequential gradelevel/course curriculum guides.Survey appropriate populations todetermine special program issues.Collect evidence and analyzeprogram effectiveness.Secure state guidelines, nationaland state trends/standards, currentresearch, available curriculum mat-erials and alternative curriculumframework.Develop a list of key questions thatneed to be addressed to determineprogram effectiveness.Submit questions to the curriculumcouncil, administrative council, direc-tors of instruction, building faculties.Revise and edit list of questions.

Develop a plan for collection of datanecessary to answer key questions.Identify the kinds of informationneeded to address key questions.Identify appropriate sources ofinformation.Specify methods, procedures, and/orinstruments to collect information,and to the extent possible, proceduresfor studying and analyzing theinformation (consider: data base infor-mation, student/teacher/others surveys,interviews, inventories, summaries).Develop ways to store information.Conduct data analysis.Complete findings summary.Interpret findings and draw conclu-sions regarding program strengths,program weaknesses, recommenda-tions for action.

YEAR TWO: ANALYZE EVIDENCEAND CONDUCT AUDIT

Submit completed study (intent,evidence, analysis and findings) tothe curriculum council, administra-tive council, superintendent, andboard of directors.Prepare and conduct audit.Arrange audit date and team mem-bers with state NCA office.Plan audit schedules and otheractivities.Disseminate study and auditinformation to faculty.Participate in audit.Participate in preliminary audit report.Review and accept final audit report.Present final audit report to curriculumcouncil, administrative council, super-intendent, and board of directors.Develop implementation plans.Revise self-study and audit findings.Develop proposal for implementa-tion of recommendations to bepresented to curriculum council,administrative council, superinten-dent, and board of directors; proposalto include curriculum writing, staffdevelopment, textbook adoption,timelines, materials adoption, assess-ment methods.Present implementation plan to cur-riculum council, administrativecouncil, superintendent for review.Present implementation plan toboard of directors.Begin implementation.Prioritize curriculum writing andevaluation needs for the summer.

Begin textbook and materialsadoption process.

YEAR THREE: IMPLEMENTATION

Continue implementation.Complete curriculum writing.Finalize textbook selection process.Develop individual building plansframework.Schedule and conduct inservice atdistrict and building level.

YEAR FOUR: IMPLEMENTATIONAND MONITORING

Continue staff development atdistrict and building levels.Monitor implementation.Determine additional curriculumwriting needs.

YEARS AVE TO SEVEN:FORMATIVE EVALUATION ANDMONITORING

Continue staff development supportas needed.Identify corrective actions.

A Profile:

JAMESTOWN (NY)FactorsThe Communityq


Located in Chautauqua County,New York, home of the famous

Chautauqua Institution, Jamestownand the surrounding region come alivefor eight weeks each summer withstudent workshops and wonderfulopportunities to work and learn withworld-renowned visiting artists andperformers. As Judy Guild, the dis-trict's director of professionaldevelopment, says, "Our communitylives, breathes, flourishes, andresponds to the arts in such a way asto make you wonder where school andcommunity divide."

That coming together of schooland community now extends into theschool year. Six years ago, the schooldistrict of Jamestown a relativelypoor, small city rich in foundation dol-lars and the local arts council joinedforces and began pooling district fundsand funds raised by the council fromfoundations and corporations.


Through this collaboration, the dis-trict's Arts-In-Education budget hasmushroomed from $10,000 to$100,000. Among the many projectsthe funds support are artist residencies,a film series, a fully integrated danceprogram for elementary students, andguest artists' workshops.

Its most recent effort is an inte-grated videography class at the highschool. This project brings togetherJamestown High School, the ArtsCouncil, Time-Warner Cable, theEducation Video Center in New YorkCity, and a local videographer in aneffort to expand arts offerings andimpact the larger system of the highschool with a more product-basedapproach to teaching and learning.

In this semester-long course, stu-dents work for two hours each daywith a team of teachers and communi-ty resource people to produce video tobe shown on the local cable channel.While it is just in the pilot stages,Guild notes, "the program has realpotential for showing a variety ofexpansion opportunities for the arts."

A Profile:

JEFFERSONFactorsThe Community-4

COUNTY (KY)StatisticsSchools (Total): 151Students (Total): 96,594Per Pupil: $5,501Arts Teachers (Total): 0

re Jefferson County-Public Schoolsistrict, which includes the city of

Louisville, benefits tremendously fromits involvement with an organizationknown as the Kentucky CulturalConsortium. Self-described as "a groupof cultural resource representatives andeducators who meet to create, pro-mote, and review cultural resourceprograms for Kentuckian students,"the Kentucky Cultural Consortium wasestablished in 1979 in the hope ofbringing together organizations andgaining new ideas to benefit studentsand the entire community. Sincethen, its membership has swelled tomore than SO organizations, and par-ticipation continues to increase.

According to SuperintendentStephen Daeschner, the CulturalConsortium provides "educators withcultural 'recipes' for creating student


PAGE 55

activities. [The partnership] enablesour students to sample a wide array ofprograms and activities." Because sucha large proportion of the artisticresources of the community have con-solidated into one easily accessibleorganization, the students of JeffersonCounty are introduced to theater, bal-let, chamber music, opera, and visualart. Some partner organizations createactivities to supplement the standardcurriculum. For example, the A.P.P.L.E.,Inc. group, a musical theater produc-tion company, provides teachers withlesson plans that coordinate withevery show they present. Many othergroups provide similar tools studyguides, workbooks, etc. - to integratetheir particular programs into theclassroom experience.

A Profile:

KENMORE TOWN OFTONAWANDA (NY)Factors StatisticsPlanning-NI

Continuous Improvement,/Schools (Total): 13Students (Total): 7,358Per Pupil: $9,191Arts Teachers (Total): 23

Comprising the communities ofKenmore and the Town of

Tonawanda, just north of Buffalo, thisdistrict along the shores of Lake Erielaunched a multi-part project in 1996 toassist art teachers in the development ofcurriculum and sharing of ideas.

In Part I of the project, Kenmoreundertook the creation of a visual artsresource collection that includes cur-rent theories and issues in the field ofart education, research, lessons, arti-cles, videos, and other curricularmaterials to serve as a resource bankfor art teachers K-12. The collectionhas given art teachers access to newpractices, ideas for implementing artseducation theories, and increasedknowledge of the use of technology inarts education. The resource collectionis organized into such topic areas asportfolio assessment, aesthetics, multi-ple intelligences, Arts Propel,multiculturalism, art journals andwriting in the arts, arts advocacy, inter-disciplinary learning, critical thinking,art history, art criticism.

In Part II of the project, the dis-trict conducted a half-day retreat forall art teachers to explore newresources and participate in interactive

PAGE 56

learning experiences. In Part III, thedistrict launched a "First Class" ArtResource Library (1997-98) to put keycomponents from the Arts ResourceCollection on the district's "First Class"computer-networked mail service. The"First Class" Art Resource Bank isintended to serve as an easily accessi-ble source of research-supportedmaterials for art teachers K-12.

Teachers are further educatedthrough a nine-year-old mentoringcollaboration designed by the adminis-tration and the teachers' union. Allnew teachers hired in this school sys-tem are provided with a full-timementor teacher for the purpose ofintroducing them to the Kenmoreschool culture. The mentor andteacher work together for a half dayper week throughout the school yearon performance criteria: use of effec-tive instructional techniques andstrategies, knowledge of subject matter,classroom management, and profes-sional skills and responsibilities. In theperiod from 1995 to 1998, nearly adozen new art teachers were mentoredby a full-time art mentor.

A Profile:

KETTLE MORAINE(WALES, WI)FactorsThe Community,/The School BoarchlNational, State, Other

Outside Forces,/


Re school district of Kettle Moraineas created in 1967 amidst the

farms, lakes and rolling hills of west-ern Waukesha County, Wisconsin,nearly 25 miles outside of Milwaukee.In a bold and unique initiative, theSchool District of Kettle Morainedecided to undergird its commitmentto arts education by funding research.

The research was set in motionwhen Kettle Moraine district educatorsdecided to participate in a study that, inthe end, persuaded them that keyboardinstruction not only would enrich theirchildren's souls but also would improvetheir brains and their achievement inreading, math, and writing.

Intrigued by the early musiclearning and brain developmentresearch of Dr. Frances Rauscher, whohad accepted a post at the nearbyUniversity of Wisconsin at Oshkosh,

5

the district approached her with a pro-posal: The Kettle Moraine schooldistrict would commit its resources andthe participation of two of its kinder-garten classes to her ongoing study.

THE RESEARCHMorning kindergarten children

were introduced to the keyboardthrough a weekly class and regularaccess to the instrument during freetime. Afternoon kindergarten childrenexperienced no change in their pro-gram, which did not include music.

The morning children weredivided into two groups of 10. Themusic teacher worked with one groupof 10 children on keyboards, the class-room teacher worked with the otheron journal writing.

Both morning and afternoonchildren were tested before the key-boarding classes began and again atthe end of the year.

THE RESEARCH RESULTSThe morning children tested 45

percent higher (measuring speed, accu-racy) on tests involving the completionof puzzles and the replication of athree-dimensional pyramid structure.

THE OUTCOME FOR KETTLE MORAINEARTS EDUCATION

After seeing encouraging resultsfrom the students in the pilot program,Kettle Moraine recently made pianolessons a requirement for all 1,800 K-6pupils for the 1998-99 school year. Theprogram 90 minutes per week per stu-dent - is made possible by privatefunding from the community, whichhas given the program strong support.

Rauscher believes more researchis still needed but notes that pianolessons "certainly will not do anyharm." As Kettle MoraineSuperintendent Sarah Jerome toldEducation Week, "The worst that canhappen is that kids will learn to playthe piano," adding, "It's not the onlything that we do...but this programhas been nothing but positive."

Not including the teacher's salary,the cost is $2,500 for 10 keyboards,including accessories, per classroom;texts are $20. Schools also need ade-quate space for dividing classes andhousing keyboard study, so that soundwill not carry to other classrooms. Tolearn more about the research, thelessons, the methods, see this study'sWeb site for contact information.

Kettle Moraine's decision to pur-sue the Rauscher research project was

based upon a solid foundation of pub-lic confidence built of 60 years ofquality and attention to studentachievement, sound fiscal manage-ment, and a comprehensiveeducational program. Two elementaryschools in Wisconsin won nationalBlue Ribbon School awards in 1997.Both schools are in Kettle Moraine.Each of the four elementary schoolshas at least one music teacher and anart teacher assigned to provide 90minutes per week of instruction to stu-dents in both music and art in firstthrough fifth grades. All sixth-gradestudents are enrolled in art and musicas are three-quarters of the seventh-and eighth-grade students.

The Kettle Moraine school boardis intent on providing a high qualityarts education to help prepare studentsfor "meaningful, fulfilling, productivelives in an increasingly complex world."

A Profile:

KINGSPORTFactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/Continuity in Leadership,/Teachers Who PracticeTheir Art/

Parent/Public Relations,/

(TN)StatisticsSchools (Total): 10Students (Total): 6,196Per Pupil: $6,362Arts Teachers (Total): 36

ror more than SO years, the/ Kingsport school district, whichserves more than 6,000 students inthis city in northeastern Tennessee,has supported an arts program forevery educational level, K-12.

"Everyone believes in the arts aspart of a balanced education," saysRuth Davis, the district's communityrelations coordinator. The Board ofEducation has supported schooling inthe arts for decades. Teachers in thedistrict have consistently affirmed thekey role of the arts in education andpassed that appreciation on to newteachers. "We have one current middleschool teacher," Davis adds, "who wasone of the first students to take orches-tra as a subject when she was here.And her teacher is still in the school."

There also has been continuityin the support and participation ofparents and the community at large.Many parents start their children withprivate tutors in music at a young age.

The city's hospitals, corporations, theRenaissance Center, and City Hall con-sistently display student artwork intheir public spaces. A summer "FunFest" brings the whole communitytogether in celebration of the arts.

Kingsport City Schools' curricu-lar emphases have long been placed onthe visual arts, its full orchestra pro-gram, and, for the past 20 years, itstheater program. In the last threeyears, the district has conducted a cur-riculum project that makes the arts,notes Davis, "an integral part of ourcurriculum as important as everyother subject."

Both Kingsport teachers and stu-dents have received local, state, andnational recognition in a variety ofartistic disciplines, including majorhonors for the high school band andfor its computer art program. Kingsporthas produced state and regional arteducators of the year and student win-ners in the Pentel Exhibit hosted byteacher Betty Hyder.

The school system benefits, too,by encouraging its teachers to contin-ue to develop their talents as artists.One recent exhibit highlighted theartwork of four teachers and fourartists: "Four by Four" represented anarray of visual artwork for the wholecommunity of Kingsport.

A Profile:

KYRENE(TEMPE,FactorsThe Community,/The Superintendent,/An Elementary

Foundation,/Plann ng,1

28AZ)


Located in Tempe, Arizona, theKyrene Elementary School District 28

is a K-8 system that feeds into a unifiedregional high school district. Kyrene'sarts education program went through aseries of cutbacks in the 1980s. Overthe past six years, funding support hasincreased enough to reintroduce innov-ative arts programs, including a stringsprogram for students in grades 6 - 8 andpilot dance programs in an elementaryschool and middle school.

Much of the funding increase isdue to "sudden growth" monies thatare connected to increasing enroll-ments. Though the funding support is

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATIA;CO,

vital, it is crucial for the district tokeep pace with the explosive enroll-ments that have led to continuousnew school construction. The districthas numerous challenges to face,including finding adequate physicalspace, certified and well-trained teach-ers, and the slow pace of fundingallocations for specific programs.

However, the district's adminis-tration has made a commitnient tostrong arts programs and has foundways to find the appropriate staff andmaterials to sustain this high level ofprogramming. This commitment isexemplified by the district's recentinfusion of more than $400,000 to sup-port visual arts instruction for everystudent from kindergarten to eighthgrade. The district has also been suc-cessful in receiving grants from theArizona Commission on the Arts,Tempe Council on the Arts, and ParentTeacher Group Fund Raising Activities.

A Profile:

LARIMER COUNTY-THOMPSON R-2J (CO)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/District Arts Coordinator(s),/Parent/Public Relations,/Opportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement/National, State, Other Outside

Forces,/Planning4Continuous Improvement/


L arimer County and the ThompsonValley around Loveland, Colorado,

are home to a school district that overthree decades has developed a strongK-12 arts education program with thehelp of an active, financially support-ive community. At the same tinie, thedistrict has distinguished itself withoutstanding student performance andleadership in the development of stan-dards for visual arts and music at thelocal and state levels.

Although Larimer County is oneof the poorer large districts in Colorado,it nonetheless has managed to keepstaffing steady and arts programs budget-ed with their own line items. (Additionalresources obtained from the district'smany partnerships and community-based programs are treated as extra, notessential, arts funding.) For years, the


PAGE 57

district has included an art and/or musiccurriculum specialist on every majoradministrative committee. With a seat atthe table, so to speak, the arts are taken

.into account when the district considersstaffing, funding, space, new buildings,graduation requirements, and school-to-career opportunities.

In Larimer County, the arts havemade strides in many of these areas.All elementary schools now have anart teacher and music teacher on anapproximately half-time basis. (Oneschool had been allowed to pilot amusic-and-physical-education-onlyprogram added visual art last year afterpressure from parent groups and theschool board.) District educators, whohave been schooled in curriculummapping, are aligning visual arts cur-riculum with other subjects in everyelementary school.

Meanwhile, at the high schoollevel, the district has developed partner-ships with various community groups.Frequent exhibitions and exchange pro-grams as well as financial support fromannual events and a trust fund helpprovide students with opportunities todevelop competencies in a wide varietyof arts-related careers. Hewlett-PackardCompany's major donation of bothcomputer equipment and training hasmade it possible for students to learncomputer-based graphic design, musiccomposition, video production, andtelevision broadcasting. High school artstudents also may explore teaching byleading art classes for elementary chil-dren at a local art gallery a programestablished with funds from a grantwritten by a student artist. The nearbystate university supports these "student-teachers" by giving them advice andopportunities to attend arts educationmethods courses on its campus.

A Profile:

LAWNDALEFactorsThe Community4The School Board-4The Superintendent-4National, State, Other

Outside Forces-4

(CA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 7Students (Total): 5,489Per Pupil: $3,753Arts Teachers (Total): 1

Lawndale School District, located inLos Angeles' South Bay area, began

its journey into the world of the arts,school reform, and higher studentachievement in 1990 when six teach-ers at Anderson Elementary agreed to

PAGE 58

work with the Galef Institute and pilot"Different Ways of Knowing" (DWoK)

a research-based professional devel-opment initiative for teachers andadministrators with a content-richinterdisciplinary history and socialstudies curriculum that integrates thevisual, literary, and media arts as well asdrama, music, dance, math, and science.

An urban district of six elemen-tary schools, one middle school, anda second middle school in planning,Lawndale serves some 5,500 students,80 percent of whom qualify for freeand reduced lunch. More than 84 per-cent of the students are minority,including 51 percent Hispanic, andmore than a third have limitedEnglish. More than 21 languages arespoken by the students.

The district provided an ideallaboratory for testing the power of thearts as everyday learning tools as wellas subjects of learning. The specificjoint mission of the Lawndale districtand the Galef Institute was to explorehow the visual and performing artsmight lead to changes in teachingstrategies that, in turn, would lead toincreased student achievement of allchildren in a classroom.

An evaluation study was coordi-nated by faculty at the UCLA GraduateSchool of Education and InformationStudies. In 1995, the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles published theresults of a three-year comparisonstudy that documented:

significant gains in vocabulary, com-prehension, and other measures oflanguage arts - about 8 percentilepoints higher on standardized testsfor each year of participation;higher student scores on writtentests of social studies contentknowledge;higher student grades by aboutone-half grade point for DWoKparticipants in comparison tononparticipants;positive correlation between partici-pation in Different Ways ofKnowing and increased cognitiveengagement and intrinsic interestin the humanities

The continuously rising academ-ic achievement of Lawndale studentshas been recognized at state and feder-al levels. Two years ago, AndersonElementary School was named a Title ICalifornia Achieving ElementarySchool, and last year Lawndale's MarkTwain Elementary School was selectedas a California Distinguished School.

, dl. I 6 1

Teachers also were studied overthe three years and were observed to beincreasing their use of the visual arts,drama, music, and movement to pro-mote learning. They spent more timefacilitating learning, and they increasedthe time students were engaged in com-plex creative thinking activities. In fact,in a real world instance of Dr. ArthurGreenberg's "Tom Sawyer's fence" theo-ry (see profile of New York's CSD #25),when other teachers saw how enthusi-astic pilot teachers at Anderson Schoolwere about the response of their stu-dents to DWoK and the impact of theprofessional development initiative ontheir own teaching, they wanted to par-ticipate, too.

Meanwhile, as participants inGalefs leadership training seminars,many Lawndale teachers have pro-gressed to leadership roles and areworking both outside and inside thedistrict to help more teachers changetheir teaching practices. As a result,Lawndale is now formulating strategiesfor creating a professional develop-ment center to provide a more formalway to incorporate the arts into itsyear-round curriculum. District leader-ship sees such strategies positioningthe arts in the center of students'emerging literacy and intellectualgrowth as well as disciplines of studyin their own right.

During the first years of the ini-tiative, grants from the AhmansonFoundation provided a significantamount of financial support (about 80percent). The purpose of these grantswas to enable Lawndale to develop aninfrastructure to sustain DifferentWays of Knowing internally. With thisgoal met, the district and schools arenow responsible for DWoK's imple-mentation.

"The early long-term fundingsupport of the Ahmanson Foundationand the Galef Institute," wroteSuperintendent Joe Condon andAssistant Superintendent DavidMoorhouse of their arts education ini-tiative, "allowed us to put our toes intowaters we might never have exploredwith our own limited resources; ourexplorations convinced us through ourcollaborative work with the GalefInstitute that we could achieve the aca-demic goals of our district, particularlyliteracy for a large population of sec-ond language learners. We could buildan interdisciplinary team of leadersfrom our schools and district officewho would build an infrastructure for

continuous learning and growth withinour district."

Arts education in LawndaleElementary School District has beenand continues to be championed bythe board of education, the superin-tendent and other district-leveladministrators, principals and teachers,partners from the Galef Institute, thelocal Optimist Club (which providesmusical instruments), and parents,who participate in the curriculum withtheir children.

Meanwhile, the Lawndale SchoolDistrict has joined the South BayTechnology Consortium of districtsand is using technology as a powerfultool for expression through the arts.

A Profile:

LEWISBURG (PA)Factors StatisticsThe Community4 Schools (Total): 4Continuity in Leadership./ Students (Total): 1,847Teachers Who Practice Per Pupil: $8,591

Their Art./ Arts Teachers (Total): 18An Elementary

Foundation./

"A strong arts program has flourishedhere for more than two decades," saysthe assistant superintendent ofLewisburg Area School District, Dr.Patsy Marra. "You don't have to havemoney to get started. Interest and moti-vation within the school community arewhat count."

T ewisburg, a rural town 55 milesnorth of the Pennsylvania state

capital of Harrisburg, has had profes-sional musicians in the central officeof the school district for more than 40years. Marra herself sings with theBuffalo Valley Chorus, directs herchurch choir, and plays clarinet forlocal organizations. "Some of ourteachers," she adds, "played withJimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller, andseveral are now playing in groups allover the region. A superintendent inthe 1960s had formed our high schoolband 20 years earlier; he also hadplayed the oboe in the BucknellUniversity music department. "And,"she says with pride, "our [visual] artsteaching staff members have even bet-ter credentials. We now have the bestartists, musicians, drama coaches, andstorytellers in the region."

The Lewisburg board of educa-tion demonstrates its support for thearts in substantive ways. For example,the Lewisburg school board allows

more time for the visual arts at the ele-mentary level than the state requires.All middle school students take visualarts classes each year, which reflectsthe district's as well as state and nation-al standards. According to Marra, thedistrict looks in particular for ways tointegrate the arts into the curriculum.

Dr. William Torok, superinten-dent, joins Marra in supporting avision of integrated curriculum, whichthey are implementing through athree-stage curriculum developmentprocess. It is their belief that the artsshould be an integral part of every cur-riculum area K-12.

Within this art- and college-ori-ented community, the school districtgives back to the community by partici-pating in civic activities such as theannual Lewisburg Festival of the Arts -"You have to make the arts into a civicproject as well as a school project,"counsels Marra.

A Profile:

LEXINGTONFactorsThe Community./An Elementary

Foundation./

(MA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 9Students (Total): 5,556Per Pupil: $6,727Arts Teachers (Total): 35

L exington Public Schools views thearts as an integral part of every stu-

dent's basic curriculum. The musiccurriculum, for example, gives everystudent the opportunity to experiencemusic through a comprehensive,sequential, longitudinal curriculumtaught by music specialists. Students ingrades K-4 receive musical instructionwith a music specialist for 60 minutesper week. Students in grade 5 receive a45-minute session of instruction andparticipate in a fifth-grade chorusrehearsal for 45 minutes each week.

Two major community/parentorganizations help keep the LexingtonFine and Performing Arts Departmentstrong. The Citizen AdvisoryCommittee is comprised of membersof the community who assist the dis-trict arts coordinator with political andcurriculum issues. The Friends ofLexington Music, Art, and DramaStudents (FOLMADS) is a tax-exempt,nonprofit organization designed toinvolve Lexington students and theirfamilies in all aspects of the fine andperforming arts at all grade levels inthe Lexington public schools.

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EalCATION

The Friends group subsidizes theoperating budget with volunteer work(ushering, chaperoning) and somesmall financial grants. The arts are alsosupported through grants ftom theLexington Educational Foundation.

Funds raised by the Friends ofLexington Music, Art, and DramaStudents are not intended to replaceschool budgets but to assist with suchone-time expenses as choral risers andairbrush compressors at the high school.

A Profile:

LIMA (OH)FactorsThe Community./Continuity in Leadership./Continuous

Improvement./


L ike most other school systems inOhio, the Lima City Schools district

has provided art and music in someform since its inception. But it was notuntil the mid- to late-1950s, when thisurban district consolidated its highschool, that art, music, and dramawere established as separate programs,each with a departmental chair. In theintervening years, Lima's student pop-ulation swelled through the 1960s, thenbegan shrinking in the 1970s and 1980s.

Arts programming, however, con-tinued to flourish with the support ofthe community and school board.Quietly, Lima City Schools moved intothe vanguard of arts curriculum innova-tion, creating a Balanced ComprehensiveArt Curriculum based upon the princi-ples of Discipline-Based Arts Education,moving toward standards in advance ofthe state and national efforts, providingprofessional development opportunitiesfor faculty.

Lima City Schools offers manylessons in strong system-wide arts edu-cation, Three in particular stand out inthe program description written byMike Huffman, head of the arts/artsmagnet programs:

(1) ON TEACHERS WHO PRACTICETHEIR ART:

The Lima City School district hasnever backed away from hiring pro-fessionals with postgraduate degreesand experience. However, I think thefiner level of quality in our facultywould be their continued involve-


dtST COPY AVAILABLEPAGE 59

ment and practice in their disci-plines. Our music faculty aremembers of the Lima SymphonyOrchestra, the Lima Concert Band.They conduct various choral ensem-bles and play in a variety of smallerinstrumental ensembles. Art faculty,by and large, continue to exhibitworks in area and regional exhibi-tions. Our theater arts faculty, aswell as many of our music and artfaculty, are players in Lima's EncoreTheatre and various regional theaterproductions. Our dance faculty con-tinue to "take class" in areas ofinterest and choreograph for com-munity performing groups. A num-ber of our arts faculty also sit onboards and standing committees fora variety of community arts organi-zations, including the Council for theArts of Greater Lima.

(2) ON COMMUNITY AND"DOING MORE WITH LESS":

The Lima City Schools is a dollar-poor district. We are, however,blessed in terms of proximity to busi-nesses, industry, and proactive artsfaculty. In fact, it is a constant tuningto do more with less and innovateprogramming that keeps our curricu-lum and instruction energized. Wenot only tap the community for rele-vance but have become players inthe arts framework of Lima, Ohio.Our students are accepted on parwith adult artists in the community.Innovative programming in the areaof theater arts puts our studentsbackstage and on stage in regionaltheater productions. Outreach pro-gramming puts our instrumentalensembles at events for and with theSymphony. Constant work to con-nect with the Area Council for theArts and Art Space/Lima lets usstretch our funding by working"matches" for residency work andartists' presentations. Our faculty andstudents work and participate in artsactivities in the community at a highlevel often as colleagues.

Example: A current art experienceinvolves the creation of a "Children'sGarden" in midtown. The Ohio StateUniversity Extension Service, ArtSpace/Lima, the Allen CountyMuseum, the Lima Public Library,and visual artists from the Lima CitySchools form the consortium for thisproject. It has allowed a fifth-gradeclass the opportunity to study sculp-ture as a form, work with a profession-al artist/sculptor and create large-scale

PAGE 60

works of art. It is currently allowingmiddle school artists the opportunityto develop components for the gar-den that reflect the history of thearea in visual form. Our financialoutlay here was about $500.As noted earlier, our students areconstantly involved in projects thatprovide amplified arts experiences bytapping the Lima community. This isdone not by chance but by designfrom all facets of the program. It isinnovation aimed at relevance forstudents and survival of programs.For us, community has direct linkageto the area of innovation and pro-gramming. How we garner thissupport, these partnerships is bybeing producers, "good arts earners"in the scheme of community arts. Asa director, I spend a good amount oftime on boards, committees, etc.,with all arts entities in Lima. Wetrade expertise, direction, organiza-tional time and effort for access tothe arts for our students.I would reiterate that much of ourarts faculty are participants, volun-teers and paid, in the arts in thecommunity. The communityembraces the arts in the district andis proud of students and groups whoexhibit, play, act and dance, whetherit is at the local Civic Center orCarnegie Hall. I think that manyschool systems could point to afinancial infusion or giving from thecommunity for a specific arts course.We could talk about raising $80,000to send the Concert Choir toCarnegie Hall or raising $100,000 forthe Marching Band to present them-selves in the Inaugural New Year'sDay Parade and Concert Series inLondon, England.However, I don't feel that events arethe real crux of the strength our pro-gramming gets from our "artspartnerships." It's the expandingand relevance-enhancing of the dailyapproach to our arts teaching thatmakes the effort to reach out forcommunity support worthwhile.

(3) ON CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT.Our challenge immediately andbeyond is, I feel, the same for all artsentities, whether in schools or else-where: to survive in this age of rapidchange and assimilation. Our sur-vival depends on our ability to keeppace with educational change andredefine ourselves, constantly shoot-ing for continual improvement.

6

A Profile:

LIVERPOOL (NY)Factors StatisticsThe School Board-V Schools (Total): 15National, State, Other Students (Total): 9,030

Outside Forces4 Per Pupil: $8,333Continuous Arts Teachers (Total): 58

Improvement/

e Liverpool Central SchoolDistrict (LCSD) encompasses the

village of Liverpool and portions of thetowns of Clay and Salina just north-west of Syracuse. Like many a schooldistrict with a solid arts program andbase of community support, Liverpoolnonetheless faced financial problemsin the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"It wasn't too long ago," recallsDaniel D'Agostino, coordinator of finearts, "that the arts programs wereseverely impacted by budgetary andstaff cuts. It was this board ofeducation that made the leap of faithto reinstate these programs along withthe additional staff to implementthem. In three years, a district coordi-nator of fine arts was added, additionalstaff was hired to teach vocal, instru-mental, general music, and visual arts.Programs such as Performing Arts I andII, Advanced Placement Music Theory,Summer School for the Arts, andartists/authors in residence have beenincluded in the curriculum. Professionalperformances were brought to the stu-dents, and students were brought toprofessional arts experiences."

In addition, the board ofeducation also embraced schoolreform and took a leadership role inaddressing the challenges presented bynew standards.

Beginning in 1995, the districtprovided summer curriculum develop-ment for the visual arts staff to developa K-12 curriculum that would addressGoals 2000, the National Standards forArts Education, and the New York StateLearning Standards for the Arts. Thevisual arts team, with the enthusiasticsupport of the board of education, wasthe first curricular group in the districtto develop a standards-based curricu-lum. The following year, again withschool board leadership, the educatorsbegan work on instrumental and vocalmusic scope and sequence, also drivenby the goals and standards.

"The board not only directs policy,procedures, and supports the arts witha strong budget," D'Agostino added,"they also make it a part of their ownlives to be ever-present at concerts, artexhibits, and performances."

A Profile:

MAINE TOWNSHIP 207(PARK RIDGE, IL)Factors StatisticsThe CommunitiplThe School Board./The SuperintendenNContinuity in LeadershipgContinuous Improvement/


"We are as serious about building theimagination as we are about nurturingthe intellect," Maine Township HighSchool leaders affirmed in the district'sself-assessment for this study.

Maine Township District 207's his-tory bears out that statement:

Founded in 1902, the high schoolnow on three campuses began in amodest enough building, but still, ithad facilities and staff to provide for acomprehensive arts program. MaineTownship's music program was the firstof its arts programs to gain nationalfame as its music chairman, AlexanderM. Harley, and his wife, Frances,founded the Modern Music Masters(Tri-M) in 1936, now, an internationalorganization of high school musicians.

The records on the NationalForensic League indicate a strong pro-gram at Maine Township as early asthe 1940s. The visual art programbegan to develop in the 1950s, alongwith the drama curriculum. In 1959,the district launched a radio stationWMTH 90.5 FM, which is probably theoldest continually broadcasting highschool radio station in Illinois.

Every year since 1962, beginningwith The King and I, each school inMaine Township has produced a full-scale Broadway-style musical. By themid-1970s, based upon its success inbroadcast education, the district hadinstalled color television studios in allbuildings.

In 1982, the administrativeapproach to arts education took a turntowards integration of the arts withthe creation of the fine arts depart-ment in each of the three existingbuildings. One administrator wouldsupervise the work of art, broadcasting,dance, drama, music, photography,and speech. This concept has beencopied throughout the State of Illinoisas a model approach to arts education.

Maine Township's curriculum isparticularly strong in the area ofspeech/drama. These courses, Maine'sFine Arts Curriculum Guide notes,"teach students where to look andwhat to look for in gathering support

for an idea. They also help studentslearn to give, to accept, and to followconstructive criticism; listen courteous-ly and critically as others speak;become more logical, more direct, andmore creative in organizing thoughtsfor presentation; learn to control thefear of speaking or performing beforean audience, and, as a result, become amore confident person."

Alumni, whose ranks includeactor Harrison Ford and First LadyHillary Rodham Clinton, are passionateabout their arts education at MaineTownship and what it has meant totheir lives. Ken Rice, news anchor forKDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, says he learnedhow to "overcome shyness and be aconfident public speaker by participat-ing in forensics at Maine. EverySaturday morning, with arts and dramateachers coaching, our 'speech team'would compete with students fromother districts in categories such as orig-inal oratory, extemporaneous speaking,and dramatic interpretation. It was anincredibly fun, exciting way to learn."

Douglas Irvine, assistant curatorof Spertus Museum's Artifact Center inChicago, adds, "The arts in educationare a daily component of my profes-sional career. The educationalfoundation I formed at Maine Southgave me the inspiration, confidence,and self-awareness to use the arts as afundamental way to educate hundredsof children and families each month."

Maine Township offers morethan 40 different classes in art, music,speech/drama/broadcasting, dance,and creative writing, and extensive co-curricular offerings giving studentsopportunities to develop skills and uti-lize knowledge that is gained in thecurricular program. All courses havewritten goals, course outlines, specificactivities, and evaluation plansdesigned to give students an under-standing of production, history,criticism, and aesthetic relevance of

MAINE TOWNSHIP:

TESTING ARTS EDUCATION

measure of the value MaineTownship puts on arts education, allseniors are tested in the areas ofdance, music, theater, and visualarts to gain a sense of their compe-tency and familianty with the arts.More than 85 percent of the studentstested annually meet or exceed thestandards set forth by the districtfine arts staff.

41Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATIC)

11

"Alumni, whose ranasinclude Harrison Fordand the First Lady,are passionate abouttheir arts educationat Maine Township..."

each area of study. The district's co-curricular program offers studentsdozens of opportunities for perfor-mance and participation across thearts. Although the majority of studentswho participate are enrolled in the artsand humanities, the co-curricular pro-gram provides an avenue to educatestudents who are unable to fit artsclasses into their schedules.

Beyond the classroom walls andschool campuses of District 207 isChicago, internationally known for itsworld-class symphony, opera, and artsmuseums. Its spectacular skyline isitself an outdoor museum of architec-tural landmarks. Maine studentsfrequently take advantage of all ofthese resources through numerous fieldtrips. In addition, because the threeschools of the district have excellentperformance spaces available for rental,many of the community's artists arefrequently found in the schools,rehearsing or performing.

Parents support the many arts pro-grams in the district through fine artsbooster groups that they have formedfor each campus. They provide bothfunding and hands-on assistance. Theyhelp produce the annual school musical,assist on occasion with major equipmentpurchases, support arts awareness pro-grams, and work with faculty andstudents in building sets, making cos-tumes, editing and printing programbooks, doing publicity, and ushering.

The administration and schoolboard, meanwhile, show their supportof the fine arts programs by providingfacilities, budgets, and extra stipends forco-curricular activities. Every depart-rnent in District 207 has its own budgetpage with individual budget lines,including the art, music, andspeech/drama budget. Creative writingis included in the English departmentbudget, and dance is in the physicaleducation budget.

Local property taxes provide thebase of revenue for the school district,even though there is some fundingfrom the State of Illinois and various


Dwe Al

grants. Maine Township does not haveany financial partners in the artisticcommunity, but its staff members areactive members of local communityarts groups.

Like virtually every other schooldistrict participating in this study,Maine Township struggles to maintainor improve its current arts program inthe face of competition from otherquarters of the curriculum. Fortunatelyfor this community, the philosophy ofthe school board and superintendent isthat to be culturally literate is to possessthe basic information needed to thrivein the modern world. The district seeksto celebrate architecture, design, drama,instrumental and choral music, art,photography and performance. Furtherdevelopment, refinement, and exten-sion of this curriculum is affordedthrough the board of education's strate-gic plan that emphasizes curriculumand staff development.

A Profile:

MASCONOMET (MA)Factors StatisticsThe community./Parent/Public Relations,/Planning,/


rn Masconomet Regional School1 District, which serves Essex Countysome 25 miles northeast of Boston,arts educators have found two keystrategies for strengthening arts pro-grams:

1. visibility for your arts educationprogram;

2. patience and persistence ineffecting change.

"When you are seeking publicsupport," said Walter M. Meinelt,chairman of the arts department ofMasconomet Regional Junior-SeniorHigh School, "it is essential to be seenin the community. Work at fosteringbusiness and school partnerships; vol-unteer to paint faces at communityfairs and festivals; display work in thetown hall, in the public library, and inthe local malls; participate in art con-tests (and when the results are positivemake sure that they are publicized);apply for grants that bring artists intothe schools and invite the public tocome hear or see them as well. In other

PAGE 62

words get the word out that you havean active and involved department," headvised. "The students, parents, admin-istration, and school committee takegreat pride in positive press.

"It is also important to bepatient," Meinelt added, echoingschool leaders in many other districtsthat participated in this study."Positive change takes time. Whenbuilding a program, it has to be doneslowly and steadily over time. We tryto work with a set of departmentalgoals that are first established in thespring and then refined in the fall ofeach new school year. This is followedwith checkpoints throughout the year.Our experience has shown us thatwhen we set realistic but forward-thinking goals and then publicize oursuccesses, we have been able to earnthe respect of both the school person-nel and the community."

A Profile:

MEMPHIS (TN)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The Superintendent,/Continuity in Leadership,/District Arts

Coordinator(s),/Opportunities for Higher


Outside Forces,/Continuous

Improvement,/


Wien the entire country wasleciding what to do about the

downslide of student achievement inthe early 1980s, Memphis City Schools(MCS) adopted the Discipline-BasedArts Education (DBAE) philosophywhich inspired notable changes withinthe individual arts disciplines (dance,theater, music, and visual arts). Thosechanges occurring across the arts disci-plines resulted in Memphis CitySchools placing greater emphasis on:

spiraling essential knowledge andskills across K-12 grade levels;establishing higher expectations andthe importance of "quality" relatingto student production/performance;educating every child to be a knowl-edgeable producer and consumer ofall of the arts;identifying the interrelationshipsamong all of the arts, especially inunderstanding that all art composi-

6 5

tions/arrangements are similar in"parts-to-whole" structuring;unifying the arts disciplines at theschool level to create interdiscipli-nary projects where art studentscreate the sets and props, the musicstudents create and perform themusic, theater students develop char-acterization, creative writing studentswrite the script, the dance studentscreate the choreography, and thetechnical theater students are incharge of the sound and lighting;introducing students to both appliedart careers as well as fine art careers.

Today, the Memphis CitySchools system's strong commitmentto the arts is evidenced in staffing,course offerings at the secondary level,funding for equipment and materials,technology-based programs, innova-tive enrichment and special programs,and district-level leadership. The avail-ability of the arts to all children isattributed to the strong leadership ofthe superintendent, who believes thatthe arts are essential to the develop-ment of every child. While othermajor school districts across the nationwere cutting funding for the arts, Dr.N. Gerry House was supporting theadvancement of arts education.

All 103 K-6 schools have eitherOrff music or art specialists (10 schoolshave both). The district's goal is tohave a music specialist and an art spe-cialist for every 525 students by theyear 2000. All 20 middle/junior highschools have art and music (vocal andinstrumental) programs, and threemiddle schools have theater programs.All 29 high schools have visual art,vocal music, instrumental music, andtheater programs. Four schools havedance programs, which have recentlybeen moved to the arts from physicaleducation.

Professional staff developmentfor the 400-plus arts specialists is pro-vided by the district each year toupdate strategies for implementing artsstandards. Additional training isoffered at the Teaching and LearningAcademy for elementary classroomteachers in arts integration practices.Under the auspices of the academy,Bruce Elementary School is serving as amodel arts integration school in whichall regular teachers have been trainedby the Memphis Arts Council'sAesthetic Institute program. Further,the school is being heavily evaluatedin ways very few schools are in anycurriculum area.

This extensive arts training, aswell as arts standards implementationand curriculum design, is providedthrough the district's three arts admin-istrators. The music and dance and theart and theater specialists are part ofthe Office of Student Standards. Thespecial skills coordinator (Orff music,elementary strings, class piano, andelementary movement) is in the Officeof Instructional Support.

Their combined allegiance inpromoting all of the arts has provideda recognizable strength in theMemphis community.

The arts are part of both budgetand building planning in Memphis. TheMCS school board has increased overallallocations to the arts as well as provid-ing five full-time musical instrumentrepair technicians to maintain the dis-trict's $9 million-plus musicalequipment inventory. Most funding issite-based to the local schools, but pro-tection for the arts has been encouragedby the district office. The three artsadministrators are included on thearchitectural design teams for new con-structions and renovations to ensureproper and adequate space for the arts.

Meanwhile, the district considerstechnology in planning for both cur-riculum and building. Two highschools have recording studios andclasses in commercial music. Studentsin eight elementary and one highschool are involved in a special "Kids'N' Blues" program (see sidebar) inwhich they rely on technology toresearch, interact with other studentsand experts worldwide, and developoriginal blues. Three high schools offerclasses and studio experiences in tele-vision and video production. Studentsat Overton Creative and PerformingArts High School are engaging in digi-tal studio music and designingarchitectural structures and fashionson computers. Overton has receivedGoals 2000 funds to support theDigital Art and Design (DAD) program.

To give all children opportunitiesin interdisciplinary arts practices, thedistrict offers enrichment programstuition-free to students, including:after-school playwriting and producing,a summer arts camp, a blues camp, amusic technology camp, and more.

Underlying all the programs andinitiatives is the rich heritage ofMemphis as a "hometown" for manygreat arts talents and as the "birthplaceof blues and rock 'n' roll." Communitysupport for arts education formed

'When students see where they aregoing, they're more in tune with organ-izing the essential components whichcontribute to an exemplary product.They are less likely to complain aboutthe time necessary to accomplish thedesired results, and they are more like-ly to complete their work - no matterhow difficult the task. In the arts thereis always the presence of 'quality,'which actually drives dedication topractice and refinement of skills to pro-duce the best possible product. Howsimilar is this description to the appli-cation of knowledge and skills in thegeneral everyday workplace?"

James HolcombArts AdministratorMusic and DanceMemphis City Schools

through student achievements andpartnerships is an essential part of thesuccess of the district's arts programs.

MCS originated the Adopt-a-School program in which localbusinesses have the opportunity toadopt a school. The Orpheum Theatrehas adopted all of the arts programs inthe district, providing discount or freetickets for teachers or students, school-to-work opportunities, and studentworkshops. Last year, the Orpheumoffered the first enrichment summerprogram for students interested inlearning the business and managementaspects of theater production.

Nationally recognized for itsinnovative programs in the district, theMemphis Arts Council's Center for ArtsEducation provides the Lincoln Centeraesthetic education teacher trainingand classroom follow-up program for300 teachers each year, the Wolf TrapEarly Learning Through the Arts child-hood program in 19 Head Start centers,a six-part Family Arts Series, an after-school program in eight schools, andthe Artists Residency program currentlyin 70 schools. The Center for ArtsEducation is funded primarily by grantsand local benefactors.

The National Academy ofRecording Arts and Sciences (NARAS),Memphis Chapter, offers its Grammyin the Schools performance program,lecture/demonstration concerts in theschools, mentorship/advisory bureau,and periodic seminars.

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATHA613 BEST

MEMPHIS SINGS OF"KIDS 'N' BLUES"

Kids 'N' Blues is a cross-curricular

learning activity, now in its third year,which brings together some 700 stu-

dents from eight Memphis elementaryschools and one high school. The pro-

ject engages the students in learningabout the blues as an art form, how ithas influenced history (and vice versa),how arts forms relate to society, tech-

nology, demography, and theeconomics of regions.

While its culminating project, a stu-dent-produced CD, has received

nationwide attention, the project maybe most remarkable for its impact on

students who, with little or no back-ground in the arts, studied in depth thepower the arts have in society andthus the importance of sustaining,

teaching, and making art. Kids 'N'Blues successfully integrates art intothe mainstream classroom curriculumand helps to break down the divisionsbetween art and other subject areas.

Perhaps most important, however, hasbeen the involvement of parents,

grandparents, and community mem-bers in the students' research

interviews. These activities reinforce

interaction between the student'sschool activities and those occurringat home and in the community. They

involve the students in spoken andsung language, much like the evolutionof the art form itself. And even thougha large number of students' familiesare at or below the poverty level, theyhave supported the students withregard to attendance, performances,

recording sessions after regular schoolhours, transportation and chaperones.

Fine-tuned for the Memphis CitySchools district by a team that includ-ed Superintendent House, the programwas designed and developed by DavidReider of BBN Systems &

Technologies in Cambridge,

Massachusetts, whose Co-NECTSchool Design incorporates collabora-tive and project-based learning andmulti-age clusters. BellSouthFoundation provided the funding.

AVAILABLEPAGE 63

A Profile:

MINOT (N D)Factors StatisticsThe Community-4The School Board4The Superintendent/Planning-4Continuous

Improvementq

Schools (Total): 18Students (Total): 7,692Per Pupil: $4,095Arts Teachers (Total): N/A

1Wthan 100 miles from theNorth Dakota state capital of

Bismarck, Minot City is a primarilyScandinavian/German communitythat also is home to a large number ofNative Americans and personnel at theMinot Air Force Base. It is a communi-ty that supports the arts, as is evidentfrom its two local ballet companies,numerous musical groups, the WesternPlains Children's Opera, the MouseRiver Children's Theater, and theannual Norsk Hostefest celebration.

It is also a community that hasprovided music and visual arts at themiddle and high school levels andmusic taught by specialists in elemen-tary school for many years. But drasticcuts at the state level have prohibitedthe hiring of elementary-level visualarts specialists. From the district'sfive-year planning project, begun in1988-89, an interim solution surfacedin the form of a series of workshopson arts education for Minot adminis-trators and educators.

These staff development work-shops have become an ongoingpriority for the volunteer committee ofeducators and community leaderscalled Minot Public Schools ArtsResource for Teachers and Students(MPS ARTS). Collaborating with theMinot Area Council on the Arts, MPSARTS offers a special staff developmentworkshop in dance for communityand public schools educators. TheMPS ARTS education curriculum,which follows the guidelines of theNorth Dakota Department of PublicInstruction and the National Standardsfor Arts Education, also has become avital component of an InteractiveTelevision (ITV) curriculum to enhancelearning opportunities for students inthe sparsely populated surroundingarea. An annual Creative Arts Campdeveloped and run by MPS ARTS pro-vides an integrated summer artsexperience for students in grades K-2.

Minot Public Schools also workswith Minot State University on a"College for Kids" program. Studentswho wish to pursue additional arts

PAGE 64

studies after school, on weekends, andduring the summer can take courses inthe visual arts, puppetry, music, story-telling, writing, and dance, all taughtby local arts specialists.

To fill in gaps in funding, theschool district seeks donations andworks with the arts council. "Fundingdoes not come easily," says ArlynMarquardt, curriculum coordinator forthe district. "Perseverance like con-stantly writing grants and thinking ofnew ways to fund raise all helps."

A Profile:

MISSOULACOUNTY (MT)Factors StatisticsThe Communitr/Parent/Public Relations-4National, State, Other

Outside Forcesq


Missoula is a university community,manufacturing center, and distri-

bution hub for western Montana. Ithas a vibrant arts community nurturedby the 11,000 students at theUniversity of Montana and its schoolsof music, art, dance and drama, andEnglish. Not only the university butalso four galleries, practicing artistsand musicians, the Missoula CulturalCouncil, a children's theater, a sym-phony and symphony choir, andYoung Artists of Montana provide abase of cultural value. "It is from thiscommunity that Missoula CountyPublic Schools draws such outstandingsupport," explains Paul Ritter, Missoulafine arts supervisor.

While music is viewed as thestrongest segment of the arts in thepublic schools, significant staffing andtime also is given to the visual arts,especially in the middle and highschools. Visual arts teachers see everymiddle school student through nine-week wheels. Also found in middleschool wheels are courses in dramaand video production. Music, visualarts, and drama are offered at the highschool level. Creative writing sectionsare offered at the urban high schools.

Music is viewed as the strongestarts program in the Missoula publicschools. All elementary students studygeneral music twice a week with amusic specialist, and instrumental

6

instruction begins in the fifth grade. Inmiddle school, students study musicevery day for each of three years. It isnot unusual for music teachers to see300 to 400 children during a day. Onthe one hand, Ritter points out, that isa large number of children for instruc-tional purposes. On the other hand, headds, "That's a tremendous parent base."

That parent base proved criticalto Missoula arts education in the mid-1990s when a budget crisis developedover an enrollment-driven formuladevised by the state legislature forallocating funds to school districts. InMissoula, fifth-grade instrumentalmusic, elementary visual art, middleschool general music, and the K-8fine arts coordinator were slated forelimination.

A coalition of groups of parents,community leaders, and arts educatorsspoke strongly in support of arts edu-cation. Letters, board meetingattendance, university and alumnispokespeople, and a volunteer eco-nomic analysis of the impact allhelped reverse the momentum to cutarts education. The school board andthe administration chose to keep theexisting programs intact. In fact, withthe community value of the arts firmlyestablished, the administration choseto invest in arts education infrastruc-ture and expanded the fine artscoordinator position from K-8 to K-12.

Meanwhile, in the last few years,the State of Montana has put a fine artsgraduation requirement in place which,says Ritter, "has increased participationsignificantly in all arts classes."Missoula County Public Schools hasrevised or is revising all of its arts curric-ula to reflect the National Standards forArts Education. As a result, music offersboth performance-based study withband, choir, and orchestra electives aswell as general music in middle schooland theory in high school, whichemphasizes the basic skills needed tounderstand music.

But with Missoula's enrollmentstill declining, all of educationincluding the arts is expected toexperience some cutbacks. The visualarts education specialists in the ele-mentary schools do not provideplanning release time for classroomteachers, so their positions may be vul-nerable. Still, a value precedent hasbeen set for arts education that contin-ues to carry over into the classroomsof Missoula.

A Profile:

MONTELLO (WI)Factors StatisticsThe Superintendent./Continuity in Leadership./

Schools (Total): 2Students (Total): 900Per Pupil: $7,589Arts Teachers (Total): 10

e unique feature of the long-/ established arts program in the

School District of Monte llo, districtadministrator Robert Klug suggests, isthe collaboration among the variousarts disciplines.

"There is a lot of crossover: Artteachers and art students, for example,work with drama teachers and stu-dents," he says. "This interactionallows projects to be integrated into asystem and theme. Visual art, speech,and drama are all integrated, which iswhat education is all about."

This integrated curriculum oper-ates at several levels within eachMonte llo class, even in the elementaryschool. In this way, all students,including special needs students, caninteract in one class. The junior highprogram includes traditional arts andemphasis on performing arts, includ-ing film and theater using puppets,marionettes and shadow puppets.Students participate at their own levelof interest and ability.

"We encourage every student toexplore his or her ability," says Klug,"and see if they want to proceed to thenext level in that particular field.There should be an opportunity forevery child to try out his or her talentsand interests."

Drama, reading, and creativewriting all have long histories inMonte llo and are enthusiastically sup-ported by staff, school board, andsuperintendent, who is chairman ofthe Wisconsin Forensics Association.Klug sees these activities as enormous-ly effective ways to explore individualcreativity: "Drama gives students achance to develop, express themselves,and gain the confidence to achieve."

A Profile:

MSAD #28_ (CAMDEN-ROCKPORT% ME)FactorsThe CommunitrlThe School Board./The Superintendent./Continuity in Leadership./National, State, Other

Outside Forces./

StatisticsSchools (Total): 3Students (total): 1,440Per Pupil: $6,230Arts Teachers (Total): 25

Clamden-Rockport's Maine SchoolAdministrative District #28 reports

a "longstanding and growing commit-ment to the arts over the past 25 years."The milestones cited by the districtclosely parallel those of many districtsincluded in this report. In a brief list,they highlight the links of community-superintendent-school board thatbuild consensus and support for artseducation:

1972 - The "Youth Arts Program"was incorporated. This community-based program provides artsenrichment throughout the district,has supported residencies at alllevels in dance, poetry, painting,crafts, architecture, composition,cartooning, drama, storytelling,and folk art.1979 - The high school wasexpanded to include rehearsal,performance, and art spaces.1980s - Through the decade, focuson arts education continued,including a commitment to hiringart educators who were both teach-ers and artists/performers.

The school board and adminis-tration demonstrate support for artsprograms by regularly allocating fundsto them as well as hiring new staff. Asthe district has built its arts educationprogram, time and materials allocatedto arts education have consistentlyincreased. For example, plans for anew high school with expanded artsfacilities have been strongly endorsedby both the board and administrationas a high priority. Budget decisions aremade first by teachers, then approvedat the administrative level, followed byboard and then voter approval.

The district reports that thedepartments that are the most wellequipped music and visual art are"close to reflecting the national volun-tary standards developed in responseto the Goals 2000 legislation." Withthe construction of a new high schoolfacility, MSAD #28 anticipates that"the drama and dance programs will

CI


be designed to match these standards."Shortly after he joined the dis-

trict as superintendent in 1997,William R. Doughty stated his inten-tion to continue the administration'ssupport of arts education:"My five-year plan for this school dis-trict...begins with my wholeheartedenjoyment of the level of commit-ment, skill, and participation in ouroutstanding programs and of com-munity support of arts in our schools.In the first school budget I sawpassed, the community supported thefunding of several new positions inthe arts as well as a new arts programwhich will include many more visit-ing artists in the elementary schooland drama and visual arts programsin the middle school. Thus the visionis not simply my vision, but is mold-ed and worked on by the wholecommunity. Our continual effortsover sustained years will help this toblossom for our students so that eachof us will be able to recognize theartist within them and within us."

A Profile:

MSAD #40(WALDOBOROg ME)Factors StatisticsThe School Board./The Superintendent.INational, State, Other

Outside Forces./Planning./Continuous improvement]

$chools (total): 9Students (Total): 2,425Per Pupil: $4,036Arts Teachers (total): 14

Waldoboro, Maine, and the neigh-boring rural communities of

Friendship, Union, Warren, andWashington, began to witness changesin the arts education of their schooldistrict in 1978, the year David R. Gaulbecame superintendent of MaineSchool Administrative District #40.

The instrumental and vocalmusic programs, which had been inexistence since the early 1950s, hadconsistently provided challenging cur-riculum for the students of MSAD #40(as the district is usually abbreviated).Where attention was most needed wasin the visual arts, and attention waspaid there with great success.

In the past dozen years, with thesupport of the school board, district-and building-level administrators, andthe community, the school system hasdeveloped an elementary art program,


PAGE 65

created positions for three arts teachers,and added one arts teacher each to themiddle and high school levels. Alongwith the teaching staff came develop-ment of a comprehensive visual artscurriculum similar to a Discipline-BasedArt Education model for grades K-12.

Interdisciplinary teaching inMSAD #40 is strongest at the middleschool level. Around 1985, D.R. GaulMiddle School, then called UnionJunior High, began its transition froma junior high to a middle school.Instead of scheduling art as an "alliedarts" course separate from the coreclasses, the art teacher advocated andthe "core" teachers supported theinclusion of art as a core subject. Thisone small step for a Maine school dis-trict took place at least five years priorto the inclusion of the arts in Goals2000's "core curriculum."

As a restilt, visual art classesbegan meeting the same number oftimes per week as other subjects.Consequently, students began to havehigher regard for art as a subject. Theart curriculum has since evolved intoan integral part of many interdiscipli-nary units, such as the eighth-gradeunit on Ancient Greece.

MSAD #40, which has used theNational Standards for Arts Educationand Maine's Learning Results as guide-lines, has taken the lead in Maine withdistrict-wide arts assessment. Currently,the district has established benchmarksin the visual arts for students in grades3, 6, 8, and 12. Performance assess-ments have been developed for grades3, 6, and 8; they are being field tested.The assessments combine a range ofactivities that ask the students to drawimages and answer questions abouttheir choices, identify well-knownartists' work and the work of others,and answer questions about the art ofother cultures.

The arts educators of MSAD #40anticipated change with the 1996retirement of Superintendent Gaul andthe arrival of Dr. Roger Spugnardi aswell as several new administrators andschool board members. According tothe arts educator Argera (Argy) Nestor,who is a recent Maine Teacher of theYear, "In the spring of 1997, when thebudget was being scrutinized by newerschool board members, communitysupport was clear. A suggestion wasmade to eliminate the instrumentalmusic program at the elementary andmiddle school levels. This informationappeared in the newspapers, and at thenext board meeting 150 taxpayers

PAGE 66

were in attendance. These people werethere to send a clear message that thisprogram should continue."

The challenge over the next fiveyears, Nestor observed, will be one ofdeveloping working relationships andexplaining the importance of arts edu-cation. "Once this is established," shesaid, "we need to continue with ourimportant curriculum work, movingforward with our assessment compo-nents and working to achieve thehighest standards for all students invisual and performing arts."

A Profile:

NORMAN (OK)Factors StatisticsThe School Board,/ Schools (Total): 22The Superintendent4 Students (Total): 12,435District Arts Per Pupil: $3,960

Coordinator(s),/ Arts Teachers (Total): 71Parent/Public Relations,/National, State, Other Outside Forces,/Planning,/Continuous improvement/

Morman, Oklahoma, is largely a1 middle-class, reasonably affluentcommunity that is home to theUniversity of Oklahoma. However, itslow property taxes and lack of industrymake the Norman Public Schools systemone of the poorer districts in the state.

"We have to optimize every situ-ation for the benefit of our students'education and to support our commu-nity's desire for high standards andachievement," says Dr. John Clinton,who directs the district's arts programs.

In Norman, all areas of the artsare taught by specialists in the fieldwith the exception of visual art at theelementary level, which is taught byclassroom teachers (some certified invisual arts). Additionally, all of theteachers are full-time certified teachers,with the exception of the teachers formodern dance, music theory, and sec-ondary general music.

While the district saw a signifi-cant need for those classes, Normandid not have the funds to hire certifiedinstructors. "So," Clinton explained, "Ilooked through the state departmentof education rules to discover that wecould, in fact, hire 'adjunct' teachers.Adjuncts are hired on an hourly con-tract basis. The number of hours theycan teach is limited, but hiring themallows us to meet the needs of a limit-ed number of students within ourbudget constraints. The adjuncts musthave an undergraduate degree in the

"Team Teaching" MusicFor the past 35 years, the Norman PublicSchools band and orchestra faculty hasbeen "team teaching." The secondaryvocal music faculty also has been teamteaching on a limited basis for 15 years.

"'Team teaching' is defined in our case asplacing two teachers in one class in orderto divide the class into smaller groups andto provide peer coaching. This tactic givesstudents who perform on different instru-ments or who have different vocal rangesthe opportunity to study with experts whocan 'model' the sound and techniques ofthat instrument or voice," explains JohnClinton, district arts coordinator.

The program is structured to create anadded benefit: teacher development.Upper level teachers are required to teamteach at the beginning and intermediatelevels; those with primary responsibilitiesat the beginning and intermediate stageswork with upper level students and havethe opportunity to see their needs first-hand. Team teaching is generallyscheduled during school hours. In somecases, it occurs before and/or afterschool hours when students attend sec-tional rehearsals.

MEW

area in which we hire, and they mustmeet criteria to verify their abilities toteach and demonstrate."

The overall arts program has beencarefully articulated in a process thatengaged all of the district's fine and per-forming arts teachers. According toClinton, "We studied a variety of stan-dards, including the National Standardsfor Arts Education, different state-levelcurriculum guides, lesson plans and goalsfrom our teachers, textbooks on the arts,and fine and performing arts educationcourses at universities. The committeesof arts teachers developed articulationcharts and curriculum guides, which theypresented with the fine arts director tothe director of curriculum for the district,to the assistant superintendent for educa-tional services, to the superintendent ofschools, and to the principal at eachschool. Opportunity was given to each ofthese administrators to suggest changes.After changes were made, a final presen-tation was made to the board ofeducation. Opportunity was again pro-vided for suggested changes. Afinal copy was then sent to all teachers,administrators, and school board mem-bers."

The curriculum guides are nowreviewed every two years to allow forexpansion and corrections. "It is theonly way we believe these documentswill remain viable in helping ourteachers complete their tasks," he says.

Standing behind Norman'sintensive work on curriculum, stan-

dards implementation, and overall artseducation programs is a communitythat shows its support through parentorganizations, including a new com-munity/parent group dedicated to thesupport of all of the fine and perform-ing arts in the Norman schools. Thecommunity at large and various artis-tic partner groups, such as theFirehouse Art Center, University ofOklahoma, Sooner Theater, NormanArts and Humanities Council, and theChildren's Arts Network, assist with in-kind opportunities and, on occasion,financial matching.

Given a fluctuating financialstate, Norman Public Schools' budgetcuts to arts programs are overcomethrough matching grants, communitysupport, and donations from alumniand friends of the arts programs.

The arts programs have friends onthe board of education and particularlyin the office of Dr. Nancy O'Brian, whoplayed the clarinet when she was inhigh school, has been a teacher, princi-pal, curriculum director, assistantsuperintendent, and now superinten-dent in the Norman school system. Shevalues arts education and articulates thisvision: "Through arts education, everychild will have the opportunity todevelop his/her gift as a performer orartist; every child will have the opportu-nity to utilize the arts as an importanttool in the development of intellectualand personal growth, and every childwill have the opportunity to learn thelanguage of arts education in order todevelop an appreciation of the fine andperforming arts."

A Profile:

NORTH ALLEGHENY(PITTSBURGH, PA)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/District Arts Coordinator(s),/An Elementary Foundation,/Opportunities for Higher Levels of Achievement,/National, State, Other Outside Forces,/Planning,/Continuous Improvement,/


Dfty years of commitment to arts/ education in Pittsburgh's NorthAllegheny School District has shaped aprogram that today includes specialiststeaching music and the visual arts, the-ater and dance (97 percent of themfull-time and certified); support from

the school board, parents, a Foundationfor Excellence, and the business com-munity; Advanced Placement programsin art and music; and an arts appren-ticeship program for students to gainexperience in art-related careers.

Originally a small rural districtthat has grown into a large suburbansystem with increased demand for thearts, North Allegheny allocates 4.5percent of the district's budget for artseducation, including staff. According tothe department chairs for music andart, James T. Reinhard, Jr., and Frank J.Farina, Jr., respectively, the district phi-losophy is: "The teacher makes thedifference." The district also recognizesthe need for space for the arts.

Art and music specialists meetelementary students once a week eachin designated rooms. Middle schoolstudents are met every day for one-third of the school year in designatedrooms. Upper secondary students aremet daily according to elective sched-uling, although the high schools'specialized studio and rehearsal facili-ties are increasingly taxed by thenumber of students.

Special initiatives are supported,including a program for integratingthe arts at the elementary level; aninterdisciplinary art, science, socialstudies collaboration on the AlleghenyRiver, which is funded by theDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection; a high school art gallery,and traveling gallery program. Thecomputer multimedia course offeredby art and music was recognized,along with electronic music composi-tion and music, as a "Best Practices inthe Arts" program by the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education, thePennsylvania Council on the Arts, andthe Howard Heinz Endowment.

North Allegheny's superinten-dent, Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo,emphasizes careful planning and theshaping of a focused vision for thearts. That vision includes thoughtfulintegration of the curriculum, present-ing concepts and skills sequentially. Healso advocates the use of new tech-nologies in the arts.

Over the next five years, NorthAllegheny must meet the challenge ofgrowth of student participation in thearts with an increase in facilities, staff,equipment, materials and supplies. Inaddition, with grants, partnerships,advocacy and other creative solutions,the district anticipates widening inte-gration, introducing portfolio


assessment, expanding inclusions,widening integration, and adoptingstate and national standards.

A Profile:

OAK PARK 97 (IL)Factors StatisticsThe Communitr/The Superintendent/Continuity in Leadership-4An Elementary

FoundationgNational, State, Other

Outside Forces-4


Qak Park is singular among Americansuburbs in its rich artistic heritage

and fertile contemporary arts climate.Writers Ernest Hemingway and EdgarRice Burroughs, modern dance pioneerDoris Humphrey, and architect FrankLloyd Wright were Oak Park residents acentury ago. Today the community,which sits at the western border ofChicago, is home to celebrated actors,sculptors, composers, filmmakers, andother artists, and it embraces more than200 arts organizations and businesses.Many of these individuals and organi-zations play important supporting rolesin the schools of Oak Park ElementaryDistrict 97.

Historically, the Oak Park com-munity has placed great emphasis onthe quality of its schools and has longplayed an active role in making theschools strong in arts education. In1989, for example, a team of parents,community members, teachers, andadministrators came together to makedistrict budget reduction recommenda-tions to the school board. Unanimously,they recommended raising class sizerather than making any reductions tothe district's art programs. The districthas since added arts staff. Parents alsoparticipate in the schools as volunteersin arts-related activities.

In fact, the Oak Park EducationFoundation, a volunteer coalition ofcommunity and business leaders andeducators, has been working with theOak Park Area Arts Council to plan andpilot an "ArtStart" effort to more effec-tively link area visual, performing, andliterary artists with the schools. Formore than a decade already, artists andauthors have been providing hundredsof area students, selected by classroomlottery, with annual workshops.

Besides a tradition of communi-ty arts support, Oak Park has had the


PAGE 67

benefit of Dr. John Fagan's leadershipand consistent commitment to thearts. In 1989, for example, when thedistrict was struggling financially,Superintendent Fagan supportedJulian Middle School's fledgling CAST(Communication, Art, Speech,Theater) program, then in its secondyear of a three-year Illinois State Boardof Education funding grant. In 1996,he similarly supported EmersonMiddle School, then in the third yearof an Urban Partnership Grant for itsBRAVO program of incorporating thearts into the curricula and intoextracurricular activities.

District 97 is more than 100years old, and the arts have been animportant part of Oak Park students'educational experience for as far backas records are available. All studentsparticipate in arts, music, and physicaleducation instruction (includingdance) through the curricula, and allstudents have access to specialists inthese areas. The district also has vigor-ously pursued a strategy of integrationfor dance, drama, music, and thevisual arts, employing consultants,conducting staff development, andsecuring funds from a variety ofsources. The district's arts curriculahas been reviewed and revised inrecent years to reflect the Illinois StateGoals for Learning in the Fine Arts.Performance assessments have beenwritten for all grades in visual arts,general music, dance, and drama.

A Profile:

OHIO COUNTY (WV)Factors StatisticsThe CommunityJTeachers Who Practice

Their ArtqAn Elementary

Foundation-J


nhio County Schools' mission, thedistrict reports, is to develop

young people to their maximumpotential in social responsibility,employability in the workplace, andlifelong learning. The district has iden-tified four areas key to accomplishingits mission: staff development, com-munity involvement, management ofacademic performance, and transitionpreparation.

In the area of arts education, thebenefits of well-managed transition are

PAGE 68

apparent in the district administration.For more than 20 years, arts educationsupervision for the Ohio CountySchools was provided by PatriciaSolomon. When legislated downsizingcut county office staffs in the state,Solomon assumed additional responsi-bilities as director of personnel andshared arts supervision with Dr.Bonnie Ritz, director of instruction,whose academic background is in lan-guage arts and theater. When Solomonretired in 1996, Ritz took responsibilityfor supervision of all arts instruction inthe schools. Continuity and effectiveleadership have been maintained.

The transitions from a strong ele-mentary foundation in the arts tomiddle school and then high schoolare noteworthy. Beginning in kinder-garten, students receive music and artinstruction with a certified professionaleducator. This instruction is providedto every student, kindergarten throughgrade 8. Strings instruction, which hasgrown in recent years, is availablebeginning at grade 4.

At the fifth-grade level (fourthin some schools), chorus is an option.The middle school instrumental musicinstructors provide the instruction forgrade 5 students. Jazz bands also beginin middle school. To facilitate continu-ation in arts education, band studentsvisit Wheeling Park High School duringgrade 8. Orchestra concerts involveboth middle school and high schoolstudent performances, and students areprovided the opportunity to shadowhigh school students during grade 8.

Ohio County Schools relation-ship with the community is a two-waystreet. Partnerships with businessesand arts organizations support theschools' arts activities; arts students'and teachers' participation in civicevents and service projects benefit thecommunity. The larger benefit of thisrelationship is evident in the votingbooth: Taxpayers in this school districthave never rejected an excess levy tosupport the public schools.

Funding for arts educationteachers' salaries, state-adopted text-books, instructional materials,equipment, instrument repair, andstaff development programs comesfrom the school budget. Grants andfund raising by parents and communi-ty groups support special concerts,artists' residencies, and other needs.

7 1

A Profile:

OLATHE 233 (KS)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Boarch/The Superintendent,/District Arts

Coordinator(s),/An Elementary Foundation4National, State, Other Outside Forces4Planning./Continuous Improvement,/

Olathe District Schools' experiencesin planning and continuous

improvement, as detailed in the dis-trict's report for this study, may proveparticularly useful to other school dis-tricts.

ON BUILDING AN ARTS EDUCATIONTEAM FROM (ALMOST) SCRATCH

Arts education has been a partof Olathe District Schools since thedistrict was formed in 1965, but in thepast 10 years, both programs andcoordination of the arts haveincreased. Dr. Ron Wimmer, superin-tendent, and Dr. Alison Banikowski,assistant superintendent for curricu-lum and instruction, along with manyother individuals, have been instru-mental in focusing attention on thearts and in providing leadership andsupport for the district's facilitatorsand coordinators.

For many years, monthly meetingswere scheduled with a districtadministrator and the music coordi-nator. In 1983-84, an elementary artteacher was hired half-time to coor-dinate visual arts education for the16 elementary buildings. Through agreat deal of effort on the part of afew key members of the community,the administration and Board ofEducation looked closely at the status of visual arts education at theelementary level. They then addedto the half-time position to create atotal of four elementary art resourceteachers to support teachers in theirtask of providing visual arts educa-tion each week for their students.That team of four wrote a K-6 art cur-riculum in 1984-86. In 1987, it wasrecognized by the National ArtEducation Association as a model ele-mentary art curriculum. The programwas recognized by the Kansas StateDepartment of Education as aProgram of Excellence. One of themembers of the art resource teachergroup was designated as Team Leader.In 1986-87, facilitators for generalmusic, secondary choral music, andorchestra were appointed. Each per-


son was teaching full time andbeginning to assume some coordina-tion responsibilities.

In 1987-88, the Elementary Art TeamLeader began to assume some K-12visual arts coordination duties. Shewas named District Art Coordinatorand given one-half day a week forcoordination responsibilities. Thattime was expanded to one and one-half days a week in 1993-94, and theyearly contract was extended by threeweeks to match the contract length ofother curriculum coordinators.In 1994-95, a new position of FineArts Coordinator was created. It wasfilled by the Visual Arts Coordinator,who continues in that position andcontinues to serve one day a week asan art resource teacher for one elementary building. At the same time, afacilitator for theater was appointed.In 1996-97, the facilitator positionsbecame stipend positions.Monthly meetings continue with theassistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, fine artscoordinator, the music coordinator,the orchestra facilitator, the sec-ondary choral facilitators, and thegeneral music facilitators.

ON BUILDING AN ARTICULATEDCURRICULUM FROM FRAGMENTS

In the 1980s, Olathe curriculumfor each of the arts areas was fragment-ed. It had been written for grade-levelgroupings without much alignment forfuture or previous grade-level groups(elementary, junior high, and highschool). No formal coordination exist-ed among the fine arts.

Today, a five-year curriculumrevision cycle is in place, establishedby the district in the early 1990s for allcontent areas. It includes pre-study,curriculum writing, implementation,resource selection, and assessmentcomposing.

The district arts leaders report:"An important factor was writingsequentially for kindergarten throughgrade 12. Since this was a newapproach for most, it was comfortableto varying degrees, but very educationalfor all of us to be involved in recom-mending what curriculum looks like ateach level and to clearly see relation-ships between the levels. Focusing onoutcomes rather than activities was aleap for many of those involved. Ourdistrict's curriculum writing coincidedwith the publication of the NationalStandards for Arts Education. The

national standards were a driving forcein the writing of local curriculum. Thefine arts coordinator served on a taskforce which wrote the Kansas Standardsfor Visual Art Education during a simi-lar time period, and brought relevantdialogue from arts educators around thestate to the curriculum-writing process."

If Olathe's arts curriculum wasgiven a boost by the national standardscampaign, it was given a challenge bythe State Board of Regents, whichrecently defined the specific number ofcredits required for scholarships in thestate colleges, putting a heavy empha-sis on "core" requirements. The timerestrictions of a six-hour school day arecausing scheduling problems for stu-dents seeking to include the arts intheir education.

Suggested solutions include set-ting aside blocks of time for the arts ormoving to a seven-hour school day,thereby affording students more sched-uling options.

A Profile:

ORLAND 135(ORLAND PARK, IL)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/National, State, Other

Outside Forces,/


L ike other Chicago area school sys-tems, Orland School District 135

takes excellent advantage of the city'smultitude of arts resources. Even ifthose world-class resources were notavailable, the district could point withpride to its work in arts educationwithin its own 24 square miles ofsouthwestern Cook County.

Arts education in the OrlandPark School District is inclusive, acces-sible, measurable (using portfolio andauthentic assessments), national andstate standards-based, performance-and product-focused. It is taught byvisual arts and music specialists in acomprehensive sequential programthat begins in the district's four prima-ry centers and continues through thethree intermediate centers and threejunior highs. Drama is also taughtstarting at the middle-school level.The program is fully funded by theschool district, but the community stillprovides additional support.

Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCATION 72

Parents take a leading role inmaking the arts more visible and morevaluable to education in the Orlanddistrict. The Parents Music Associationraises funds for music camp scholar-ships, uniforms, instruments, andaudio equipment. Parents forEducation has contributed many dol-lars to provide additional artsexperience for Orland School Districtstudents. With the support of parentsand the community at large, the dis-trict and the Village of Orland Parkhave collaborated not only on month-ly showcases of student artwork butalso on an annual fine arts exhibition.

This exhibition incorporatesvisual work from grades K-8 andincludes a recital by the district orches-tra. To display the student art work,the Village of Orland Park purchased40 flats, commits the Village Hall for amonth for the show, and gives thetime of a maintenance crew for assis-tance with installation. Meanwhile,the district gives arts teachers addition-al time to prepare the art exhibit fordisplay. From this community art exhi-bition, a student work is selected torepresent each school and is displayedfor a year in the board of educationoffices. These pieces are professionallyframed and returned to the student atthe year's end.

As a gesture of thanks (and goodpublic relations), each opening night vis-itor to the fine arts exhibition receives asmall memento of student artwork.

A Profile:

PARSIPPANY...TROY HILLSTOWNSHIP (NJ)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/Teachers Who Practice

Their Art,/Planning,/

Schools (Total): 12Students (Total): 6,157Per Pupil: $9,189Arts Teachers (Total): N/A

a Tt took a lot of talking through/ rough years, but it has been

worth it in every way," says Dr.Timothy Brennan, superintendent ofschools for this affluent metropolitanNew York suburban district which hasgrown enormously since the 1960s. Aformer music teacher, Brennan pointsto the consolidation of administrationand support services as a way to incor-


PAGE 69

porate the arts into a program of unityand strength anchored by arts special-ists at every grade level, enhanced bythe many cultural and educationalresources of New York City, and sup-ported by the board of education andthe community it serves.

Among the district's arts special-ists are practicing artists who showand perform locally and regionally.Several individuals have had shows oftheir work at the Morris Museum, theNewark Museum, the Cathedral of St.John the Divine, and other locationsthroughout the New York metropoli-tan area. The district has supported theprofessional growth of its arts educa-tors with tuition reimbursement,payment for "art clinics" and sabbati-cals, as well as traditional conferencesand professional meetings.

All students have the opportuni-ty to participate in the arts. Oneanecdote illustrates the district's andits educators' commitment to access.When more than 100 students in anelementary school of 300 wanted toplay in the school band, the supply ofmusical instruments was exhausted.Not wanting to deny any child whocould not afford to rent an instrumentthe opportunity to participate, theinstrumental music teacher put anotice on the Internet requestingdonations of used instruments. Theresponse was overwhelming, and everystudent who wanted to play in theband was able to do so.

Even with all manner of fundsmade available, the district would beunable to offer high-quality arts educa-tion without some creative planningin particular, the scheduling of the ele-mentary art program in a nontraditionalunit format rather than in periods.

A ProfNe:

PEORIA 1 1FactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/Teachers Who Practice

Their Art,IAn Elementary Foundation,/Planning,/Continuous improvement/

(AZ)StatisticsSchools (Total): 29Students (Total): 28,500Per Pupil: $2,500Arts Teachers (Total): 97

1/17ith a supportive school board,

a superintendent (Dr. PaulKoehler) who was chosen by the gov-ernor to serve on the board of the state

PAGE 70

arts commissiOn, and an arts-valuingcommunity, the arts play and thrive

in Peoria, just 15 miles from Phoenixand part of Arizona's fastest-growingcommunity.

As it builds on its successes inarts education, the Peoria UnifiedSchool District stands out for itsrecruitment of teachers, attention toelementary-level arts learning,approach to technology, and tangiblecontribution to community.

Peoria recruits teachers withstrong arts preparation and abilities intheir medium. In particular, the dis-trict seeks arts teachers who practicetheir art form in some capacity besidesthe classroom for example, musicteachers who direct or perform inchoral groups and artists who exhibitor sell their paintings and sculpture."The higher the level of professional-ism they exhibit, the higher the skilllevel they bring to our students," saysAndre Licardi, district director of artseducation.

The knowledge and skills of theteachers are directed throughout thedistrict, beginning at the elementarylevel. "The thriving high school pro-grams are testimonials to ourelementary counterparts," Licardipoints out. "They are working togetherto provide the essential skills neededfor comprehensive, higher-level pro-grams in all areas. As of 1994, all highschool students are required to takeone class in the arts for graduation.Also, 34 percent of our high schoolstudents are currently enrolled in thearts during each year of high school."

Peoria offers the high school stu-dent a four-year, curriculum-basedprogram in art, advertising art, ceram-ics, photography and media, band,dance, drama, theater and humanities."Since our high schools currently haveblock scheduling," Licardi adds, "thenumber of arts students has increasedat each of our high schools."

Peoria also provides a lesson inthe integration of technology into theteaching and learning of the arts.Licardi explains where the district hasbeen, where it's going, and how itplans to get there:

"The first phase is implementingtechnology in our curriculum, unitsof study, and lesson plans. Morethan 85 percent of our arts teachersalready use computers, either in theclassroom and/or at home. We arecurrently developing a plan for con-

I./ 73

sistency in using hardware and soft-ware in the arts classrooms. We haveseveral teachers who are on the cut-ting edge of technology. Therefore,we are already using those teachersto train and educate their fellow artsteachers. Those same teachers arepursuing grants that will help us tocreate our own programs."

"We have developed our own Website for the arts to serve schools andcommunity, and we hope to have iton the Internet by the end ofSeptember 1997. We are currentlyworking with the City of Peoria andour technology department to bringour arts programs to the schoolsand community via cable TV."

Peoria's newest high school hasalready been designed to house a tele-vision setup complete with computerand editing stations. Art, photo, andyearbook rooms already have beenredesigned to accommodate this plan.

The district administration'sinterpretation of "community involve-ment" goes not only to what thecommunity and its resources bring tothe schools, but what the schoolsbring to the community. Three pro-jects serve as examples:

Festival of Trees: For this joint pro-ject with the Peoria Chamber ofCommerce, students make orna-ments with a theme (Phoenix Suns,Native American, Desert Animals)and decorate the trees, which arethen auctioned to community busi-nesses and the funds distributedback into the community.Empty Bowl: Ceramic students at all29 schools put hands and hearts towork and raise funds going to orga-nizations that feed the hungry. In1987, students raised more than$8,800 for three local charities.Music Ends Silence: Following on thesuccess of the Empty Bowl, studentsobtain pledges for an entire day ofmusic (performed by Peoria's schoolbands and choirs) at various sites.Funds help local students with specialneeds pursue a music education.

A Profile:

PORT WASHINGTON (NY)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent4District Arts Coordinator(s),/Opportunities for Higher


Outside Forces,/Planning-4Continuous ImprovementV


L ocated in Nassau County on LongIsland, Port Washington Union Free

School District (UFSD) is a comfortablesuburban community of six schools.

"Were you to interview anygiven fifth-year student here," DavidMeoli, Port Washington's director ofcreative arts, wrote in the district'sreport for this study, "you would findthat (s)he most likely: sings in the cho-rus, plays in the band/orchestra, hastaken dance workshops with membersof the Martha Graham School and/orAmerican Ballet Theatre, has created ahologram, has been to an art museumin a class setting several times, has per-formed in at least one play/musicalproduction, has created numeroustwo- and three-dimensional art works,and is able to talk about his/her own(and others') work in terms of quality,composition, historical perspective,and expressiveness."

It would be easy to attribute thathypothetical student's breadth anddepth of arts education to the fact thatthe Port Washington school district liesjust a short train ride from Manhattan.Or one might point to the environ-ment created by the artists who havelived here (John Philip Sousa, JohnCassavetes, Perry Como, ShlomoMintz, Marian McPartland, and castmembers of "Seinfeld"), or to arts sup-porters with names like Frick andGuggenheim.

Those factors, as well as stateand national standards and fine artsgraduation requirements, do come intoplay. But like many other school dis-tricts that responded to this study'squestionnaire, Port Washington pointsto three linked areas as key to itsstrong arts education: (1) range ofopportunity for all students, (2) formsof community involvement, and (3)allocation of resources time, space,and budget lines.

What propels arts educationforward here, however, is planning andcommitment to continuous improvement.

To put the arts within each stu-dent's reach in this ethnically andfinancially diverse community, thePort Washington school district offersa broad range of courses, from intro-ductory training to intermediate andadvanced experiences. Opportunitiesfor students to excel are offered inmany different art forms, and in manyarenas within each art form. The visualarts program includes studio courses aswell as several levels of computergraphics, holography, design, and arthistory offerings. A K-12 dance andmovement program still a rarity inmost school districts - has been evolv-ing in all of the district schools overthe past eight years.

Parent and community con-stituencies have very high expectationsfor the Port Washington schools andplay meaningful roles in deliveringhigh-quality arts instruction to theirchildren. Involvement takes the formof freely shared community resources,the participation of local arts organiza-tions and each school's parent-teachergroup, and the work of a district-wideCultural Arts Committee made up ofparent representatives from each of thesix schools. The committee meets reg-ularly to preview artists and plan artsexperiences for all district students.

Resource allocation - time,space, budget lines - is a telling mea-sure of the value of the arts in thedistrict. Port Washington cites as vitala full-time arts administrator, teachersopen to museum and artist collabora-tion, and central and buildingadministrators who fully includemusic, art, theater, and dance in theirconsideration of budgeting, schedul-ing, staffing and facilities decisions.

Although the bulk of the fund-ing for arts programs is providedthrough the district budget, particular-ly in the area of staffing, there aremany ways that the district optimizesits resources - by utilizing state aid forarts events, competitive grants, andthe funding or fund-raising support ofparents and other community mem-bers. In recent years, the communityhas supported a new arts wing in oneschool and the refurbishing of threedistrict auditoriums, the creation of adedicated gallery space in an elemen-tary school (planned and paid for bythe parents), and raised enoughmoney to air condition the highschool auditorium complex.

There are, of course, some thingsthat money cannot buy. Thoughtful

I..;,Lessons From School Districts That Value Ams EDUCATION

74

planning can make even the pricelesscontribution - Marian McPartland'soffer to play and teach high school stu-dents, Omni Recordings' studio services- go further, do more. A new dancefund set up by the Blumenfeld familyis being tapped not only for workshopsand artist residencies, but the districtalso has used it to create a "Tappin'and Jammin" elective for eighth-gradestudents at the middle school.

A Profile:

PUYALLUP (WA)Factors StatisticsThe Community,/ Schools (Total): 32The School Board,/ Students (Total): 18,312The SuperintendentV Per Pupil: $5,453District Arts . Arts Teachers (Total): 84

Coordinator(s),/A Cadre of Principals,/An Elementary Foundation,/Planning,/

Since it was founded in 1854, thePuyallup School District, on the out-

skirts of Tacoma, has made a place forthe arts in the education of its youngpeople. That place continued to besecured - and expanded - by carefulplanning, budgeting, and educating ofothers in the importance of the arts.

"The education of children inthe arts is an integral part of the dis-trict's strategic plan," SuperintendentRichard D. Stovde points out. "Ourcommunity has had a longstandingcommitment to the 'Whole child,''never limited to just the developmentof academic talents alone. We are fullycommitted to fulfill this expectationnot only because of our community'sbeliefs, but also because we believethat few children can be a significantbenefit to our society without a graspof the value of the arts."

Puyallup plans for arts educa-tion. Elementary principals assistclassroom teachers in providing timeand schedules that promote the explo-ration of band, orchestra, choir, visualart, theater, and dance. Meanwhile,school building administrators at thesecondary level make master schedulesthat are developed around the arts.The arts are placed on the masterscheduling board before other subjectsin order to create a conflict-free envi-ronment for student scheduling.

The programs offered at the sec-ondary level range from the required


PAGE 71

visual and performing arts classes forseventh graders to pottery and computergraphic design for high school students.

Budgeting for the arts beginswith Puyallup's basic education bud-get. As Deanna Rine, assistantprincipal of Stahl Junior High School,explains, "Parents, grants, and partner-ships are supportive of our programsbut do not fund our most importantresource: our teachers." Rine describedthe budget process: "Budgetary deci-sions are recommended by thesuperintendent's cabinet and voted onby the school board. All school boardmembers reflect their community andstrongly support the arts. The schooldistrict has maintained a music lineitem in the budget which is managedby the music coordinator. This type ofarts funding has been in existence formore than 50 years. A budget line itemfor arts education ensures that equalmonies will be provided for everyschool program, regardless of buildingprincipal support."

Puyallup employs district artscoordinators for visual arts, drama,and music. The district did lose itsmusic supervisor position six yearsago, but, according to Rine, "the pub-lic outcry was so great that it wasreinstated within one year."

The community's staunch sup-port is also crucial for recruiting andretaining excellent teachers, such ashigh school drama instructor LyndaBelt who was named 1997 Teacher ofthe Year by the American Alliance forTheater and Education.

Community support takes theform of partnerships with local artistssuch as glassmaker Dale Chihuly, sever-al musical organizations, and the newValley Arts United group which pro-motes the arts in the community andat the same time builds support for artseducation in the schools. Mostly, sup-porters are parents, who oftenparticipate in programs as performerswith their sons and daughters, andPuyallup residents who simply valuethe role the arts play in their daily lives.

The school district nourishes thiscommunity support in many ways.Student talents bring the arts to nurs-ing homes and hospitals. Theycontribute to the annual downtownarts show sponsored by the city coun-cil and local businesses. Advanced artsstudents also contribute to the com-munity's quality of life by educatingyounger children about importantsocial issues. Through the Drama

PAGE 72

PRIDE OF PUYALLUP

It's not every school system that hasits own museum.

The Karshner Museum was donatedto the Puyallup School District in1930 and has been owned, operated,staffed, and solely supported by theschool system ever since. Displayingexhibits on the cultural, regional, andnatural history of the northwesternUnited States, the museum allowsstudents to get a firsthand view ofmany Native American artworks. Themuseum also features an exhibit ofglassworks by Dale Chihuly.

Puyallup elementary students visitthe district-owned Karshner Museumat least once, sometimes twice ayear. Transportation for these visits ispaid for by the school district.Students also learn through theKarshner Museum in their class-rooms. The museum provides"Discovery Kits" to spur discussionof museum exhibits in the classroom.A kit may be used in order to preparea classroom for a museum visit or tofurther classroom learning.

Outreach Program, high school stu-dents have performed plays dealingwith teen alcohol abuse, teen pregnan-cy, and stereotyping and labeling for50 different junior high school class-rooms and more than 3,000 students.The issues were selected by studentsurvey. In order to participate, highschool students enroll in a DramaOutreach class teaching "interactivedrama techniques." The class meetsonly one hour a day, but it requires asignificant amount of additional com-mitment from the students. PuyallupHigh School estimates that its studentswho participate in the program spendat least 25 hours each semester work-ing in the community.

"A budget line itemfor arts educationensures that equalmonies will beprovided for everyschool program,regardless of buildingprincipal support."

7 5

A Profile:

RANDOLPHCOUNTY (WV)Factors StatisticsThe Cornmunity4 Schools (Total): 15

Students (Total): 4,855Per Pupil: N/AArts Teachers (Total): 0

R andolph County is the largest countyin West Virginia with a population of

just 26.5 people per square mile. Itsunemployment rate is more than 10 per-cent, and 60 percent of its studentsreceive free and reduced lunch.

After severe budget cuts in 1988eliminated elementary arts teachers,parents, artists, and educators met toexplore options for arts educationwithin the system. They devised a newway for Randolph County to bring thearts back: the ArtsBank Council, anartist-in-residency program of localartists who would be hired by the dis-trict to teach in the schools. Each artistwould spend an intensive four-weekresidency at one school where eachstudent would have the opportunity towork and learn with the artist. A pro-gram coordinator would be hired bythe district to oversee its day-to-dayoperations.

When Randolph County Schools'budget was slashed, the district had tofind other means to fund the ArtsBank.The district turned to the West VirginiaCommission on the Arts for grantsthrough its Arts-in-Education program.This money was used to hire the localartists and a coordinator. Art suppliesat first were provided by local businesspartners-in-education; they are nowpaid for by the ArtsBank.

In addition, ArtsBank provides aper student stipend for art supplies;some of these art materials would notbe available to children in rural areasotherwise. ArtsBank also pays formileage for artists who must travellong distances to teach in the rural ele-mentary schools.

Today artists for the ArtsBankprogram are recruited through adsplaced in the local papers by theschool system. County administratorsand the ArtsBank coordinator screenthe applicants, who must show thatthey are practicing artists and workwell with children. Artists must designart lessons to enhance regular curricu-lum and participate in an in-serviceday to ensure that they understandtheir duties and can communicate

effectively with children. In general,75 percent of the artists hired hold adegree in fine arts or arts education.

Not only has the Arts Bankbrought the arts back into the elemen-tary classrooms, but it also hasstrengthened the community's aware-ness of the arts. As the programbecame a growing presence in theRandolph County Schools, the commu-nity began to take notice. Whereas inthe past funding came mainly fromgrants, now banks, business leaders,professional people, and the local hos-pital contribute. Many civicorganizations helped raise funds aswell. The local vocational school staffand Future Business Leaders of Americaprovide clerical help to create mailinglists and to send out fund-raising let-ters. The Annual Arts Bank Auction isanother avenue through which thecommunity helps support the program.Local artists and organizations con-tribute their artwork to the auction forthe community to purchase, and theproceeds go to Arts Bank.

A Profile:

ROBBINSDALE (MN)FactorsThe Superintendent4Continuity in Leadership4Parent/Public RelationsqNational, State, Other

Outside Forcesq


The Robbinsdale Area school districtis located in a "first ring" suburb

of Minneapolis where the student pop-ulation has dropped from 28,000 to14,000 over a 10-year period. Two highschools instead of three now serve thedistrict. In part, that is the result of astate policy that enables junior andsenior high school students to enrollin college courses, free of charge.Another state policy - "open enroll-ment" puts schools in competitionwith one another to attract students.

Test scores and special programsare generally what draw students to aschool. Therefore, the district's artseducation program has become atremendous marketing tool forRobbinsdale Area Schools and thecommunity at large. The district haspromoted its programs, such as artseducation, as a "plus" in the local real

: I

Robbinsdale Area Schools washonored by the Children's TheaterFoundation of America as the recipi-ent of the first-ever Medallion Awardgiven to a school drama program.Honoring "continuity and artistry," thefollowing award citation says a greatdeal about what constitutes excel-lence in theater for young people:

rycasionally, amid the maelstromk...../of controversy that surroundspublic schools today, a beam shinesout from a lighthouse steadfast in thestorm, sending inspiration and hopeto those who struggle with the tidesof protest, financial problems, andsocietal changes that sweep thenation's schools.

Based on a curriculum taught bycertificated theater professionals,extended to the community throughan annual season of productions,with special attention to senior citi-zens, with traveling shows forchildren, and including student-directed one-act plays, theperformances of the Robbinsdalehigh schools have been recognizedby experts in the field through theMinnesota drama competitionwhere at least one of the three dis-trict schools has reached state levelin 19 out of the last 30 years.

Lest one think that Robbinsdale isNirvana, where pain and worry havebeen extinguished, District 281 hasweathered the difficulties of popula-tion growth and decline, movingfrom one high school to three andnow to two. It has an ethnic andeconomic distribution close to thatof the nation and faces the financialand social pressures common tocommunities everywhere.

The French actor and director JeanLouis Barrault called theater "TheArt of the Present." Presently, educa-tion is sailing on a "sea of troubles,"wherein some schools have lostcourse and even foundered. District281 has continued to make way,providing its generations of youngpeople with a present experience inart, a present platform to study thehuman condition, a present oppor-tunity to acquire skills important toprersonal future, a present concreteadventure in jointly solving mutualProblems a headlight example of'theater in education.

Lessons From School Districts That ValueARTS EDUCAtION7 6

estate market, thereby taking a positiverole in helping to counteract theshrinkage phenomenon.

The school district has been pro-active in this effort, educating local realestate agents about the arts programsand the other benefits of the schoolsystem. To help agents answer theproverbial first question - "What arethe schools like?" - Robbinsdale AreaSchools developed and now sponsorsseminars for some 80 real estate agentseach year. The agents earn continuingeducation credit and promote theschool district to prospective residents.

In February 1998, for example,the half-day event included a shortperformance piece from a musical, astudent reading from an award-win-ning literary magazine, and a visualarts discussion led by a fifth-grade stu-dent. Superintendent Thomas Bolin,who originated this idea, welcomes theparticipants. The agenda includes dis-cussions on academic opportunities inthe schools, roundtable sessions led byprincipals, as well as arts presentations.

This district has had a full-timepublic relations specialist on staff for15 years. (All districts in theMinneapolis metropolitan area have aposition like this in the office of thesuperintendent.) In Robbinsdale AreaSchools, this specialist oversees a Webpage, the community newsletter,media relations, a cable television linkand a print shop in addition to theseminar for real estate agents.

The schools also have a long his-tory of hiring certified teachers withtraining in theater and experience indirecting. Minneapolis is a theatertown, and theater programs have beena powerful asset to the district sincethe 1950s. School productions are verypopular, meeting their expenses andthen some from ticket sales. In addi-tion to the popularity of theater in thecommunity and the long history ofhiring gifted "career" teachers whostay and make the program attractiveto students (100 auditioned for roles ina recent musical), success has beenattributed to:

Support Pm?: tile administration:"The superintendent supports all ofthe arts." reports one teacher. "Hebelieves in them. Our financing islooked upon as just as important asthat for sports." Theater produc-tions, like football games, areextracurricular. Theater teachers


PAGE 73

ROBBINSDALE'S "COMPREHENSIVEARTS PLANNING PROGRAM"

The Comprehensive Arts PlanningProgram committee (CAPP) withmembers from the community, par-ents, and staff meets regularly tofulfill the following mission:

Communicating the importanceof arts in schools

Promoting arts education

Initiating arts events

Creating opportunities for artsinvolvement by the total community

The committee works in closecooperation with the districtsuperintendent, who initiated thereal estate seminars, and withschool principals. A student-designed logo, "All the Arts for Allthe Students," is used in promotionof CAPP activities.

who direct plays, like football coach-es, are paid for the time they put inafter school hours. "The centraloffice is willing to say, 'This is asimportant to kids and the communi-ty as other things.' "More than one theater teacher ateach high school: Rather, there isgenerally a team of five, highly qual-ified theater teachers at each site.This means that a variety of projectscan be in process at the same time,and when someone retires, otherpeople are there with long-termexperience to maintain the continu-ity of the programs.An annual major theatrical produc-tion at each middle school: Theseproductions may be directed by aparent, principal, or English teacher.They provide good preparation forthe high school drama programs.Fine arts as a requirement for highschool graduation: "It is a positivething to make credit in fine arts arequirement for high school gradua-tion," states one teacher. The stateallows theater to be taken as anEnglish credit and not just as anelective.

PAGE 74

A Profile:

ROCHESTERFactorsThe Communitr/The Superintendent/Continuity in LeadershipqOpportunities for Higher

Levels of Achievement/National, State, Other

Outside Forces4

(NH)StatisticsSchools (Total): 10Students (Total): 4,600Per Pupil: $4,200Arts Teachers (Total): 25

Rochester, New Hampshire, is a sea-coast town characterized by a low

socio-economic scale and residents witha limited educational background. Inthe decade that Dr. Raymond Yeagleyhas been superintendent, the arts havebeen put to work to help provide a bet-ter future for its young people.

A band director certified inmusic education before he arrived inRochester, Superintendent Yeagley haspromoted a vision of the arts includ-ing theater as well as visual art andmusic as basic to education for allstudents.

Rochester draws upon andexhibits many of the same strengths asother communities with healthy artseducation programs: a sound K-12 artscurriculum; a host of co-curricularactivities involving theater, music, andvisual art; parent booster organizations;business partnerships; a supportiveadministration, and high-quality artsteachers. What is rooted in the superin-tendent's vision and what has come toset the district apart, points out JoanneHouston, director of music, isRochester's approach to its vocational-technical "School to Work" program inthe visual and performing arts.

Rochester School District pro-vides more than 40 course offerings atthe high school level in the visual arts,writing, music, and media communica-tions. Among them: Music Appre-ciation, Musical Theater, Band,Chorus, Accelerated ChamberEnsemble Singers, Basic Art, Art 1, 2, 3,and 4, Art 3 and 4 Honors, AdvancedPlacement Art, Ceramics 1 and 2,Painting and Drawing 1 and 2,Sculpture 1 and 2, Commercial Art,Housing and Home Decor, GraphicTrades 1 and 2, Newswriting andPhotography, Technical Writing, Film,Media and Communication andCareers, Graphics Communicationsand Technology, Drafting Technology,Photography (black-and-white, color,digital), Technical Drafting and Design,Woodworking Technology 1, 2, and 3.

77

All students have the opportuni-ty to experience these hands-oncourses, including the 20 percent ofstudents in the district with disabilitiesand special needs. "The big challengeis to maintain funding for programslike School-to-Work and special educa-tion," Houston added. Everyonestaff, parents, community boosterorganizations helps with writinggrants, field trips, equipment dona-tions, and a variety of other projects."

A Profile:

ROCKCASTLECOUNTY (KY)FactorsThe School BoardgThe Superintendent/District Arts

Coordinator(s)'/National, State, Other

Outside Forces4


rTtle Rockcastle County School/ District is in a lightly populated

area in the middle of Kentucky. Infact, the entire county is home to onlyabout 15,000 people. Despite its smallsize and lack of resources, the Rock-castle district has still been able toestablish a commendable arts educa-tion program. By seeking help beyondlocal sources, the school district for-mulated an arts program that wouldbenefit its students.

In 1989, there was no organizedarts education program in the district.Music specialists had been servingevery grade level, although formalvisual arts instruction was availableonly to high school students.Nonetheless, research indicated that anumber of teachers were, in fact, inte-grating the arts on a daily basis. Theleaders of the school district then-Superintendent Bige W. Towery, Jr., theschool board, and central office staffappreciated their students' need for astrong background in the arts, butthey also understood that they did nothave the resources to establish an artsprogram.

Therefore, the school systemsought financial support from the statelevel and eventually received a grant of$9,600 from the Kentucky Arts Councilto assist with development of aprogram over three years. The districtused the money to establish a basic

arts program within the district.During this three-year period, theschool district slowly began allottingits own funds towards arts educationand eventually was able to fund theprogram autonomously.

Initially, the Rockcastle CountySchool District's "Basic Arts Program"was created to provide only the funda-mental levels of arts education.However, in the years since its incep-tion, the Basic Arts Program hasevolved to the point where it can nolonger be considered just basic.Besides covering the fundamentals ofmusic and the visual arts, the programhas both expanded and become moreinterdisciplinary.

Interestingly, H. Allen Pensol,Basic Arts coordinator, pointed out,"When the Kentucky EducationReform Act (KERA) became law in1990, many other districts were slowto realize that the arts and humanitieswould eventually be included in theAccountability Index on the KentuckyInstructional Results InformationSystem (KIRIS) by 1993." Due to theforesight of the school district leaders,"district-wide arts instruction hadalready been initiated. Students andteachers with little or no prior interestin the arts were becoming comfortableand even eager to incorporate an artsand humanities dialogue into theirschedule and daily lives." Furthermore,Pensol added, "Now that the KentuckyDepartment of Education has consti-tuted a State Core Content and setStandards for Kentucky Schools, teach-ers in Rockcastle County are seeinghow the district's initial groundworkin arts instruction is accommodatingand complementing instruction inother disciplines."

Since Superintendent Towery'sretirement in 1995, the arts educationprogram of Rockcastle County hasreceived the enthusiastic support ofSuperintendent Larry B. Hammond.In addition to encouraging the schoolboard to increase arts education fund-ing and advocating for arts educationat state and national conferences, hemakes his support manifest. "Quiteoften," Pensol noted, "SuperintendentHammond engages in year-roundclassroom arts activities along withthe students."

A Profile:

SAINT PAULFactorsThe Community./The School Board./The Superintendent./An Elementary Foundation./

625 (MN)StatisticsSchools (Total): 64Students (Total): 43,747Per Pupil: $7,110Arts Teachers (Total): 176

Saint Paul Public School District 625educates nearly 44,000 students,

more than 30 percent of whom havelimited proficiency in English. Growingincreasingly diverse, the district reportsthat the arts are a "natural vehicle forlearning" because they provide stu-dents with opportunities to "processideas in a way that may be more natur-al visual, kinesthetic, and aurallearning."

School District 625 benefits from15 years of Comprehensive ArtsProgram Planning (CAPP), whichbegan in 1983 with the start-up for thedistrict's original arts magnet, MississippiCreative Arts Elementary School.Strongly supported by its school boardand superintendent, arts education inSaint Paul is built on the district'sfunding of the arts, starting with afirm elementary foundation. All 66 ele-mentary schools, in fact, participate inmusic, visual arts, and creative writing;some also offer students dance, speech,and video. At the middle and highschool levels, the district provides arange of facilities and opportunities:dance studios, TV/video studios, blackbox theaters, a publishing center, part-nership programs with the Universityof Minnesota, Ordway Music Theatre,Minnesota Opera, and other commu-nity organizations.

The district identified its topthree program strengths as (1) breadthof arts offerings, (2) interdisciplinarypractices or integration of the artsthroughout the curriculum, and (3)access to the arts. District's arts special-ist/coordinator Thomas K. Gale addedwhat he believes Saint Paul SchoolDistrict 625 has learned in these areas:

If the Saint Paul Public Schools dis-trict doesn't make arts free/lowcost, schools can't afford them.Having artists who represent diver-sity in the district increases studentidentification and participation.It is easier to support arts program-ming when it includes basic skillsin all areas presented in an interdis-ciplinary manner.

,

Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION7 8

With commitment of staff develop-ment time and money, teachers candeliver integrated arts curriculum.It is easier to build participation inthe arts from the elementary level up.High school participation is lowerwithout the elementary impetus.Secondary students will select artsprogramming as an option when itis offered in an interdisciplinarymode.Through competition and increasedperformance, the district has dis-covered a larger student talent poolthan previously thought.Through the interdisciplinaryapproach, students can experiencea wider spectrum of arts programs.Increased parent participation hasoccurred in arts-related programming.Teachers and arts partners need toshare a common language whenimplementing interdisciplinaryprogramming.Arts partnerships have been able toexpand the breadth and variety ofarts offerings K-12.By introducing students to arts at ayoung age, we are building futurearts audiences.Corporate funding increases thechance of success for interdiscipli-nary arts programming.

A Profile:

SALINAFactorsThe Community./Planning./

304 (KS)StatisticsSchools (Total): 15Students (Total): 7,636Per Pupil: $3,821Arts Teachers (Total): 37

re strength of arts education inalina Unified School District 304

lies in integration of the arts into themainstream curricula. Through itsArts Infusion Program, produced inpartnership with the local arts agency,the Salina Arts and HumanitiesCommission, the district has createdan interdisciplinary system encourag-ing lifelong learning through the artswhile bettering student performance.

In Salina, the community has adirect investment in the artistic futureof its children. With a population of43,000, Salina is the regional center fora very rural area in the center of thestate of Kansas. Through concentrated


PAGE 75

effort over the last 20 years, Salina hasdeveloped its arts and culturalresources to include a local arts agencythat is a department of city govern-ment; a visual arts center and historicalmuseum (both nationally accredited); acommunity theater with a strongyouth program; an annual arts festival(the Smoky Hill River Festival) now inits twenty-second year, and a sympho-ny orchestra, as well as a local arts-based grants program.

The Salina school district achievesdepth and quality of program deliverythrough a balance of comprehensiveplanning with these agencies. Thisapproach, which involves exposure toand training by a variety of local andnational educators and artists, succeedsbecause the district recognizes the com-munity agencies' expertise in thedelivery of arts education and theimportance of creating viable partner-ships between artists and educators.

One overarching goal of the ArtsInfusion Program is to extend aware-ness of the program into thecommunity. School-residency artistsare commonly featured in other venuesin the community. For example, a story-teller working in the schools mayappear at the local senior center andalso work with members of the localstorytellers' guild, later performing withthe guild at a community-wide familydinner and bringing parents into thecircle. The Smoky Hill River Festival isan event that leads to longer-termartist-in-residence programs throughwhich Salina children establish relation-ships with professional dancers,musicians, visual artists, theater artists.It is also a source of funding.

One example of increasing theavailability of arts instruction in theclassroom is the use of a drama curricu-lum consultant. The consultant isavailable on a continuing basis, uponrequest, to assist teachers in using thedramatic arts as a teaching tool. Salinaelementary students learn history byenacting early settlers as characters andlearn planetary relationships by physi-cally exploring time and distance. Thisposition is funded through the QualityPerformance Accreditation category ofthe Kansas Arts Commission's Arts inEducation grant initiatives.

The Salina district has forgedpartnerships and found innovativeways to extend the local agencies'considerable arts resources.

PAGE 76

A Profile:

SAN JOSEFactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/

(CA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 44Students (Total): 33,815Per Pupil: $5,453Arts Teachers (Total): 100

TVIDile the San Jose Unified Schoolistrict has many lessons to

share in the development of a rich,sequential visual and performing artscurriculum, this nationally recognizeddistrict's accomplishments are espe-cially instructive when viewedthrough the lenses of financial anddemographic challenges.

The passage of Proposition 13 in1979 presented San Jose Unified with afiscal crisis faced with varying successby all California school districts. Whatfurther complicated San Jose Unified'sresponse to that resource problem werethe problems of its own geographyand population distribution. Some 24miles long but only 2 to 3 miles wide,the district has majority populations inthe south, minority populations in thenorth. The year before Proposition 13was passed, student housing facilitiesof nearby San Jose State Universitywere converted to accommodateVietnamese refugees. Ethnicity of thedistrict's more than 33,000 students iscomprised of 43 percent Hispanic, 39percent white, 12 percent Asian, and7 percent other.

To address the resulting socialand educational problems, in 1982 thedistrict initiated a voluntary desegrega-tion program by establishing severalmagnet elementary, middle, and highschools. In 1984, identified as a heavi-ly impacted minority school district,San Jose Unified came under courtorder to desegregate its schools and torely "heavily on the use of magnetschools to encourage voluntary trans-fers for the purpose of desegregation."

With increasing need forresources to expand and develop themagnet programs in the face of drasti-cally reduced state financial support,the school district began seeking artsand corporate partners.

"In 1986," Dr. Bill Erlendsen,director of external programs, reports,"the school district began partneringwith existing arts organizations, includ-ing American Musical Theater, San JoseSymphony, Opera San Jose, San JoseRepertory Theater, the San JoseMuseum of Art and other professionaland community groups with district

L.7 7 9

schools to provide in-depth support forarts education and public outreach."The artist-in-residence program spon-sored by the California Arts Councilprovides experiences in music, visualarts, drama, and dance for students.

San Jose has implemented mag-net programs and academies in 26schools, five of which encompass themagnet arts strand. Best knownnationally is San Jose Unified's LincolnAcademic and Visual Performing ArtsHigh School, which has developed amodel program with Apple Computer

"Computing in the Arts" that issupported by the California StateDepartment of Education. TheUniversity of Santa Clara and the TechMuseum of Innovation also are collab-orating with Lincoln in designing amodel educational program in multi-media video which targets reading andliteracy for Limited English Proficient(LEP) students.

Partnerships such as these, inaddition to proactive grant procure-ment and the use of state desegregationmonies, make it possible for the districtto meet the need for magnet schoolswhile simultaneously providing artseducation to all students. Todayapproximately 4.8 percent of the dis-trict's $165 million gross annual budgetis applied to arts education. Equity, asdefined by the desegregation courtorder, requires that no student bedenied access to programs due tofinancial hardship. To ensure equity,therefore, the district funds all artseducation materials, supplies, andnecessary fees.

San Jose Unified's experienceoffers a lesson in how one seeminglysmall triumph after another can buildthe kind of broad, deep community-wide support that makes it possible toovercome the highest hurdles. A news-paper columnist's critique of CoryElementary magnet school's performingarts production provides case in point:

"By most standards Cory should notbe able to afford the extravagant per-formance the kids are putting on. It'sthe kind of show you might expectin an affluent suburban school dis-trict. The communities [Cory] doespull from are among the poorest inthe city. Many of Cory's kids are dis-advantaged. While I'm not certainwhat standards you are supposed toapply to 5, 6, 7 and 8-year-olds, hav-ing seen it, I'll guarantee it: Thisshow will knock your socks off."

A Profile:

SANTA BARBARACOUNTY (CA)FactorsThe CommunityqThe Superintendent4

StatisticsSchools (Total): 91Students (Total): 62,194Per Pupil: N/AArts Teachers (Total): 43

Wiben the California state deficitrought cuts in education

funding, many public schools had todismantle their arts programs. In SantaBarbara County, performing and visualartists are working with elementaryschool students and providing theirteachers with staff developmentthrough a private-public partnershipbetween the Children's CreativeProject (CCP), a community-based, artseducation nonprofit, and the SantaBarbara County Education Office.

Incorporated in 1974, theChildren's Creative Project became aprogram of the Santa Barbara CountyEducation Office under the leadershipof Superintendent William J. Cirone.The education office provides the CCPwith the executive director's salary,office space, utilities, accounting ser-vices, insurance, legal assistance,printing, and management training.With only two full-time staff and apart-time bookkeeper and secretary,CCP provides schools with residentartist workshops (from 8 to 30 weeks'duration) and 600 touring artists withperformances in 150 schools.

CCP handles the scheduling fortouring artists who receive 100 percentof their fees. Resident artist workshopscost $32 per hour, of which 12 percentgoes to CCP to cover administrativecosts. Schools pay artists' fees fromschool site funds, money earned byPTA fund raisers, school district gener-al funds, and support from localbusinesses or service groups. CCPsecures grants and stages fund raisers,such as the I Madonnari Italian StreetPainting Festival (see sidebar), an ideaCPC's director, Katy Korea, broughtback to Santa Barbara after a trip toItaly in 1987.

While the residency and touringartists' partnership program does notreplace a fully funded, system-wide artseducation program, this effort is help-ing to keep the arts alive. Through theI Madonnari Festival, Koury has succeed-ed in engaging the entire communityboth as sponsors and participants. Thepotential of a program that provides

I MADONNAR1ITALIAN STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL

This three-day festival held eachMemorial Day weekend brings together400 professional and nonprofessionalartists of all ages to create 200 large-scale chalk drawings that fill the plazaat the Santa Barbara mission.Sponsoring businesses, individuals,and families pay from $10 for a 2'x 2'child's pavement drawing square to$450 for a 12' x 12' square. The festivalalso features live music and an ItalianMarket. Some 30,000 people turn outfor the event, and many more visit thesite over the following weeks as theartwork fades and finally disappears.

I Madonnari Festival's annual profit of$50,000 enables the Children's CreativeProject (CCP) to provide every schoolin the county with $200 arts credittoward the fees of touring or residentartists. It also pays for the productionof a catalog that is distributed to everyschool and describes the 150 touringartist performances and 50 residentartists available to them. Each yearselected arts offerings are organizedaround a different theme derived fromacademic subject areas or culturaltraditions.

CCP presents a second festival eachApnl at the San Luis Obispo Mission.

arts education resources and experi-ences for 63,000 Santa Barbara studentsis great. The realization of that poten-tial poses a worthwhile challenge forthe local school districts.

A Profile:

SELMA (AL)FactorsThe Superintendent4District Arts

Coordinator(s)4Planning4

StatisticsSaint James SchoolSchools (Total): 4Students: 1,272Per Pupil: $3,591Arts Teachers (Total): 6

Selma City Public SchoolsSchools (Total): 12Students (Total): 4,862Per Pupil: $4,731Arts Teachers (Total): 17

E ight years ago, two college friends,Martha Lockett and John Bell, went

to the Southeast Center for Educationin the Arts, which was established in1989 at the University of Tennessee atChattanooga as a regional institute of

"


the Getty Center for the Arts. Lockett,arts in education coordinator for theSelma City school district, had learnedabout the center and its summer insti-tutes in Discipline-Based ArtsEducation (DBAE) from her superin-tendent (who didn't know about artsinstruction but knew Lockett did andtrusted her knowledge). Selma's super-intendent was exploring any programthat would help the mostly poorminority youth in this district 50 milesfrom the state capital of Montgomery.

Lockett called Bell, who had spent20 years in public education with theMontgomery (AL) schools before goingto Saint James School, a nonsectarian,college preparatory coeducational dayschool network of two elementaryschools, one middle school, and onehigh school located in middle- tohigh-income residential areas ofMontgomery. Bell agreed to joinLockett, each of them taking teams ofadministrators, arts teachers, and class-room teachers to the Southeast Centerfor Education in the Arts.

A few years later, as interest inthe Southeast Center grew and it couldno longer handle the numbers wishingto enroll, the Getty Education Institutefor the Arts asked Lockett and Bell ifthey would be interested in developinga satellite center.

According to Lockett, she was"dumb enough to assume it wouldwork" and just charged ahead. Lockettand Bell went to their respectiveschool leaders. Dr. James Carter,superintendent of Selma City Schools,and Dr. Raymond Furlong, headmasterof Saint James School, then satdown for private conversations aboutthe benefits to both systems. DBAEwas a successful catalyst: Both leadersagreed that the collaboration wasabout the children and fully commit-ted themselves to the project.

Each school district broughtstrengths to the collaboration. SaintJames provided clout, a campus for theinstitute, and start-up funding. Selmaoffered a rural, diverse constituency,receptive principals, and more funding.Still, the project started off with so lit-tle in the way of resources that MarthaLockett recalls going to grocery storesto get them to sponsor schools' partici-pation by donating food. She thenpicked up the food, cooked over theweekend, and brought the meals to thefirst institute in the summer of 1996. Itoffered approximately 100 black public

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8 0 BEST COPY AVAILABLE PAGE 77

.

The Alabama Institute for Education inthe Arts offers this down-to-earth advicefor other school districts pursuing artseducation initiatives:

Get leaders/decision makers commit-ted to the project up front.

School leaders: Find someone in thecommunity committed to the arts andcommitted to the schools. Develop apersonal relationship with him or her.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Learn tiow to beg in a positive way;it's an art form.

Go slow. Develop a core group, acritical mass of support.

Public school educators: Do moreadvocacy and public relations withcivic groups such as the Chamber ofCommerce, Kiwanis, Rotary, Ruritans.

Keep the focus on kids. It's aboutthem. Everyone has a vested interestin their success.

school teachers and white privateschool teachers from 16 schools andorganizations an opportunity to minglethat had never before existed. Theteachers began to find that their prob-lems are the same and that there aregood people everywhere doing any-thing they can do to reach kids.

Today the Alabama Institute forEducation in the Arts (AIEA) is astatewide, multi-arts center dedicatedto bringing about change in educationthrough a comprehensive program inDiscipline-Based Arts Education for allchildren through professional training,curriculum development and imple-mentation, and arts educationadvocacy. Through its three institutesin the visual arts, music, and theater,AIEA serves and promotes collabora-tion among school districts, teachers,administrators, parents, artists,docents, arts councils, cultural institu-tions, colleges and universities, andthe Alabama Department of Education.

Any public or private schoolwith a nondiscriminatory enrollmentpolicy is eligible for participation.Schools are required to send a teamconsisting of a classroom teacher, anarts specialist (if available), and a prin-cipal or administrator. The state artscouncil's support of teachers' participa-tion has stimulated interest in otherteachers, and, as a result of its involve-ment, the council has changed itsfocus to the support of arts education.

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What's more, arts specialistswho initially feared that classroomteacher involvement in DBAE mightresult in the elimination of specialists'jobs are finding their services in evengreater demand.

A Profile:

SEMINOLEFactorsThe CommunityqThe School Board4Parent/Public Relations4

COUNTY (FL)StatisticsSchools (Total): 52Students (Total): 56,000Per Pupil: $4,355Arts Teachers (Total): 154

O ne of three counties that make upthe most densely populated area

in central Florida, Seminole is one ofthe state's and nation's mostdynamic centers of growth. Seminoleis also young: Of its approximately300,000 residents, nearly 60,000 arestudents in grades K-12.

The close proximity of this areato Orlando has created cultural, eco-nomic, and social diversity and hasalso presented the county with a vastnumber of social issues and economicproblems for which it was unprepared.The range of incomes within the dis-trict, as reported by the 1990 censustracts, reflects great disparity in socio-economic conditions: The medianfamily income ranges from $10,000 to$71,000, with several large pockets ofcritical need occurring in juxtapositionto affluence. In many aspects, thecounty has had to reframe its identityand restructure priorities.

The arts, therefore, play animportant role in the county as a cul-tural and educational bridge. The needto provide full and equal access to thedistrict's arts education also is servingto provide the community with anopportunity to come together in sup-port of a shared goal.

In 1996, a member of theSeminole County Public Schools Boardof Education, a community involve-ment coordinator, and the district'sfine arts curriculum specialist cametogether around an idea for a district-wide fund-raising event: a $100-a-plateblack-tie evening designed to showcasenot only the artistic talents of studentsbut also of teachers, principals, andother public school staff.

The "Arts Alive" event raised$24,000 net, but perhaps more impor-tant, it raised awareness of the district's

^ j

arts education program and enhancedits value throughout the district.

The key to success was the interestand participation of the school boardmember and Seminole County's businesscommunity. The board member wasinvited to work with the planning com-mittee and serve as the event co-chaira move that helped spread enthusiasmamong other board members. Theschool board endorsed the project afterseeing the strong support of business.These contributing companies includedLockheed Martin, Scholastic, theAmerican Automobile Association(which donated its AAA headquarters asthe site for the event), and Disney(which donated assistance with lightingdesign, choreography, sound equipment,and help in judging auditions).

These sponsors welcomed theopportunity to make a statement insupport of public schools. "Aesthetic lit-eracy" an echo of the national pushfor literacy in general was the advo-cacy message, with emphasis placed onthe growing number of cultures andcommunities in the area. In addition,the organizers avoided a negative"doom-and-gloom, the-arts-are-in-trouble" message. The lesson the ArtsAlive organizers now share with otherschool districts is: "Be positive, asser-tive, enthusiastic about the importanceof the arts. Make things happen."

Half of the $24,000 raised in theevent's first year helped establish an"Arts Alive Grant" a mini-grantprogram to encourage innovative pro-posals involving the arts. Grants areavailable to any fine arts educatorsthrough a panel process.

The first grant was been awardedto high school Advanced Placementart teachers who used the funds totake seniors interested in applying toart schools to Sarasota for a collegeportfolio day. That one trip resulted ina total of $28,000 in scholarships forthe graduating seniors.

The remaining $12,000 is beingused to help the county's new art mag-net school purchase string and rhythminstruments, lighting and stage equip-ment, and also to hire a balletinstructor the director and founderof a local professional ballet company

to teach a ballet class.Seminole County plans to focus

its next fund raiser at the OrlandoMuseum of Art on technology train-ing for teachers.

81

A Profile:

SIOUX VALLEY (SD)FactorsThe School Board1/District Arts

Coordinator(s)4An Elementary

Foundationq

StatisticsSchools (Total): 3Students (Total): 651Per Pupil: $4,921Arts Teachers (Total): 6

1471ile the communities of theSioux Valley School District have

long supported the arts, until 1995this rural school district provided artseducation only at the junior high andhigh school levels. Today, with K-12under one roof, the arts education pro-gram begins in kindergarten.

The strategy for expanding artseducation into the elementary gradesinvolved research, written reports, andpresentations to the school board.According to elementary arts specialistErica Howell who was instrumental ineffecting change in Sioux Valley'sschool system, the way to achieve sucha goal is to "gather various types ofresearch together and write reportsthat make the case and show conclu-sively how arts impact a child. Thentake those reports to the Board ofEducation and explain that the arts areas important as athletics."

Result: The budget was increasedto accommodate curriculum needs andto add a full-time specialist for the ele-mentary grades. An additionalfull-time instrumental music instructoralso was hired. Now the problem thedistrict must solve is space. A bondissue was voted down due to tax con-cerns, so the school system is lookingfor space in another building. Over thenext few years, Sioux Valley will needto find a solution to its "facilitycrunch." Says Howell, "The upside isgreat: We have this need because ourprogram has grown. The downside isthat there is still more work to be done."

A Profile:

SOUTHWEST ALLENCOUNTY (IN)FactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/The Superintendent,/Parent/Public Relations,/National, State, Other

Outside Forces4


ris Fort Wayne, Indiana, schoolistrict, which is comprised of pri-

marily white, middle-class students,has more than doubled in size over thepast 20 years, making it one of thefastest-growing districts in Indiana.

Southwest Allen County Schools'arts education receives support fromevery key quarter school board,superintendent, administration, par-ents, and the community at large. Thesupport is evident in the depth andbreadth of arts education in the dis-trict and especially in the planningtime and opportunities for professionaldevelopment that are afforded all of itsteachers, arts teachers included.Moreover, while the school system hasrequired cuts in spending on materialsin the past, the district reports thatreduction in staff as a means of con-trolling the budget even when facedwith reduced funding has never beenconsidered.

The district provides a broadrange of arts education at all levelsthroughout the system. In addition tovisual arts and music, the SouthwestAllen County Schools also offers dancetheory, dancing, and competitive iceskating. Musical theater productionsare mounted at all schools, often inconjunction with other curricula, suchas a unit on rain forests.

Both the superintendent andassistant superintendent are arts advo-cates. They have used the powerfulemerging research on the arts and cog-nitive development to advance artseducation. The assistant superinten-dent relies on the National Standardsfor Arts Education to set the directionfor curricular revision and programdevelopment.

Southwest Allen County Schoolsplaces a high priority upon profession-al development of teachers, includingthree full days a year of on-site work-shops. The district also encouragesteachers to take students to major artexhibits in Chicago, Cleveland, andToledo, as well as to the performances

82Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS EDUCATION

of national theater touring groupsChicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, andFort Wayne. Each full-time teacher isassigned a laptop computer with amodem for use at home and at school.Training in basic applications as wellas in subject-specific applications isprovided, and as personnel attain highlevels of skills they qualify for upgrad-ed equipment. The elementary staffhas worked to enhance the softwareprograms that are part of the MIDI sys-tems in all of their rooms. At themiddle and high school levels, the dis-trict provides a series of workshops onthe use of the computer synthesizerand the keyboard equipment.

The Southwest Allen CountySchools also provide something evenmore rare: time. All of the arts teachershave daily collaboration timea time when they can meet withcolleagues or classroom teachers torespond to a student's needs or inter-ests or to plan cross-disciplinary units,visiting artists' schedules, or in-houseactivities. Elementary teachers have 45minutes each day while middle schooland high school teachers have 30 min-utes a day. The teachers of eachdiscipline meet monthly to coordinateplans, share resources, visit local andstate museums, review curriculumexpectations, and discuss informationgleaned from conference attendance.

Parents and staff have expressedinterest in more programming for thearts. Some teachers believe there is aneed for an arts coordinator; othersfavor a more defined program for tal-ented youth. All have made a solidcommitment to an orchestra and arebuilding this program even though itis expensive to offer a class with suchsmall numbers of students during thefirst years.

This commitment may be boost-ed in part by the clearly visiblebenefits of the arts as demonstrated bya single program in Southwest AllenCounty Schools: Several years ago twoteachers who had participated in aNew York Metropolitan Opera work-shop returned to Fort Wayne to launchan annual fifth-grade project a stu-dent-written, -directed, and -producedopera. Students from all of the districtschools participate in the annualFAME (Fine Arts and Music forElementary) Festival, which includes aweek-long focus on culturally diverseexperiences for elementary art andmusic students and their families.What began as a local festival reaching


PAGE 79

2,000 students in northeastern Indiananow engages 200,000 students acrossthe northern and central part of thestate with festivities at three sites.

A Profile:

SPRING BRANCH(HOUSTON, TX)FactorsThe Community./District Arts

Coordinator(s)./A Cadre of Principals./National, State, Other

Outside Forces./


re Spring Branch Independentchool District's visual arts and

music coordinators and their colleaguesin the school system have been giventhe same challenge the Commonwealthof Texas gives every Texas district:

On the one hand, they must pro-vide the best possible arts educationexperience for high school students,who are now required to take onecredit of fine arts to graduate;On the other hand, they have nostated guidelines for curriculumbeyond using the new TexasEssential Knowledge and Skills forfine arts.

In Spring Branch as elsewhere inTexas, it is up to the district to deter-mine what course requirements needto be in place to insure student accessto and high achievement in all finearts disciplines. The state legislaturealso has left it to the district to findways to cope with cuts in educationfunding and to keep existing arts pro-grams in place.

To address the music curriculum,for example, Spring Branch organizeda team of teachers who first read bookson multiple intelligences and learningstyles as well as articles on assessment,brain research, urban schools, nationalstandards and technology, and draftsof TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledgeand Skills). They then developed amission statement about how musicinstruction should impact students'lives. Benchmarks were set at threegrade levels. Because music teachers inthe Spring Branch district see hun-dreds of students no more than twice aweek, they decided all students'progress could be formally and realis-

PAGE 80

tically assessed every year. Objectiveswere written for each grade level.

Spring Branch music teacherswere then asked to write strategies forthe new objectives. The curriculumwriting committee also sought the helpof the district's central office as well asoutside help from outside the district.Implementation is being carried out atthe "campus" level with each campushaving its own curriculum expert fromthe curriculum-writing committee.These experts now meet at least twice ayear to address the ongoing curriculumprocess and related issues.

Meanwhile, with the help of par-ents, teachers, and others in a statewidecoalition, the district is finding ways tocontinue to fund arts education.

According to Bill McGlaun, thedistrict's executive director for sec-ondary schools, arts programs areincreasing, not falling back. The 1998-99 budget includes five additionalelementary art teachers. McGlauncites the use of technology in the arts,including animation, as a force forpromoting support of arts education.Craig We Ile, music coordinator, citesresearch. "A lot of the research that'sgoing on is really helping us make thecase for arts education, but the chal-lenge seems to be to find ways to sharethat information with decision makers."One strategy to overcome lack of statelegislative support for the arts, heoffered, is to establish a coalition ofteachers at the state level, to workthrough PTAs, and to lobby for the artsin order to gain foundation moneyand grants which may help keep pro-grams in place.

-

"Music as part of the 'enrichment' areaof the fine arts in the 'required' curricu-lum mandated by (Texas] Senate BillOne, will not be tied to statewide stu-dent assessment," the Spring Branchdistrict reported. "If music instruction isto be truly learner-centered, some kindof student assessment must be con-ducted at the local level. The TEKSvalidate music educators' role in pro-viding students with a well-balancededucation, but until music teachersmove forward with assessing studentachievement reliably, they will be a stepbehind those in other disciplines whichdo have measures in place."

8 3

The strongest elements that theSpring Branch school district has suc-ceeded in maintaining are overalldepth in all the arts disciplines, anorchestra program that is a model forTexas, and the Arts Partners aestheticeducation program.

Spring Branch's Arts Partnersprogram evolved as the district's demo-graphics changed radically from asuburban to an urban communityin just 10 years.

The district sought to use thearts to broaden understanding andbridge the cultural gap by exposing allthe students to a variety of cultures. Atthe beginning, when students wereasked whether they wanted to partici-pate in an arts activity, they had littleor no context for knowing whetherthey wanted to become engaged. Thestrategy the district developed was toincrease arts awareness so the studentswould have a basis for judgment andto give all students the opportunity toexperience the arts. Now, seven yearslater, all ethnic groups interact activelywith increased exposure to the arts.

"We should never underestimatethe value of an arts program and itsimpact on the student's education,"says McGlaun.

A Profile:

STARKVILLE (MS)FactorsThe Community./The School Board4The Superintendent./An Elementary

Foundation./National, State, Other Outside Forces./Planning./Continuous improvement./

S tarkville School District providesmany examples of excellence and

innovation in arts education:a solid elementary foundation inthe arts, giving every student ingrades K-5 one period per weekwith the music specialists and oneperiod per week with the visual artsspecialists;the district technology plan andthe capital improvement plans,which include the addition of aproduction studio at Starkville HighSchool with classes in televisionbroadcast communications, a MIDIlab for the instrumental musicdepartment, and an increasingemphasis on the graphic arts;


an outstanding theater programbeginning in ninth grade;a creative writing program whichbenefits from intensive professionaldevelopment for teachers, "publishingactivities" at every level for students,and an annual "Writer's Day" withexperts addressing the importance ofwriting in the "world of work";collaborative projects between theStarkville School District andMississippi State University, includ-ing a design program that bringsuniversity architecture students toRosa Stewart Elementary School;an interdisciplinary after-schoolprogram for fourth and fifth gradersthat integrates the arts with othercurricula (recently awarded a grantof $3 million from the U.S.Department of Education).

Starkville also has other valuablelessons to share - lessons the districtlearned the hard way. Joyce Polk, dis-trict arts coordinator, explains:

"In Mississippi, there has notbeen strong financial support for artseducation. Funding for personnel andprograms in the arts has not been apart of the Minimum FoundationFunding Program the mechanism fordistribution of state funds to localschool districts in Mississippi. Only invery recent years have state accredita-tion regulations addressed standardsfor arts education."

Despite these obstacles, the com-munity's expectations for arts educationhave been high, and the school boardand administration has tried to meetthem by funding, supporting, and pro-moting arts education.

"What have we learned?" JoycePolk asked - and answered this way:"We have learned that:

Interests in and participation in thearts provides a link between schooland community and promotes sup-port for the total educational system.Community involvement is a vitalcomponent of a strong arts education.Given opportunity and encouragement,assistance and support is available frommany segments of the community.Much more than an effective educa-tional program results when acommunity works together in theendeavor. Human relationships arenourished, and arts programs begunin schools continue far beyond.Cooperation and support for arts edu-cation results in a better quality of lifefor the citizens of our community.

Involvement in the arts improves aca-demic achievement and results in thedevelopment of well-rounded studentswho are able to leave a ruralMississippi school district and competein prestigious college and universityenvironments across the country.By providing a great variety of artsofferings, we are able to involvelarge numbers of students fromdiverse backgrounds, abilities, andinterests. We have seen the theoryof multiple intelligences in action!Participation in art-related activitiespromotes understanding and accep-tance of individuals from diverseethnic and cultural groups.Participation in the arts provides acommon bond and a commoninterest among students.The required fine arts in ourschools promote involvement inthe arts far beyond the schoolhousedoor. This participation in the artshelps to promote healthy lifestylesfor a lifetime. (Research indicatesthat the most effective drug abuseprevention strategy is a high levelof supervised student activity thatextends beyond the school day.)"

4111

A Profile:

SUMMIT(FRISCO,FactorsThe CommunityqThe School Board4The Superintendent,/An Elementary

Foundation-4

RE-1CO)


Summit County, Colorado, is a com-munity rich in culture. With fewer

than 25,000 permanent residents, it ishome to two summer orchestras, ayear-round community band, a choralsociety, two dance studios, a countyarts council, two community theaters,and a thriving colony of practicingartists. Residents expect the arts to beavailable to all and consider the arts tobe integral to the total educationalprogram of the community.

"We make a commitment tobegin in kindergarten," says Dr.Nadine Johnson, superintendent, "andgive students the arts all the waythrough high school."

Elementary students receive anhour of instruction per week in both

84Lessons From School Districts That Value ARTS ED6CATION

art and music. Physical educationincorporates music and dance. Highschool graduation requirements speci-fy two credits per one year of fine orperforming arts and two credits perone year of applied arts.

"Young children," Johnsonobserves, "are open to sampling newexperiences. By the age of 15, they gen-erally stop sampling as they get ontrack to college. "If you don't have thearts in the elementary grades, you willhave less in high school. The questionis: What do you want your children tolook like when they leave you? Holisticeducation is what creates good qualityof life. We have a strong commitmentto holistic education for kids. Our stu-dents end up with an unbelievablystrong, rich background in the arts."

To sustain this kind of commit-ment to the arts, Summit's super-intendent notes, requires "a personat the top who will say 'no,' who willnot turn to the arts or to the arts pro-grams in the elementary schools whenbudgets are cut. It's easy to drop thingsat the elementary level. It's a quickway to reduce a district's budget.When superintendents are told theyhave to add so many things - AIDSeducation, drug education - you haveto have leadership that will again andagain recommit to culture."

Summit's board of education haslong supported funding, staffing, andspace for the arts. Every building projectundertaken since 1963 or before has fea-tured space allocated to the visual artsand music. Each secondary school has afully equipped auditorium and separatevocal and instrumental music areas. Thesix elementary schools also have dedi-cated arts space and an integratedmultipurpose performance area.

An "ours" (versus "yours")approach to resources is credited bySummit leaders as contributing to a"for the good of all" mentality that lit-erally opens doors for all elements ofSummit's "learning community." Forexample, local community theaters andthe schools maintain cooperative agree-ments and share costumes, props, andsets freely. The Breckenridge MusicInstitute provides a free assembly to anelementary school in exchange for useof the building for rehearsals. Thelocal community college, ColoradoMountain College, uses district facili-ties for many of its programs. And eachyear the "Backstage at the Riverwalk"musical comedy production spon-

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sored by Summit High School, theTown of Breckenridge, and the non-profit Backstage Theater - rehearses atSummit Middle School, then shares partof its profits with the school district.

A Profile:

TOWNSHIP 113(DEERFIELD ANDHIGHLAND PARK, IL)Factors StatisticsThe Communitr/ Schools Mal): 2The School Board,/

Students (Total): 2,820The Superintendenbl Per Pupil: $15,100C,ontinuity in

Leadership,/Arts Teachers (Total): 19

Teachers Who Practice Their Art4Opportunities for Higher Levels of AchievernenblNational, State, Other Outside Forces4Planning,/Continuous Improvement/

Tvith a century of arts education toits credit, Township High School

District 113 also known as Deerfield-Highland Park - would be expected tohave strong arts programs. It does. YetHighland Park I-figh School and its sisterschool, Deerfield, which opened in 1960,are not resting on their many laurels.

Located in an affluent, highlyeducated suburban community north-west of Chicago, this secondary schooldistrict has graduated hundreds of stu-dents, such as actor/director GarySinise, who have gone on to successfulcareers in university and professionaltheater, music, dance, visual and mediaarts. In fact, a student cannot graduatefrom Deerfield or Highland Park highschools today without taking a mini-mum one-semester fine arts coursefrom among the 34 courses available.

Taught by an outstanding facultychallenged by the district to contin-

ue to grow as artists as well aseducators the courses range fromfilmmaking and electronic music totechnical theater and graphic design.Given a district philosophy of inclu-sion, all arts courses are available to allstudents. Support services and learningaccommodations are made when nec-essary, but generally the arts educatorswork successfully with all students.

Special opportunities exist forstudents at both ends of the learningspectrum. In addition to AdvancedPlacement courses in art history, studioart, music, as well as advanced theaterperformance for students seeking higherlevels of opportunity, District 113 offers

PAGE 82

visual art, drama, and music to studentswith disabilities. Upon completion ofthese courses, the students are main-streamed into other art classes as theirschedules permit.

To meet the needs of increasingnumbers of students with financialneed, Patrons of the Arts (at Highland)and Friends of the Arts (at Deerfield)programs were launched in the early1990s. Funds are now raised collabora-tively with parents and fine artsfaculty through distribution of a finearts calendar of events. Funds supportstudents who might wish to take pri-vate lessons or do summer study intheir art form.

The fine arts curriculum isdesigned so that a student with no artsbackground can experience success inany of the four arts - music, theater,dance, and visual arts. For example,students with no dance background canenroll in dance, and the extracurriculardance program is open to any studentin the school. Music courses, such aselectronic music, are specificallydesigned for the student with no musicbackground. But learning expectations,based upon the national and State ofIllinois standards, are high. Each stu-dent is expected to gain considerabledepth of knowledge in at least one artform that can be translated into otherart forms for lifelong learning.

Over the past 30-some years,Highland Park parents, faculty, andstudent volunteers have been welcom-ing back alumni to perform or presentworkshops for the three-day, three-night festival of the arts called "Focuson the Arts."

More recently, Deerfield HighSchool added an artist-in residenceprogram that bears some resemblanceto an "educational barter" initiative innearby Milwaukee (see MilwaukeePublic Schools case study). TheDeerfield artist in residence is given anhonorarium by the school board andstudio space in a room adjacent to thevisual arts classroom. In return, theseartists provide instruction and inspira-tion for high school students whoenjoy getting to know working profes-sionals. There are other tangiblebenefits, such as arts classes offered tothe adult evening school and the resi-dent artist's sculpture that was ac-quired for the school by a community-wide fund-raising campaign.

Continuous curriculum assess-ment had led to other innovations andinitiatives. New computers in a graphic

85

Its 1987 centennial publication statesthat the school began with a singingprogram included in its curriculum: "In1897, the principal was authorized tobuy 20 singing books at a price not toexceed $.75 per copy." By 1912 and theschool's silver anniversary, the curricu-lum included "art, music, and oneShakespearean play each year?' In 1915,the board of education received a letter

Lwhich "called attention to the incorrectand unbecoming methods of dancing onthe part of high school pupils at theirschool dances. A dance instructor washired for PE classes for $50.00."

In 1995, an eighth-grade student inChicago telephoned Highland Parkwondering if the high school still hadthe murals depicting American industrythat Edgar Britton had painted in the1930s as a WPA (Works ProgressAdministration) project. The call led to atremendous discovery: nine panels thathad been leaning on a brick smoke-stack in the school attic since 1955.

Now restored, they have become acontemporary curricular-integrationwork in progress. When the muralswere first found, AP Studio Art stu-dents analyzed the artistic techniquesused to create them. The Art Historystudents discussed the historic mean-ing of panels. Finally, the chemistryteacher brought her students to viewthe murals and discuss with the con-servators the chemical analysisdecisions involved in mural restoration.As a result of this integration of publicart works in curriculum, one graduateis now studying art history, studio art,and chemistry in college so she canbecame an art conservator.

The project will continue as grantmoney is obtained. In addition, it hasbecome part of the "New DealNetwork" Web site of the Institute forLearning Technologies at ColumbiaUniversity. The Web site - http://newdeal.feri.org/classrm/teach.htrnl -describes "Highland Park's EdgarBritton Murals: Using Public Art forInterdisciplinary Study" and the cur-riculum development work of theschool's fine and applied arts depart-ment chair, Connie Kieffer.

design and CAD (Computer AidedDesign) drafting lab allow Deerfieldstudents to pursue "real world" pro-jects. At Highland Park, an "IntegratedSenior Project" gives second-semester

BEST COPY AVMLABLE

seniors the opportunity to study achosen theme in a collaborative milieuthat integrates the arts. In a nod toresearch 'on the brain and the arts, theproject stresses the importance ofmaking connections.

Dr. Linda M. Hanson, Township113 superintendent, observes, "We havenever before been better poised forreplacing antiquated points of view witha new vision in arts education. Recentdiscoveries in the area of brain researchhave given us a new understanding ofthe function that the arts play in thelearning process. We always knew thearts enriched our lives and nurtured oursouls; we know now that we learnthrough and because of the arts. Thenext century," she predicts, "will benoted for an expanded definition of stu-dent learning and the essential role thatthe arts play in that understanding."

A Profile:

URBANA 1 1FactorsThe Superintendent,/An Elementary

FoundationgNational, State, Other

Outside Forces,/Planning,/

6 (IL)StatisticsSchools (Total): 8Students (Total): 4,925Per Pupil: $5,896Arts Teachers (Total): 30

rree dates in the life of Urbanachool District 116 are instructive:

1924 The district budget shows itsfirst line item for arts education at thesecondary level.

1989 A line item for arts educationat the elementary level is added to thedistrict's budget after schools decidedto create a program called the Arts forUrbana Elementary in answer to thestate-mandated goals for arts educationin Illinois.

1990-91 The Arts for Urbana-Elementary program is launched as anintegrated fine arts program taught byteams of arts specialists who aretrained specifically in their chosenareas: dance, drama, music, andvisual art.Since then:

Enrollment in arts classes at themiddle school and high schoollevels has steadily increased.The Arts for Urbana-Elementaryprogram has received three K-6 Arts

Planning grants from the IllinoisState Board of Education.Thomas Paine Elementary Schoolreceived its second Museum in theClassroom Grant to allow thedance/drama teacher and a fourth-grade teacher to create an onlineAbraham Lincoln museum. Themuseum will serve as a link to otherfourth-grade dassrooms around thestate, offering a collection of dramati-zations of Lincoln folklore gatheredfrom the eighth circuit. It will also pro-vide an opportunity for high schoolart and drama students to act as men-ton for the fourth-grade students.Urbana High School received aMuseum in the Classroom Grantfrom the state board of educationallowing art students to work close-ly with Adler Planetarium for twoyears and produce the winning webpage in Illinois. (Visitors are wel-come at www.cmi.k12.il.us/Urbana/pro j ects/UHSArt/mic3)Parents and other community mem-bers have begun participating in"Artshares" - regularly scheduledoccasions for arts-making experienceswith their children. The district hasalso begun hosting lecture-demonsira-tions and performances of studentwork for the school board and parentorganizations.Superintendent Gene Amberg is

credited with the vision for arts educa-tion in the Urbana school system,which is a source of pride for the schoolboard, administration, teachers, stu-dents, and community at large. Theybelieve arts education - and students'successes in arts-based experiences -has played a "significant role" in theimprovement of student attitudes andperformance in the classroom.

A Profile:

VOLUSIA COUNTY (FL)FactorsThe Community,/The School Board,/The SuperintendenWAn Elementary Foundation,/Opportunities for HigherLevels of Achievements/

National, State, OtherOutside Forces./


T 7olusia County may be best knownV for Daytona Beach and race cars, but

it is also on a fast track for arts education.


The district reports: "We are very fortu-nate that Volusia County hashistorically employed district-level sub-ject area specialists in all content areas.Line items currently in the budget existbecause the district and music special-ists have been and continue to be veryaggressive in making the program needsknown to the decision makers. The dis-trict has willingly become very sensitiveto arts education needs though fullfunding cannot always be provided."When budgets cuts have been neces-sary, the district adds, they "have beenabsorbed by across the board reductionsor at the district level."

As funding permits, the districthas offered artist residencies, partner-ship activities with area arts institutions,AP and International Baccalaureate pro-grams, professional developmentworkshops and summer academies. Thedistrict also holds Florida's largest VerySpecial Arts Festival, which involvesmore than 2,500 students of all ages.

Approximately 2 percent of the$5 million budget is spent for arts edu-cation. Most of the allotment is salary,but line items for transportation, sup-plies, repairs, space rental, residencies,and consultants are also allocated inlimited amounts. Additional funds forthe arts are provided by the schools andaccessed through a school-based deci-sion-making process. Volusia schoolstake advantage of as many fundingsources as possible: budget line items,private grants, partnerships, parentgroups, and conmiunity fund raisers.

The Arts Council of VolusiaCounty also is active in promotingschool-and-artist communication,which has encouraged the participa-tion of local artists and arts groups atboth the classroom and school level.The district's Volunteers in PublicSchools (VIPS) office helps keep theconnections by maintaining a list ofpeople who are willing to contributetheir talents to schools.

Superintendent William E. Hallrecognizes the value of arts learning tostudents and the community at large:"Where students have a chance to cre-ate, use their imagination, and expressthemselves, we tend to have strongacademic programs, high levels of 'fam-ily and community support, andpositive learning environments. This isimportant as the arts build the skillsvalued by business and industry."

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A Profile:

WAUKESHA (WOFactorsPlanning,/


just 15 miles or so due west ofMilwaukee is the city of Waukesha,

which has supported arts education inits school district for more than 40 years.

Jeff Schlueter, chairman of the K-12 art program, attributes the longevityof the visual art program to the supportof the community, board of education,and administration. Shared planning timeand leadership are viewed as contributingfactors by other Waukesha arts educators.Michael Potyinger, district music depart-ment chair, observes, "Shared weeklyplanning time for the music spedalists iscentral in the development of our ele-mentary general music program, which isthe most important key in our secondarysuccess in music education."

What also stands out as a partic-ular strength in Waukesha is theschool district's encouragement ofshared leadership. Schlueter offeredtwo suggestions:

Allow leadership to be shared withstudents. "We have had great successwith high school artists sharing theirwork with middle school students,"he said. "The older students feel hon-ored, and the middle schoolers haveart role models."Invite high school students to bethe guest artists during Fine ArtsDays in elementary schools. "Thisis especially effective if the studentgoes back to his or her own ele-mentary school. It is very rewardingfor art teachers to hear their formerstudents be so articulate about theirart."

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A Profile:

WAYLANDFactorsThe Community4The Superintendent,/A Cadre of Principals4Planning,/

(MA)StatisticsSchools (Total): 5Students (Total): 2,678Per Pupil: $7,043Arts Teachers (Total): 14

ing for high school musicals, and serv-ing on the board of the state musiceducators' association. Principals anddistrict administrators regularly attendconcerts, plays, and art shows, andthey "clear a path" for the arts pro-grams by showing the whole districtthat arts education holds an importantplace in the Wayland school system.

Every other year, the citizens in thetown of Wayland, west of Boston,

must vote on whether to override asevere property tax cap that was seton Massachusetts citizens decades ago.To not have a successful override votewould mean the loss of the arts pro-gram in the schools. Every election haspassed the override overwhelmingly.

Many factors play critical rolesin that biennial accomplishment: thecommunity's involvement (parentswrite letters, make phone calls, helpwith publicity) and the quality of thearts programs themselves (K-12, broad,deep, accessible, innovative).

All K-8 students in this growingdistrict are required to take art andmusic. Instrumental music is offeredbeginning in grade 3 for strings andgrade 4 for winds and percussion, andrehearsals and lessons take place dur-ing the school day. There is a chorus,orchestra, and band in every school.Jazz ensembles and chamber musicensembles are offered at the middleschool and high school. Theater artsbegins in grade 5, and all fifth gradersparticipate in an annual musical.

The middle school also mounts afull musical production each year,which includes approximately 170 stu-dents (40 percent of the school). A fallplay has just been added to the middleschool theater program. The highschool's theater program puts on sixmajor productions annually, includinga musical. Theater arts classes are heav-ily enrolled, and a film study coursehas been added. Both art and theaterarts offer sequential major courses.

To make the most of the budgetallocation for the arts, the staff assurescreative use each year. Considerabletime and effort is spent in careful plan-ning and sharing of equipment andbudget monies.

Support for the arts program inthe budget process and throughout theyear comes from the superintendent,Dr. Gary Burton, who follows anotherarts advocate, Dr. William Zimmerman.Now retired, Zimmerman enjoyed play-ing with the high school band, leadingthe elementary band in parades, play-

8

8 7

A Profile:

WESTBROOK (ME)FactorsThe Superintendent,/Parent/Public Relations,/Planning-4Continuous

improvement,/


rrle school district of Westbrook,1 Maine, a small community outside

Portland, is recognized for the quality ofits arts education leadership, notablythrough the work of three superintendentsfrom the late 1950s to the present - Dt.Carroll McGary, Edward Connolly, andRobert Hall. It is also known for the overallexcellence and continuous improvementof its arts education programs, for its stu-dents' performance, and for its vigorousarts advocacy and perseverance during dif-ficult budget times. (See sidebar.)

Westbrook has no designated artsadvocate, yet a firm partnership amongadministrators, teachers, parents, and thecommunity at large has proved highlyeffective. When the district was experi-encing problems with funding, studentswrote to the state policy makers, and thePTA kept in touch with the legislativechair. When Westbrook almost lost apart-time teacher to budget cuts, theadministration and school communitytogether made a commitment not to loseany teachers, and they realized that goal.The administration and board took theposition that "staffing is critical in keep-ing class size down, learning skills up."

Vital to the advocacy efforts iscommunity visibility for the K-12 visualart, music, and drama programs. Bynewsletter, the district keeps the commu-nity abreast of core issues in artsprograms, gives accolades to studentsand teachers alike, and creates interac-tions between community and schools.

Westbrook schools engage parentsin their children's arts learning in a num-ber of ways. The schools host Family Art

Perseverance is a hallmark of theWestbrook school distnct and its artseducation program Responding onbehalf of the distnct to a question aboutbudget ("Have you overcome budgetarycuts to arts education; if so, how?")Janet Crawford, director of art, shedlight on the kind of critical thinking,problem solving, and resourcefulnessthat gets folks in Maine through theworst of winters and toughfinancial times.

Cutbacks in recent years due to eco-nomic conditions have had a majorimpact on Westbrook's art materialsbudget. Supplies have been depleted,and replenishing has only recentlybegun. What offsets this strain on theinstructional program, however, is theWestbrook School Committee's and theadministration's commitment to main-taining an appropriate level of staffing.The consensus is that while it is difficultfor teachers to "do more with less," los-ing supplies has a less dramatic effecton the quality of instruction than losingstaff. Cutting people would have meantcutting programs.

The arts programs have survivedbecause the administration and the

Nights, for example, which give parentsand children a chance to work collabora-tively on an actual art project. The districtnot only exhibits the artwork of every artstudent at the district-wide exhibitions,but it also displays learning outcomesalongside each exhibited project to edu-cate parents and the public aboutstudents' art learning. Music students par-ticipate in community events and performat local nursing homes and senior centers.The district's drama students not onlywork on their school theater productionsbut also become involved in local commu-nity theaters, performing on stage orworking backstage.

"Parents see from the many per-forming arts programs, concerts, plays,and band programs, as well as the visualarts" says Janet Crawford, district direc-tor of art, "that the arts are viable indeveloping the whole person."

school committee members have givenextraordinary amounts of time to carefulplanning and decision making dunngbudget deliberations. Through team-work, they have avoided severereductions in staff. While some posi-tions have been lost, the losses havebeen kept to a minimum and have beendistributed fairly across the disciplines.

The district's practice of buying art sup-plies in bulk and storing them centrallyalso has helped Westbrook arts pro-grams survive budget cuts. Poolinggives teachers the chance to choosefrom a wide variety of art materials forplanning lessons.

Crawford offered three Westbrooklessons for surviving a period of eco-nomic stress:

Keep an open mind about the ebband flow of school funding andunderstanding that "this period tooshall pass." A positive attitude anda will to maintain quality artsinstruction in the face of adversitygoes a long way. You simply haveto expect the growth to be slowerduring tight budget years.

Capitalize on growth opportunitiesduring boom years for the arts by

A Profile:

WICHITAFactorsThe CommunitriNational, State, Other

Outside Forces-4

259 (KS)StatisticsSchools (Total): 81Students (Total): 46,711Per Pupil: $4,367Arts Teachers (Total): 213

I n Wichita, Kansas, Unified SchoolDistrict 259 provides arts education at

every level of learning, K-12. Thataccomplishment is a direct result ofcommunity support for arts education.Were it not for a successful parents'protest in 1996, the district might havelost not only its elementary instrumentalmusic program but also its visual artsprogram for grades 1 through 5.

Community support in Wichitatakes many forms and comes from avariety of resources: parents, colleges anduniversities (Wichita State University,Kansas-Newman College, FriendsUniversity), local arts organizations


increasing supplies and addingstaff at that time. This [strategy]has provided the cushion necessaryto help ease us through this penodof slower growth.

Reap the benefits of resourceful-ness and human resources. Artteachers are masters at seekingdonations from local businesses,recycling, and utilizing resourcecenters that offer free materials toschools.

Crawford summed up: 'We never give upand never take for granted the support wereceive."

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

(Wichita's Center for the Arts,Symphony, Jazz Festival, Art Museum,Women Artists, Opera Kansas, amongmany others), businesses (Boeing,Kansas Power and Light, Di lions, andmore), and foundations. For example,Knight-Ridder, parent firm of TilelVichita Eagle provided a $500,000 grantthrough its foundation to train class-room teachers and community artists toteach school content through the arts.A community exchange program allowsstudents to spend time in businesses andobserve the arts "at work." Businessemployees in turn participate in work-shops with the students in the schools.

The result is an arts education pro-gram of breadth and depth. At theelementary level, each student receives aminimum of four hours of arts instruc-tion per week. In grades 1-5, studentsreceive a total of 90 minutes of visual artsinstruction per week 40 minutes taughtby a certified art specialist, 50 minutes bythe classroom teacher. Orchestra is

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PAGE 85

offered in both the fourth and fifthgrades, band in fifth, so students havethe opportunity to receive 60 to 90 min-utes of music instruction each week.

Middle school builds on theelementary base with visual arts andmusic classes. At the high school level,students can take the mainstays of band,art, and drama, and they can expandinto more specialized areas such as APArt, creative metalsmithing, experimen-tal video, exploration of musicalinstruments, AP music theory, drama,and technology-based visual communi-cation classes, such as television andphotography.

To ensure access and quality, theWichita Public School system strives forequal distribution of arts coursesto the high schools, whether in low-income or affluent areas. With fullyimplemented curriculum standards,the district also works to keep qualityconsistently high. The effort appearssuccessful: USD 259 reports that an adju-dicator from Omaha who participatedin a citywide music festival at which allof Wichita school groups performed,admitted to being "amazed at how wellall of the groups performed."

A Profile:

WILLIAMSPORT (PA)Factors StatisticsThe Community4 Schools (Total): 12The SuperintendenN Students (Total): 7,025District Arts Per Pupil: $4,609

Coordinator(s)4 Arts Teachers (Total): 39Teachers Who Practice

Their Art4

'The Williamsport Area School District1 in north central Pennsylvania

includes the city of Williamsport, localtownships, and some of the most ruggedand secluded terrain in the East. Its artseducation program is woven into thefabric of the community, which has aproud tradition of music and visual art.

Program leadership, reportsRichard Coulter, chair of the musicdepartment, has been a vital componentof the district's arts strength. Arts super-visors serve on local and regional artsboards and work with local arts agencies,universities, production houses, andbusinesses to develop alliances andmutually beneficial partnerships. In turn,many of the region's most prominent,

PAGE 86

active professional artists serve on thedistrict's faculty and create opportunitiesto demonstrate the value of arts educa-tion. They promote sharing of equip-ment and rehearsal space, visiting ofguest artists as clinicians and/or perform-ers in the schools, mentoring ofstudents, borrowing of costumes fromthe local college theater department, anduse of the Community Arts Center, theregion's premiere performing arts facility,at a very low, subsidized cost.

Public advocacy-education is aresponsibility shared by everyone in thedistrict's leadership. The extracurricularensemble program, for instance, is designednot only to perform but also to "inform thecommunity about the great kids and thewonderful work taking place in theschools," explains Coulter. "There are veryfew major banquets, conventions, or cele-brations in town that do not includeparticipation by a school group. We alsohave a high level of visibility with local ser-vice agencies and clubs, such as Rotary,Kiwanis, and Lions."

The Williamsport district and itsarts education programs have becomelinked to the area's economic develop-ment. As Dr. Martha Robinson,Williamsport's superintendent, affirmed,"The arts program is one of the strengthsof our district and is responsible forattracting many families to our communi-ty. We are committed to its remaining astrong and vibrant part of every student'score curriculum."

Li 8 9GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The President's Committee on theArts and the Humanities and the

Arts Education Partnership wish toacknowledge the support of three out-standing leaders from the privatesector whose contributions to thisstudy extended far beyond the granti-ng of funds from their respectiveorganizations:

Jane Polin, program manager andcomptroller of the GE Fund, for herunflagging support of this ambitiousproject, her belief in its value to edu-cation in America, and the impact ofher considerable and growingleadership in the philanthropicarena;Nicholas S. Rabkin, seniorprogram officer, The John D. andCatherine T. MacArthur Foundation,for his commitment to the study at aparticularly critical juncture and forhis wise counsel throughout theproject;Richard S. Gurin, president and CEOof Binney & Smith and a member ofthe President's Committee on the Artsand the Humanities, for staunchlyadvocating arts education, especiallyamong the nation's business leaders,and for dedicating his personal ener-gies and corporate good will, financialresources, and creative abilities toGaining the Arts Advantage: LessonsFrom School Districts That Value ArtsEducation.

We would like to recognize EllenMcCulloch-Lovell's role in initiatingthis work, the expert guidance of theArts Advisory Committee, as well asthe team of superintendents and edu-cators who helped to carry it out byvisiting the "case study" school dis-tricts. In particular, we thank Dawn M.Ellis, senior project associate, for herdiligence in the collection of informa-tion from hundreds of school districtsnationwide and for her insights intohow arts education thrives throughouta school system.

Without the additional supportof the National Endowment for theArts, the U.S. Department of Education,and the White House MillenniumCouncil as well as the in-kind servicesof the Council of Chief State SchoolOfficers and General Electric

Information Services, this study wouldnot have happened. Its publication ismade possible by the contributed timeand talents of Binney & Smith's seniorpublication designer, Peter M. Sak, andLee Manis, manager of Art & DesignDevelopment. Binney & Smith alsoarranged major contributions of paperand ink. Bell Atlantic funded the devel-opment of the report's online version,created by Effie Samios and Ilia Startsevof Istros Media Corporation (IMC).

Special thanks go to facilitatorCraig Dreeszen of the University ofMassachusetts and to the many partic-ipants of three forums one ofsecondary school-age students in theDistrict of Columbia held in August1997, a second of school administra-tors held in September 1997, inconjunction with the AmericanAssociation of School Administrators,and the third on December 6, 1997,with school superintendents and advi-sors gathered to help develop theprotocol research questions for districtsite visits and interviews. We thankthe directors of the New York CitySuperintendent's Forum for welcom-ing the study's researchers to theirconference on "The Arts for Literacy."

We are grateful for the contribu-tions of volunteer researchers KathyFitzgerald, Rita Foy, Sara Goldhawk,Doug Herbert, Sarah Howes, AleshaPulsinelli, and Maxine Stevens;Catherine Burt and KimberleyHeatherington, research assistants;PCAH special assistant Regina Syquiaand interns Julie Adair, JenniferBrehm, Mimi Dionne, KristinHathaway, Sarah Himmelheber, CarrieHughes, Sheena Lee, Rohit Raghavan,David Silva, Andrew Silverstein, JonTucker, and Carmella Williams.

M. Shawn Wray, who initiallyjoined the project as an intern, becameits invaluable information and commu-nications resource. Judith HumphreysWeitz guided the creation of a Webpresence for the study. Susan Rappaportgave her valuable time and services tocontact school districts and writeseveral profiles, Rhonda Nail Manisvolunteered as the report's proofreader.Their contributions are greatlyappreciated.

.90


We are especially pleased toacknowledge all the people around thecountry who helped bring this studyto life. In every district they visited,the researchers were welcomed intothe homes of local families. ThePresident's Committee and ArtsEducation Partnership are very gratefulto each of them. We also appreciatethe assistance of on-site coordinatorsDeborah Brzoska in Vancouver, WA;Roy Fluhrer, Greenville, SC; LiliaGarcia and staff, Miami-Dade County,FL; Arlene Jordan, New YorkCommunity School District #25; SusanLoesl, Milwaukee, WI; John Schutz, LasCruces, NM; and Alison M. Youkilis,Wyoming, OH.

Laura Longley's writing, editing,and production management weresuperb and indispensable. She elicited,clarified, and gave shape to the workof all of us. We couldn't have done itwithout her.

Most of all, we are deeplyindebted to each school district thatparticipated in this effort by gatheringinformation and sharing it with us.Your time, data, ideas, experiences,and program descriptions form thecore of this study.

PROJECT PARTNERSPresident's Committee on the Artsand the Humanities

The President's Committee wascreated by Presidential Executive

Order in 1982 to encourage privatesector support and to increase publicappreciation of the value of the artsand the humanities, through projects,publications, and meetings.

Appointed by the President, theCommittee comprises leading citizensfrom the private sector who have aninterest in and commitment to thehumanities and the arts. Its membersalso include the heads of federalagencies with cultural programs, suchas the National Endowments for theArts and the Humanities, the Instituteof Museum and Library Services, theU.S. Department of Education, theSmithsonian Institution, the Library ofCongress, the National Gallery of Artand the John F. Kennedy Center forthe Performing Arts.


PAGE 87

Arts Education PartnershipThe Arts Education Partnership(formerly known as the Goals

2000 Arts Education Partnership) is aprivate, nonprofit coalition of morethan 100 national education, arts,business, philanthropic, and govern-ment organizations that demonstrateand promote the essential role of artseducation in enabling all students tosucceed in school, life, and work. ThePartnership was formed in 1995through a cooperative agreementbetween the National Endowment forthe Arts (NEA), U.S. Department ofEducation, National Assembly of StateArts Agencies (NASAA), and the Councilof Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

SPONSORSGE Fund's award-winning arts-in-education program supports modelpartnerships between schools andcultural organizations. Throughadvancing the role of the arts ineducation, the GE Fund promotes bothskill development and communityinvolvement in schools and artssettings nationwide.

Known as an innovator in corporatephilanthropy, the GE Fund is a catalystfor improving the education and well-being of men, women, and childrenaround the world. As the principalvehicle for the GE Company's philan-thropy, the GE Fund supports a widerange of education, social service, arts,environmental, and other charitableorganizations in the United States andabroad.

The John D. and Catherine T.MacArthur Foundation is a private,independent grant-making institutiondedicated to helping groups and indi-viduals foster lasting improvement inthe human condition. The Foundationseeks the development of healthyindividuals and effective communities;peace within and among nations;responsible choices about humanreproduction; and a global ecosystemcapable of supporting healthy humansocieties. The Foundation pursues thismission by supporting research, policy

development, dissemination, educa-tion and training, and practice.

Binney & Smith, maker of Crayola®products, has been providing hands-onproducts for children's creative develop-ment, self-expression, and fun for nearlya century. Today the company offers amultitude of art products for art andclassroom teachers to motivate children'slearning and help them have successfulhands-on art experiences. The company'slong-standing partnership with theeducational community has generatedmany successful programs for learningenrichment.

The National Endowment for the Artsis the federal grant-making agency thatCongress created to support the visual,literary, design, and performing arts tobenefit all Americans. The ArtsEndowment's mission is twofold: tofoster the excellence, diversity, andvitality of the arts in the United States,and to broaden public access to thearts.

The U.S. Department of Educationwas established by Congress on May 4,1980 in the Department of EducationOrganization Act (Public Law 96-88 ofOctober 1979). The department'smission includes the promotion ofimprovement in the quality and use-fulness of education through federallysupported research, evaluation, andsharing of information.

The White House MillenniumCouncil was created in 1997 byPresident and Mrs. Clinton to giveevery American an opportunity tomark the millennium through mean-ingful activities that celebrate ourdemocracy, strengthen communities,and leave lasting gifts to the future.The national theme is "Honor the past- Imagine the future." Mrs. Clintonhas issued a call to action to make thearts basic to every child's education,enabling them to imagine the futurethrough the arts.

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91

GAINING THE

ADVANTAGE

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

BY STATE

(*Case Studies)

ALABAMASelma/St. James

ALASKAAnchorage

ARKANSASEl Dorado

ARIZONAKyrenePeoria

CALIFORNIAClovisLawndaleRedondo Beach*San JoseSanta Barbara

COLORADOLarimer County-ThompsonSummit

FLORIDAHillsborough CountyMiami-Dade County*Seminole CountyVolusia County

GEORGIAAtlantaFulton County

IDAHOBoiseCoeur d'Alene

ILLINOISMaine TownshipOak ParkOrland ParkTownship 113Urbana

INDIANASouthwest Allen County

IOWAIowa City

KANSASOlatheSalinaWichita

KENTUCKYJefferson CountyRockcastle County

MAINEMSAD #28MSAD #40Westbrook

MARYLANDHoward County

MASSACHUSETTSChelmsfordLexingtonMasconometWayland

MICHIGANAnn Arbor

MINNESOTARobbinsdaleSaint Paul

MISSISSIPPIHattiesburgStarkville

MISSOURIIndependence

MONTANAMissoula County

NEBRASKAColumbus

NEW HAMPSHIRERochester

NEW JERSEYGlen RidgeParsippany-Troy Hills

NEW MEXICOLas Cruces*

92

NEW YORKCSD #3CSD#25*ElmiraJamestownKenmore-Town of TonawandaLiverpoolPort Washington

NORTH CAROLINACharlotte-Mecklenburg

NORTH DAKOTAMinot

OHIOClevelandHamiltonLimaWyoming*

OKLAHOMANorman

PENNSYLVANIAEast StroudsburgLewisburgNorth AlleghenyWilliamsport

SOUTH CAROLINABeaufort CountyGreenville*

SOUTH DAKOTASioux Valley

TENNESSEEKingsportMemphis

TEXASSpring Branch, Houston

VERMONTChittenden South

VIRGINIAArlington CountyCharlottesvilleFairfax CountyHenrico County

WASHINGTONPuyallupVancouver*

WEST VIRGINIAOhio CountyRandolph County

WISCONSINBurlingtonKettle MoraineMilwaukee*Monte lloWaukesha

WYOMINGFremont County

PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS

AND THE.-HUMANITIES1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWSuite 526Washington, DC 20506

ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP1 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20001 e A Arts

EducationPartnership

GE Fund

Funded by

GE FundThe John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationBinney & Smith

, Additional Support Froi;ided by

National Endowment for the ArtsU.S. Department of EducationWhite House Millennium Council

BEST CON AVAILABLE

Lessons Froin Sarno! Disfricts.That Value

ARTS, EDUCATION

IJ

Ei

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

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REPRODUCTION BASIS

®

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This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release(Blanket) form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing allor classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore,does not require a "Specific Document" Release form.

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