FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ARTS EDUCATION :: FAQ

Who can I contact for questions related to arts education?

Christie Lynch Ebert, Dance and Music Education
clynch@dpi.state.nc.us
919.807.3856
919.807.3823 (fax)

Myron Carter, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts Education
mcarter@dpi.state.nc.us
919.807.3758
919.807.3823 (fax)

Mailing Address:
NC Department of Public Instruction
Arts Education
6349 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6349

Street Address:
NC Department of Public Instruction
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

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: clynch@dpi.state.nc.us or mcarter@dpi.state.nc.us. You may access further information and resources for Arts Education by visiting: http://arts.ncwiseowl.org/ 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 current 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).

Beginning in the 2012-13 School Year, the new Essential Standards for Arts Education (2010) will replace the Arts Education Standard Course of Study for NC school children. Defining essential standards for K-12 is the key foundation of the Accountability Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE). The essential standards are those skills, understandings and learning experiences that a student must master at each level in order to move to the next level. Essential standards are the "must have" goals of the curriculum and will help teachers focus on the higher-order knowledge and skills that all students should master. The Essential Standards for Arts Education were approved by the State Board of Education in September 2010, and are scheduled to be implemented during the 2012-13 school year. The Essential Standards for Arts Education may be accessed online at: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/phase2

{ TOP }

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, world languages, social studies and vocational [career-technical] education." (BEP, p1, 1994)

{ TOP }

Is honors credit available for arts education courses?

The State Board of Education Honors 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 Arts Education Honors Course Standards should be used in conjunction with the requirements of the newly approved honors standards which apply to all honors courses.

Please visit: http://arts.ncwiseowl.org/policy___legislation/arts_education_honors_courses/ to view the NC Honors Course Implementation Guide and further information regarding honors courses in arts education.

{ TOP }

Is there a graduation requirement for arts education?

Effective with entering students in 2009-2010 - The Future-Ready Core Course of Study for Graduation Framework requires:

6 Elective Units - Two electives must be any combination of Career Technical Education, Arts Education or Second Language

Students are strongly encouraged to complete a 4-unit concentration, which may be completed in arts education.

Visit: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/curriculum/home/graduationrequirements.pdf to view the Future-Ready Core requirements for all subject areas.

Some school systems (LEAs) have a local arts education requirement for high school graduation.

What are the requirements for a concentration in arts education in the Future-Ready Core?

It is recommended that concentrations in the arts reflect a sequence of courses in an arts discipline to include at least one advanced level course. Courses at level II or beyond are considered advanced with the current course coding system. The completion of the concentration should lead to a culminating project or capstone experience which allows the student to demonstrate advanced skills in the arts discipline and which may also be used as part of a professional portfolio for entrance into institutions of higher education or a career in the arts. producing a student-written play, choreographing a dance for a public performance, publishing and conducting a student-written musical composition, producing a student exhibition of original artwork, etc.

{ TOP }

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

Beginning with students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2009-2010, there is no specific arts education requirement. Students may choose to take elective credits constituting a concentration in arts education (or any other subject area) and may also take arts education electives in their junior and/or senior years which carry 5 or 6 points (such as honors, AP, or IB courses). Visit: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/scholars to view the previous Academic Scholar requirements and new changes, as adopted by the State Board of Education in July 2009.

Are the arts CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act?

Yes. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), formerly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), 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. On January 20, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education held a meeting to discuss ESEA reauthorization with various arts stakeholders, providing an opportunity for those stakeholders to make recommendations on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as it relates to arts learning in particular. The Department has released a summary of the remarks presented at the meeting which may be accessed at: http://www.aep-arts.org/files/DOE_ESEA_Meeting_Arts_Education_Summary.pdf

{ TOP }

Do all arts education teachers have to be highly qualified?

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 teachers must meet NC licensure requirements.

What should students know and be able to do as the result of a comprehensive 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 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.

{ TOP }

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.

For more information on the Balanced Curriculum initiative and resources, please visit the following links:

The Balanced Curriculum: A Guiding Document for Scheduling and Implementation of the NC Standard Course of Study at the Elementary Level
This guiding document for elementary school focuses on the importance and value of delivering a well-rounded education which includes all areas of the Standard Course of Study.
(pdf, 1.4mb | ppt, 860kb)
The Balanced Curriculum: A Guiding Document for Scheduling and Implementation of the NC Standard Course of Study in the Middle Grades
This guiding document for the middle grades focuses on the importance and value of delivering a well-rounded education which includes all areas of the Standard Course of Study. The PowerPoint includes notes that can be used to provide an overview of the initiative and resulting document.
(pdf, 70.4mb | ppt, 608kb)

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)

{ TOP }

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

Note: 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 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 this 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: four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement; four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair; three times more often to be elected to class office within their schools; and three 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 North Carolina 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.

{ TOP }

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

The following online 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.artsnc.org/index1.shtml - ARTS North Carolina

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 - 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

http://www.nctae.org/ - 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.org - NCAEA - NC Art Education Association

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

{ TOP }