Arts Education FAQ

ARTS EDUCATION :: FAQ

Who can I contact for questions related to arts education?

Bryar Ted Cougle, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts Education
tcougle@dpi.state.nc.us
919.807.3855
919.807.3823-fax

Christie Lynch Howell, Dance and Music Education
cmhowell@dpi.state.nc.us
919.807.3856
919.807.3823-fax

NC Department of Public Instruction
Arts Education
6366 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6366

How I can I stay informed of current issues, events, opportunities, and resources in arts education?

Join the arts education listserv to receive weekly updates from NCDPI. You may do so by emailing: join-artsed@lists.dpi.state.nc.us or by contacting one of the arts education consultants: tcougle@dpi.state.nc.us or cmhowell@dpi.state.nc.us. You may access further information and resources for Arts Education by visiting: http://community.learnnc.org/dpi and clicking on the appropriate link for dance, music, theatre arts or visual arts education.

Is there a Standard Course of Study for Arts Education?

Yes. The North Carolina General Assembly and State Board of Education require the Standard Course of Study; moreover, they require that all areas of the Standard Course of Study should be taught. The North Carolina Arts Education Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12 may be accessed on-line at http://www.ncpublischools.org/curriculum (Select Arts Education on the curriculum matrix).

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When will the next revision of the NC Standard Course of Study for arts education take place?

Based on surveys and data from the field, the arts education SCS will not have any significant revisions during this revision cycle (2005-2006). The only minor change that will take place is the addition of AP courses to the SCS. The next revision cycle is scheduled to take place in 2010.

Is Arts Education defined in North Carolina's Basic Education Plan (BEP), Public School Law 115C-81?

The Basic Education Plan (BEP), required by the General Assembly and adopted by the State Board of Education in 1985, describes a "program of instruction which is fundamentally complete and which would give the student a thorough grounding in these areas: ARTS EDUCATION [DANCE, MUSIC, THEATRE ARTS AND VISUAL ARTS], English language arts (communication skills), guidance, healthful living [health education and physical education], information skills and computer skills, mathematics, science, second languages, social studies and vocational [career-technical] education." (BEP, p1, 1994)

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Is honors credit available for arts education courses?

Standards for Honors Courses (State Board of Education Policy HSP-M-001) - The Board approved standards for the use of all honors courses to be effective with the 2005-06 school year, with some exceptions. Career Technical Education courses that already have in place an industry certification will be eligible for five quality points for the 2004-05 school year. Honors versions of all other courses shall adhere to, align with and reflect these North Carolina Honors Course Standards. The revised policy requires that prior to the honors designation, there must be a curriculum guide and administrative review of each proposed course. The development, review and approval process must be established and ongoing in each school and/or system to ensure honors courses warrant the additional weighted credit.

According to the policy, there may be honors courses in arts education. "Those courses that are the third and fourth year course components of a numerical sequence of courses in any discipline area of arts education (dance, music, theatre arts or visual arts) may have honors versions. Students may only receive credit for an individual honors course one time."

An individual student may only take and receive credit for honors versions of the following (twelve in all) arts education honors courses:

5117 Dance III
5118 Dance IV
5257 Band III
5258 Band IV
5242 Orchestra III
5243 Orchestra IV
5232 Vocal Music III
5233 Vocal Music IV
5317 Theatre Arts III
5318 Theatre Arts IV
5417 Visual Art III
5418 Visual Art IV

The new standards indicate it is the responsibility of teachers to develop and have approved, through local administration, any courses offered for honors credit. The NC Department of Public Instruction is currently discussing potential support materials to assist systems with honors courses. To view the approved general standards, visit: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/honorstandards.

The Arts Education Honors Course Standards are being revised, and should be used in conjunction with the requirements of the newly approved honors standards which apply to all honors courses. The revised arts education honors course standards will be available to school systems by July 2005.

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Is there a graduation requirement for arts education?

No. North Carolina "recommends at least one unit of credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision" for all four courses of study for high school graduation. Students may elect to complete an arts education pathway in the career prep course of study or may elect to pursue NC Scholars status, each of which has individual arts education requirements.

What are the requirements for an arts education pathway in the career prep course of study?

High school students may choose to pursue an arts education pathway in the Career Prep Course of Study. This pathway requires students to select courses appropriate for an arts education pathway to include an advanced level course.

Specific criteria are as follows:

4 credits in an arts discipline: (dance, music, theatre arts, or visual arts)
At least one advanced level course (Level II or above)

The term "Arts Discipline" refers to any one of four subject areas to include dance, music, theatre arts or visual arts. The expectation is that a student will take four courses in one subject area with at least one being a higher level course. A student could not take a mix of courses from more than one discipline to pursue a pathway such as Art I, Band I, Dance I, and Theatre Arts I. A higher level course is defined as any course at Level II or above, for example, Band II or Theatre Arts II. In addition, a higher level course could also be a third or fourth year course such as Art III or Dance IV, any honors course, an International Baccalaureate course, or an Advanced Placement course.

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Is there an arts education requirement for the NC Scholars Program?

Yes. Students must take one unit of credit in arts education (dance, music, theatre arts or visual arts) to fulfill the arts education requirement of the NC Scholars Program.

Are the arts CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS under NCLB?

Yes. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001, which was signed into federal law in January 2002, defines core subject areas as English, Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Foreign Languages, Civics and Government, Economics, ARTS, History, and Geography. Because the arts are CORE under NCLB, they are therefore eligible for Federal funding.

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Do all arts education teachers have to be highly qualified?

US Department of Education "Guidance" on NCLB permits the State to define which areas under the Arts will be considered Core areas. For licensure purposes, only Music and Visual Arts teachers must meet the Highly Qualified (HQ) rules in North Carolina. Dance and Theatre Arts teachers do not have to meet HQ rules according to NC's definition; however, dance and theatre arts teacher must meet NC licensure requirements.

What should students know and be able to do as the result of a comprehensive education arts education?

Students should know and be able to do the following by the time they have completed secondary school:

They should be able to communicate at a basic level in the four arts disciplines -- dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. This includes knowledge and skills in the use of the basic vocabularies, materials, tools, techniques, and intellectual methods of each arts discipline.
They should be able to communicate proficiently in at least one art form including the ability to define and solve artistic problems with insight, reason, and technical proficiency.
They should be able to develop and present basic analyses of works of art from structural, historical, and cultural perspectives, and from combinations of those perspectives. This includes the ability to understand and evaluate work in the various arts disciplines.
They should have an informed acquaintance with exemplary works of art from a variety of cultures and historical periods, and a basic understanding of historical development in the arts disciplines, across the arts as a whole, and within cultures.
They should be able to relate various types of arts knowledge and skills within and across the arts disciplines. This includes mixing and matching competencies and understandings in art-making, history and culture, and analysis in any arts-related project.

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How do arts education programs support a balanced curriculum?

A balanced curriculum reflects the philosophy and beliefs of educating the whole child, and enabling the child to take an active role in constructing meaning from his or her experiences. The Basic Education Plan (BEP) for the State of North Carolina was based on this philosophy. Though never fully funded nor implemented, the philosophy of the BEP holds true today. The BEP supports the premise that there is a common core of knowledge and skills which every child shall command when he or she graduates from high school. As stated in the BEP, "a basic program is not one-dimensional; indeed, it must address all aspects of a child's development, from kindergarten through high school, or else it cannot properly be termed basic... it does not encourage learning in one area over learning in another (BEP, 1994, p1). All areas, including arts education, are considered essential to learning in school and beyond.

Do arts education programs need to be in place in our school?

Arts education should be viewed as a full partner in the academic community and fundamental to the total school curriculum. Arts education should be taught by licensed, "highly qualified" arts education teachers as required by NCLB. The arts do not exist in a vacuum and need to be connected to life and learning as much as possible. Integration is a way of showing how the arts are fundamentally connected to other branches of knowledge and how those branches are connected to the arts. Indeed, it is the responsibility and duty of EVERY educator to help students see relationships to areas throughout the curricula.

Each of the Arts Education Standard Courses of Study (for dance, music, theatre arts and visual arts) have specific goals and objectives directly related to helping students make connections with the arts and other subject areas (both tested and non-tested) across the curriculum. These connections take place within the context of the study of each particular art form. In fact, it would be impossible to study any of the arts without making connections to other areas, as these areas are an integral part of creating, performing, responding to and understanding each of the arts disciplines. "Only when knowledge in the arts is linked with learning in the rest of the school curriculum does arts study become relevant and useful outside of the subject area itself, having ramifications for all learning and acting as a support and catalyst for learning across the curriculum. " (Arts Education K-12: A State Perspective on Classroom Instruction, 1997, p. 3)

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What research supports the benefits of arts education as part of a basic and balanced curriculum for all students?

The following points are taken from Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development. [ Critical Links was published by the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), a coalition of more than 100 national education, arts, business, and philanthropic organizations. AEP is administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies through a cooperative agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education.]

Critical Links and other research studies point to strong relationships between learning in the arts and fundamental cognitive skills and capacities used in mastering other school subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.

Of great importance to schools struggling to close achievement gaps are the indications that for certain populations - including students from economically disadvantaged circumstances and students needing remedial instruction - learning in the arts may be uniquely able to boost learning and achievement.

Reading and Language Development:

Certain forms of arts instruction enhance and complement basic reading instruction aimed at helping children "break the phonetic code" that unlocks written language by associating letters, words, and phrases with sounds, sentences and meanings. (Critical Links, 2002).
Young children who engage in dramatic enactments of stories and text improve their reading comprehension, story understanding and ability to read new materials they have not seen before. The effects are even more significant for children from economically disadvantaged circumstances and those with reading difficulties in the early and middle grades. The studies suggest that for certain populations - students from economically disadvantaged circumstances, students needing remedial instruction, and young children - learning in the arts may be especially helpful in boosting learning and achievement. (Critical Links, 2002)
Arts learning experiences develop expressive and reflective skills that enhance writing proficiency. (Critical Links, 2002).

Mathematics:

Music instruction develops spatial reasoning and spatial-temporal reasoning skills, which are fundamental to understanding and using mathematical ideas and concepts. (Critical Links, 2002).

Fundamental Cognitive Skills and Capacities:

Learning in individual art forms as well as in multi-arts experiences engages and strengthens such fundamental cognitive capacities as spatial reasoning (the capacity for organizing and sequencing ideas); conditional reasoning (theorizing about outcomes and consequences); problem solving; and the components of creative thinking (originality, elaboration, flexibility). (Critical Links, 2002).

Motivation to Learn:

Motivation and the attitudes and dispositions to pursue and sustain learning are essential to achievement. Learning in the arts nurtures these capacities, including active engagement, disciplined and sustained attention, persistence, and risk-taking, and increases attendance and educational aspirations (Critical Links, 2002).

Effective Social Behavior:

Studies of student learning experiences in drama, music, dance and multi-arts activities show student growth in self-confidence, self-control, self-identity, conflict resolution, collaboration, empathy and social tolerance. (Critical Links, 2002).

School Environment:

It is critical that a school provide a positive context for learning. Studies in the compendium show that the arts help to create the kind of learning environment that is conducive to teacher and student success by fostering teacher innovation, a positive professional culture, community engagement, increased student attendance and retention, effective instructional practice, and school identity. (Critical Links, 2002).

Critical Links stresses that not all of the studies demonstrate that instruction in the arts directly causes learning in another subject, but rather the cognitive skills and achievement motivations used and developed in the arts appear to be fundamental in other learning situations as well.

OTHER RESEARCH/POLICY:

Empirical evidence over the last 10+ years clearly indicates that arts involvement shows a consistent and significant correlation with higher SAT test results. Students in the arts scored an average of 82 points higher every year than their non-arts counterparts. Involvement in the arts goes hand-in-hand with better SAT scores, and the more years of involvement, the greater the gains. (The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report, 2002).
Students with more arts instruction have index scores averaging 20 points higher on measures of creative thinking, fluency, originality, and elaboration (Champions of Change, 1999).
Students who participate in the arts are: 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement; 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair; 3 times more often to be elected to class office within their schools; and 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance (Champions of Change, 1999).
After learning eighth, quarter, half and whole notes, second and third graders scored 100% higher than their peers who were taught fractions using traditional methods (Neurological Research, 1999).
Whole-school reform initiatives that integrate the arts, such as the nationally recognized NC A+ Schools Network, demonstrate: increased parental involvement; increased awareness of the curriculum; improved attitudes, attendance and behavior of students; increased student enthusiasm for school and learning; greater willingness of teachers to implement strategies to improve student achievement; greater collaboration among teachers; increased partnerships among schools and resources in the community; increased motivation of teachers and students; and richer and more educationally substantive assessment of students. (A+ Schools Program Executive Summary, 2000).
Brain scans taken during musical performances show that virtually the entire cerebral cortex (central processing area of the brain) is active while musicians are performing. Almost every system of the brain is at work simultaneously during a musical performance. (Weinberger, 1998).
The arts can provide effective learning opportunities to the general student population, yielding increased academic performance, reduced absenteeism, and better skill-building. For at risk youth, the arts contribute to lower recidivism rates; increased self-esteem; the acquisition of job skills; and the development of much needed creative thinking, problem solving and communication skills - skills that are critical to the workforce (NGA Center for Best Practices, Issue Brief, May 2002).
Nationally, the non-profit arts industry is a $36 billion business that support 1.3 million full-time jobs. The arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life of cities and rural areas nationwide and assuming an important role as a direct and indirect contributor to state economies (NGA Center for Best Practices Issue Brief, June 2001).

As illustrated through research, numerous studies point toward a consistent and positive correlation between a substantive education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects and on standardized tests. A comprehensive, articulated arts education program engages students in a process that helps them develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation necessary for success in school and in life.

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What resources are available to support arts education programs in the schools?

The following on-line resources may be helpful in providing tools and links to support arts education programs:

http://www.aep-arts.org - Arts Education Partnership

http://www.artsusa.org/public_awareness - National Arts Education Public Awareness Campaign

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/dancin/ - Who's Dancin' Now?

http://www.amc-music.com - American Music Conference

http://www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music - VH1 Save the Music Program

http://www.SupportMusic.com - Support Music a public service of the Music Education Coalition

http://www.ncleg.net - Home page for the NC General Assembly

What are some resources for professional development for arts educators?

If they have not already done so, arts educators may wish to join one or more of the arts education professional associations at the state and/or national levels:

http://www.aahperd.org/nda/template.cfm?template=main.html - NDA - National Dance Association

http://www.ndeo.org - NDEO - National Dance Education Organization

http://www.ncaahperd.org - DANCE - Dance Association for North Carolina Educators

http://www.ncdancealliance.org - NCDA - North Carolina Dance Alliance

http://www.ncmea.net - NCMEA - North Carolina Music Educators Association

http://www.menc.org - MENC - The National Association for Music Education

http://www.nctc.org - NCTC - North Carolina Theatre Conference

sscarborough@wcpss.net - NCTAE - North Carolina Theatre Arts Educators Association

http://www.aate.com - AATE - American Alliance for Theatre and Education

http://www.edta.org - ETA - Educational Theatre Association

http://www.ncaea.appstate.edu - NCAEA - NC Art Education Association

http://www.naea-reston.org - NAEA - National Art Education Association

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