Arts Education Newsletter

Issue No. 13

A publication of the Michigan Youth Arts Leadership Roundtable

September 2010

In this issue
Arts in Education Week Celebrate Arts in Education next week across the nation! The Path to Common Standards Draft GLCEs available for study	Arts Education Toolkit New toolkit for advocacy in Michigan News and Opportunities Federal funding and grants

Celebrate Arts in Education Week, September 13-17

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring the week of September 13th Arts in Education Week. This is the first nationwide congressional resolution to recognize all the disciplines: music, theater, visual arts, and dance.

Michigan Youth Arts Executive Director, Kim Dabbs, said, "This recognition of the role that Arts in Education play in the lives of our students is a leap forward in education. We at the Michigan Youth Arts Leadership Rountable commend the dedicated educators, administrators and artists that foster arts education for youth in this country."

Sponsored by Rep. Jackie Speiers (D-CA), the resolution includes many important advocacy messages that the arts education field has been promoting for years, including:

"...arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate, and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum as well as personal growth outside the classroom..."

Here are some ways for individuals and groups to celebrate and advocate in their communities:

Write an editorial for the local paper detailing the impact arts education has had on you or your family
Print a copy of the resolution to businesses in the community for display
Encourage your school to incorporate Arts in Education Week in school activities
Write to elected officials detailing the significance of arts education as a part of a complete education

To learn more about Arts in Education week and how you can become involved, contact Kim Dabbs at info@michiganyoutharts.org.

For a complete press packet, including the full text of the resolution and the 2010 Michigan Arts Education Policy Agenda click here.

Michigan Department of Education

Update on Michigan DRAFT Arts GLCEs and National Arts Standards 2.0

A National Task Force convened by SEADAE (State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education) determined in May 2010 that the re-conceptualization of National Content Standards for the Arts was the next facet of arts education that needs national attention.

The work is currently known as National Arts Standards 2.0 and will parallel development of common core state standards in other content areas. The updated standards will use extant technology (including embedded links to important support information, be user-friendly, and address the needs of diverse student populations in our public schools.

What does this mean to Michigan arts educators who have developed draft Visual Arts, Music, Theatre and Dance Grade Level Content Expectations?

The Michigan Department of Education's position is that on a case by case basis, the state will work with collaborative state-driven efforts to develop common core state standards in content areas beyond ELA and Mathematics.

The fact that all key national arts education content organizations were part of the national consensus decision to work together on Common Core State Standards for the Arts bodes well for Michigan support of the final document. The fact that Michigan's recent reviews and drafts of arts standards, benchmarks, and GLCEs align with national standards and leading state standards in the arts is also a good sign.

Given these new developments on the national level, it makes best sense for Michigan to move its work on content expectations to the next level in collaboration with other states.

The current plan is as follows:

1. Michigan will go forward with a public review in the fall of all four arts draft GLCE documents.

2. Original writing/editing teams will work together using online communications in late fall to identify GLCEs where there is strong consensus across Michigan and GLCEs where there is lack of consensus. A concise report will be developed with these two sets of GLCE's clearly identified. This document will be the basis for Michigan's participation in the development of National Arts Standards 2.0. The long-term goal is that Michigan will contribute to the development of the National Arts Standards 2.0 and bring them State Board of Education for approval after their anticipated release in December 2011.

The proposed timeline for Michigan is:

Fall 2010 survey of Michigan draft GLCEs all 4 arts areas. Analysis of survey results, areas of strong and weak consensus are identified, final Michigan Arts GLCEs Report with draft GLCEs, and survey results is
produced.

Winter 2011 Michigan Arts Draft GLCEs Report becomes the basis for Michigan's participation in the National Arts Standards 2.0 development process.

Summer - December 2011 Michigan participates in the development of National Arts Standards 2.0 with the Michigan Arts Draft GLCEs Report as a statewide consensus document as a reference point.

Winter - Spring 2012 SBE Adoption

Until then, electronic versions of the DRAFT GLCEs are available upon request for REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY by contacting Ana Luisa Cardona.

Ana Luisa Cardona
Consultant for Arts Education
Michigan Department of Education
cardonaa@michigan.gov

ArtServe Announces New Arts Education Toolkit

ArtServe is pleased to announce the release of its Arts Education Toolkit and Arts, Culture and Arts Education Resource Guide. Made possible by a grant from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Kennedy Center National Partnerships Program, the toolkit was developed following months of planning, research and, most importantly, discussions with teachers and advocates from around the state, to determine what would serve as the best resource to inform, equip, engage and inspire arts education advocates to action.

ArtServe Michigan's Arts Education Toolkit is a resource to help you effectively take action on arts education issues at the national, state and, most importantly, local level. It contains information, guidance and resources applicable to the dynamics in Michigan, combined with information provided in the model Arts Education Advocacy Toolkit developed by the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network in 2009. We hope that this resource will be helpful to you in gaining the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to work with others to urge awareness and support for arts education in Michigan schools.

The Arts, Culture and Arts Education Resource Guide was developed to accompany the ArtServe Michigan Arts Education Toolkit. It serves as a handheld guide to arts education advocacy in Michigan.

While ArtServe will be strategically mailing this to each of Michigan's 549 school districts, 16 statewide arts education associations, and other stakeholders, it is important to spread the word to arts education advocates throughout the state. The toolkit and resource guide are available for download here.

If you would like hard copies of the materials that include additional arts education resources, please contact Mike Latvis at mike@artservemichigan.orgor 248-379-5897. While ArtServe will attempt to mail as many copies as possible at no charge, there may be a small fee for shipping depending on quantities requested.

With questions or comments please call Mike Latvis at 248-379-5897.

News and Opportunities

High school arts groups needed for Arts in Motion 5k event
Artists of all ages are invited to perform or install art at the Arts in Motion 5k presented by Michigan Youth Arts, October 10, in Royal Oak. Groups that can perform along the route and in the park, create visual and interactive art in the park, or create awards are invited to read the participation guidelines and submit a proposal.

Federal Arts Education Funding Approved
On July 15, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies passed initial legislation to fund the FY 2011 U.S. Department of Education's Arts in Education programs at $40 million, which is level funding from last year. The subcommittee bill also maintains the current structure of federal arts education support, grants to model projects, and professional development. Read Chairman Obey's Statement on the Appropriations Hearing.

American Council of Learned Societies: Digital Innovation Fellowships
With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) invites individuals to apply for the sixth annual ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowships. The fellowship program supports digitally based research projects in all disciplines of the humanities and humanities-related social sciences. Each fellowship carries a stipend of up to $60,000 toward an academic year's leave and provides for project costs of up to $25,000. Applicants must have a PhD and the deadline for applications is September 29. Read more.