In Today’s News

NCCAS Releases Update on State Arts Standards Adoption

February 16, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) has released a report entitled “The Status of Arts Standards Revisions in the United States since 2014.” The report is the result of an analysis of states who have revised their standards since the publication of the National Core Arts Standards in June 2014.

The National Core Arts Standards for dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts, were created in a transparent inclusive process engaging over 130 arts educators as writers and 6,000 reviewers. These PreK-12 grade-by-grade standards were written to guide educators seeking to provide quality arts education for America’s students, define artistic literacy, and support 21st century skills and college and career readiness.

Commencing in January 2015, NCCAS member organization Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education, began conducting the research culminating in this report. With the assistance of other NCCAS member organizations, Americans for the Arts interviewed and collected information from more than 270 individuals and organizations from across the nation, including state department of education arts curriculum directors, state arts agencies, and several other public sector partners with expertise in state arts standards revisions.

Jane Best, executive director of the Arts Education Partnership said of the report, “It is affirming to see so many states reviewing, revisiting, and renewing arts education standards. This is a meaningful step to ensuring that all children have exposure to the arts as part of a well-rounded education.”

The report may be downloaded from the resources section of the National Coalition for Core Arts standards interactive home at http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/resources.

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards is an alliance of national arts and arts education organizations dedicated to ensuring quality standards-based arts opportunities for all students. Members include the American Alliance for Theatre in Education; Americans for the Arts; Educational Theatre Association; National Art Education Association; National Association for Music Education; National Dance Education Association; NCCAS Media Arts Committee; and Young Audiences Arts for Learning.

Contact: Cory Wilkerson
Tel: 800-587-6814
Email: projectmanager@seadae.org

NCAS Launch

Monday, October 20

The public launch of the National Core Arts Standards will take place, Monday, October 20, 9:00am. Some of the featured presentations will be from Ben Fols, Songwriter and arts education activist, Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, and David A. Dik, Executive Director of Young Audience Arts for Learning. To attend the livestream please click here www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/launch. If you can not join live, the link will take you to the archive of the stream that you can access as a follow-up.

 

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards

Latest info

The coalition has provided some useful resources on the National Core Arts Standards that I suggest you check out. After the celebration of rolling out the standards most of the information was archived in one way or another. To read more about the speakers or view the power points, click here.

If you missed a portion of the event or would like to re-watch it as a whole, please view the archive here.

As we enter the next phase of this work and beta test the new website, we invite you to try it out. Please visit www.nationalartsstandards.org to view more. As this is the preliminary launch of the website, be sure to continually check back for updates, improvement and additional ahead of the formal launch in October.

Thanks to Jeff Poulin from Americans for the Arts for providing this information.

 

 

Virtual Launch of NCAS

Mark your calendars for the birthday party!

Opening Session Presentation NCAS

Maine Arts Educators will get first-hand info on the National Core Arts Standards

We fortunate that Lynn Tuttle from the Department of Education in Arizona is traveling to Maine for the statewide biennial arts education conference! Lynn’s session is titled Maine and the National Core Arts Standards.

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards is a group committed to the development of the next generation of arts education standards. Maine educators have reviewed drafts of the PreK-8 standards and have provided feedback to the writing teams. Presently the draft of the high school standards are being reviewed by the public. You have until October 21 to do so. The draft is located at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/.

Lynn Tuttle, one of the national leaders coordinating the revision of the National Standards in the Arts, will present the context and history behind the revision as well as describe the process of revising the standards. The goal of the presentation and discussion is to provide the Maine arts education community with an overview of the context and purpose of the standards as well as an opportunity to have questions answered about the current NCAS draft.

Lynn will also do a follow-up workshop for those who wish to continue the discussion from the opening session called More on the National Core Arts Standards. And the description:             Want to know more about the National Core Arts Standards? Wondering how the proposed standards may influence and support high quality teaching and learning in the arts? If so, this follow-up session with the presenter Lynn Tuttle, Director of Arts Education, Arizona Department of Education, facilitated by Bronwyn Sale, Lecturer in Education at Bates College, will provide the opportunity for participants to ask questions in an interactive discussion format.

Along with the opening session there are over 30 workshops to select from to attend during the day.

You can register for the conference at https://tickets.collinscenterforthearts.org/. The $80 registration cost includes lunch. PLEASE NOTE: No purchase orders will be accepted.

You can learn about the workshops being offered at https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Media-and-Performing/conference-education-workshops or Friday’s blog post.

If you have questions please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

NCAS High School Review

Get ready to provide your feedback

Opportunity to review draft high school National Core Arts Standards September 30 – October 21

In June 2013 Maine had arts educators participate in the public review of draft PreK-8 national arts standards in dance, music, visual arts, theatre, and media arts.

On September 30 2013 draft high school arts standards in dance, music, visual arts, theatre, and media arts will be posted for public review. The time window for reviewers to respond ends on October 21. If interested in participating, mark September 30 on your calendar, and – when the date arrives – go to the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) wiki site to complete your review.

(Note: The draft high school music standards that will be released on September 30 will be for secondary ensembles. Draft standards for additional music course sequences – including harmonizing instruments (guitar/keyboard) and composition/theory – will be released later.)

In the meantime, check the NCCAS wiki site regularly to read the framework and review the webinars, documents, and links posted there that contain information about the new standards.

NCAS – June 30 to July 15

What do you think?

Your opportunity to provide feedback on the first public release of the National Core Arts Standards begins TODAY. The information is below. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at argy.nestor@maine.gov if you have any questions or concerns. PLEASE take advantage of this opportunity and voice your opinion on the draft of the standards.

McTighe on National Core Arts Standards

McTighe Recording on Arts Assessment

Most states have someone at their state Department of Education’s that represent visual and performing arts education. We are members of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE). We have monthly online meetings and almost monthly we have professional development webinars that are often facilitated by our members.

Sometimes we have guests and recently SEADAE hosted a session with Jay McTighe of Wiggens & McTighe consultants. They are best known for originating the Understanding by Design approach. McTighe has worked with the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards and the writing teams creating the National Core Arts Standards with his work on assessment, arts assessment and the cornerstone assessments.

Fortunately, you can listen to the recording of the SEADAE webinar with Jay McTighe that has been archived. Jay has much to offer as we develop arts assessments as part of a complete curriculum. I was glad that the session was recorded since I wasn’t available to attend but you can hear many of my colleagues introduce themselves during the first 3 minutes at start of the webinar.

The archive link: https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=120786467&rKey=0f174cd89ef5e1d7

Download recording link: https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/lsr.php?AT=dw&SP=MC&rID=120786467&rKey=cc2683ea29f1e33c

It was great to attend a session while at the National Art Education conference in Texas earlier this month when Jay presented on the National Core Arts Standards. Daisy McTighe is an art teacher and has been working on the standards as well and is on webinar also. I suggest you check out this vimeo http://vimeo.com/44662239 and hear Daisy discuss the work.

Common Core and the ARTS

College Board Releases Common Core Study

I have received emails in the recent months from visual and performing arts teachers who have said they have been asked to do work with the Common Core State Standards (CCCSS) for English/language Arts and math.

Most of you know that the National Core Arts Standards Conceptual Framework was released on January 14, 2013. The College Board has been part of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards and has provided several research components that supports the work.

Late last week, Amy Charleroy of the College Board announced that the Common Core alignment study is complete.  The work, entitled A Review of Connections between The Common Core State Standards and The Next Generation Arts Standards  may be downloaded at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/Common+Core+Alignment.

Dr. Nancy Rubino, of the College Board, discusses Common Core connections in the Conceptual Framework roll out presentation, also housed on the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards wikispace. The presentation and PowerPoint may be found at:  http://nccas.wikispaces.com/Conceptual+Framework+Presentation+to+Field.

These studies can provide answers to your questions and valuable information that can help with the curriculum work you are doing at the local level.

Live Stream: National Core Arts Standards

Technical difficulties

If you tried to join the live stream today on the National Core Arts Standards you may not have had any luck with the connection or getting in to the stream. I am not sure who said: “Technology is great when it works.” Periodically, that statement rings VERY true. I am guessing that my colleagues in New York who were trying to make the opportunity feasible for everyone across the country were very frustrated. Fortunately everyone will have the opportunity to access the event since the archive will be posted starting this Sunday!

I am taking this opportunity to provide some information that you might be wondering about.

• A clean archive of today’s live stream will be posted on Sunday, January 20th at http://nccas.wikispaces.com
• The conceptual framework that was released earlier this week can be downloaded at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/Conceptual+Framework.
• The standards will be internally reviewed in March – Maine will have 5-10 arts educators participating in the review
• The public review is presently scheduled for June 2013
• Release of the online standards document is presently scheduled for December 2013
• The National Core Arts Standards include 5 disciplines: dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and media arts. There was research done on the media arts segment since this is new territory. You can read the information at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/NCCAS+and+Media+Arts
• Since these are going to be web-based standards you might wonder what they might look like. A mock up is located at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/Envisioning+a+Web+Based+Home
• College Board has done several research studies for the National Coalition for http://nccas.wikispaces.com/College+Board+Research+Webinars

As I learn more I will provide an update here on the meartsed blog. If you have questions please go to the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards website at http://nccas.wikispaces.com/ or contact me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.