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- E NGAGING S TUDENTS S UPPORTING S CHOOLS A CCESSING A RTS E DUCATION Highlights from the Arizona Arts Education Census Project

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EN G A G I N G ST U D E N T SSUPPORTING SCHOOLSACCESSING ARTS EDUCATIONHighlights from the Arizona Arts Education Census Project

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The Arizona Arts Education Research Institute (AAERI) is apartnership of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, ArizonaDepartment of Education, College of Fine Arts at theUniversity of Arizona, College of Arts & Letters at NorthernArizona University and the Herberger Institute for Design andthe Arts at Arizona State University. AAERI is solely funded byits partnering organizations.Funding for statewide research on arts education has been provided by the Arizona Arts Education Research Institute and the Arizona Community Foundation.

AAERITABLE OF CONTENTS

An Introduction 1Arts Education in Arizona 2Key Findings 5Prioritize Arts Education 6Students 10Teachers 12Community Resources 14How to Stay Connected 16Call to Action 17Methodology 18Resources 20Acknowledgments 21

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An IntroductionMuch has changed since 2007, when Arizona arts education professionals, educators and advocates began theprocess of designing a statewide arts education census.As the Great Recession took its toll, Arizona felt the immense impact of lost jobs, the plunge in state revenuesand millions in state agency and service cutbacks.The future we face is uncertain, but through this landmark survey, we are able to look forward with clarity andinsight, knowing for the first time detailed information about Arizona students’ access to learning in, through andabout the arts.Some might call it bad luck that these results are overshadowed by the worst state budget crises in decades.Others would call it an opportunity.

In the 21st century, arts education plays a vital role in developing life skills and

preparing students to become innovatorsin tomorrow’s workforce. I ask for your

support in moving arts learning forward inour state. We as Arizonans must make

our voices heard in support of arts education as part of a complete education

for all children. To achieve this, our students must have access to high quality

arts instruction delivered by certified educators and supported by teaching

artists and arts and cultural organizations.Robert C. Booker

Executive DirectorArizona Commission on the Arts

I believe strongly that the arts are anessential part of every student’s education. This report gives us, for thefirst time, definitive data on how the artsare taught in our schools. This data setwill help the Arizona Department ofEducation recognize those schools whichare exemplars in providing the arts andprovide assistance to those schools wherestudents currently have limited access toarts education.Honorable Tom HorneSuperintendent of Public InstructionArizona Department of Public Education

The Arizona ArtsEducation Census

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Arts Education Could HelpJump-Start Student AchievementDespite some signs of life, Arizona’s public and privatesectors are still in a world of hurt. If a crisis really is aterrible thing to waste, there is no better time to bringforth compelling new information focusing onArizona’s academic achievement potential and aninnovative, yet tried-and-true strategy, to get there.Arts education may not be the first idea that comes tomind for jump-starting student achievement but it maybe one of the best, most far-reaching and cost-effec-tive ways of doing so.When Arizona leaders and parents worry about how toimprove student achievement, particularly during thisdramatic downturn, arts education is not a costly prob-lem but a cost-effective and results-driven solution.This report shows where access to arts educationstands today and recommends how to use it to helpreinvent K-12 education in Arizona, not just to increaseachievement but also to match the skills employerswant in 21st century workers.

There’s a Gap Between Policy and PracticeRealizing the full power of arts education as a tool forstudent achievement is dependent on all students inevery Arizona school having access to quality artseducation programs and instruction. In addition,measurements of student achievement need to be created. This report focuses on the first step: access.Future efforts will speak to quality and achievement,although pieces of this report touch on those topics.Important steps toward a strong arts education policyhave been taken in our state. Arizona has already• defined expectations for arts education for all

students;

• made provisions and developed criteria for

quality arts teachers;

• developed clear standards for what every child

should know and be able to do.

The policies create a clear vision for creativity, inspira-tion and expectations for arts education and a strongfoundation for students as they move into postsec-

Arts Educationin Arizona

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Where We’ve Come and Where We’re Going“Learning in individual art forms, as well as in multi-arts experiences, engages and strength-ens such fundamental cognitive capacities as spatial reasoning (the capacity for organizingand sequencing ideas); conditional reasoning (theorizing about outcomes and conse-quences); problem solving; and the components of creative thinking (originality, elaboration,flexibility.)” —Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and SocialDevelopment, Arts Education Partnership, 2002

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ondary education and the workforce. They point outthat Arizona has decided that a quality education forall children includes the arts for both their intrinsicvalue as well as how they illuminate other subjects.To ensure the gap between arts education policy andpractice is addressed, further engagement with stateand local entities and the active participation of manydifferent people will be required.So, where are we now as we seek to take advantage ofthe bad times to guarantee a better future? The shortanswer is, like the geography of our state, varied.

Access to the Arts in ArizonaOverall, Arizona is doing well on the most basicaspects of access to arts education. Nearly 90% ofArizona’s K-12 students throughout the state have atleast one arts course per week and Arizona studentsparticipate in programs delivered by professional andcommunity arts organizations.Many of our schools have found ways to deliver qualityprograms with few dedicated resources and many part-nerships. These schools have much to teach others.While general music and visual arts are most popularin elementary and middle schools, general art anddance are most popular in high schools. In Arizonathere are more students enrolled in dance at the highschool level than there are in band, orchestra or theatre.

Beyond the BasicsArizona is doing well, however:• Arizona schools are handicapped by a lack of

highly qualified arts teachers;• Funds for arts materials are nearly nonexistent

(half a cent per student per day);• Charter schools are significantly less likely to

provide arts courses for students or have highlyqualified teachers providing instruction than district schools;

• Arizona high school students are discouragedfrom taking arts courses because they are notweighted equally with other core subjects.

• More than 134,203 students attend school everyday with no access to arts education taught by ahighly qualified arts teacher.

Overall, there is work to be done in Arizona to regainan edge and to improve access to arts education inour schools. But there’s hope and there’s experienceand for today and tomorrow’s students, there is thedesire to reinvent achievement in Arizona.

Early Arizona Arts Education PoliciesArizona is not new to arts education. For decades, thestate’s universities, public schools and arts organiza-tions have partnered in studying and improving artseducation programs, and parents have long beenleaders in the cause.The first statewide district-level survey took place inthe mid-1990s and another took stock ten years later.The Arizona Administrative Code, the official compila-tion of rules that govern Arizona state agencies, wasamended to state common schools (grades K-8) mustoffer music and visual arts, other performing arts arevoluntarily offered, and that high school graduationrequirements include a shared credit requirement –fine arts or vocational arts.In 1997, the state created policies supporting the arts(music, visual arts, dance and theatre) as a core sub-ject and worthy of state learning standards for gradesK-12. On June 26, 2006 the revised Arizona AcademicStandards in the Arts were adopted by the ArizonaBoard of Education.The Arizona Board of Regents, the governing boardfor the state’s public universities, set forth in their uni-versity admission requirements one unit of fine arts.These early policies positioned Arizona as a leader inarts education.

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U.S. employers rate creativity/innovation among the top five skills that will increase inimportance over the next five years, and rank it among the top challenges facing CEOs.

Superintendents rank arts activities in the top four high school classes that are most likely to develop creativity.

—Ready to Innovate, The College Board, 2008

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A Note on the Benefits of Arts EducationA tremendous body of research documents the many bene-fits arts education provides to all students including:improved academic achievement, greater leadership andsocial skills, enhanced critical thinking and sharper problemsolving skills.The case regarding the educational impact of the arts hasbeen made by other studies and is therefore not the focusof this report. For more information about these studies, visit the resourcesection of this publication or visit the following websites:Arts Education Partnershipwww.aep-arts.orgArizona Department of Educationwww.azed.gov/asd/artsArizona Commission on the Artswww.azarts.govArizona Citizens/Action for the Artswww.azcitizensforthearts.org

% of Schools Offering Arts Courses

20% of schools offered no courses in any artsdiscipline. Another 22% offered at least one course injust one arts discipline. More commonly (39%) schoolsoffered at least one course in two different disciplines.Relatively few schools offered at least one course inthree arts disciplines (9%) or four disciplines (10%).

Availability of Arts Education OverarchingRecommendations

The Arizona Arts EducationResearch Institute makes the fol-lowing recommendations basedon the results of the Arizona ArtsEducation Census.

* Prioritize arts educationthrough increasing accounta-bility in meeting our currentpolicies and dedicatingresources as appropriate.

* Keep the needs of studentsat the center of the policy,resource and allocation dis-cussions to ensure we createan educational system whichcan be navigated successful-ly by students preparing tobe productive members ofour workforce and society.

* Support our arts teachersand general classroom teach-ers as they help us build thecreative thinkers needed forour collective future.

* Engage communityresources to build strong,systemic arts education pro-grams for students through-out our state.

*

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Key Findings87% of Arizona’s K-12 students have access to at least one arts course per week. In 2009,134,203 students attended school without access to music or visual arts

instruction provided by highly qualified arts teachers.

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90%of schools offering music and 76% of schools offeringvisual arts use certified arts specialists as the primaryproviders of instruction.

75% of schools participated in arts-based field trips.

56% of schools have updated curricula to reflect the ArizonaAcademic Standards in the Arts.

53% of schools use informal assessment to measure studentprogress in the arts.

50%of schools have no budget for curricular support in arts education. 79% of schools spend less than $1 perstudent in a year, or less than 1/2 a penny a day.

39%of high schools weight arts courses equally with otheracademic subjects. Only 12% weight advanced artscourses equally with other advanced academic courses.

34% of rural schools do not have a highly qualified artsteacher as compared to 15% for suburban schools.

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Arts InstructionWhen combining all arts disciplines, 80% of elemen-tary, 83% of middle and 80% of high schools offered at least one course in any of the four arts disciplines(dance, music, theatre and/or visual arts).

Just over half (55%) of the schools provided instruc-tion in both music and visual arts as outlined by theArizona Administrative Code (for more details, seepage 3).

Prioritize ArtsEducation

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Prioritizing Arts Education: PolicyArizona has strong policies in place to support arts education within our schools. This dataset offers a first look at how schools are implementing these policies, and what additionalwork may need to be done to create equity in access to the arts for all Arizona students asenvisioned by our State Board of Education.

Schools with at Least One Arts Course by Discipline

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Grade Weighting61% of Arizona high schools do not weight arts coursesequally with other core subjects and 79% do not weightadvanced arts courses equally with other advanced courses.The issue of weighting these courses equally is of signifi-cant importance. With unequal weighting, students areforced to choose between taking an arts course of lessweight and taking a course of heavier weight to increaseoverall grade point average (GPA).

Adoption of Arts StandardsAs of 2008, only 56% of schools reported the arts educationcurriculum had been updated to align with the 2006 ArizonaAcademic Standards in the Arts. Of the reporting schools,7% had not adopted the state standards. 37% did notanswer the question.

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PolicyRecommendations

The following are recommendations forthe Arizona State Board of Educationand the Arizona Department ofEducation.

* Require schools and districts tosign an annual statement affirm-ing they are teaching the artsaccording to the ArizonaAcademic Standards in the Arts.

* Build on existing policies to sup-port the visual and performingarts, and develop an accountabili-ty process to report on the imple-mentation of these policies.

* Ensure that both on-level andhonors/AP-level arts coursesreceive similar weight to othercore academic courses in Arizonahigh schools.

* Continue collecting and analyzingdata on arts education;

* Embed arts education reportingwithin the state’s data system foreducation;

* Undertake a stand-alone man-dated arts education census in2012-2013 to monitor progresssince 2008-2009.

*

Schools Weighting of Arts Courses

Schools and Adoption of Arts Standards

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Budget Allocation50% of schools reported having no budget allocated for curricular support materials and supplies for arts education (excluding teacher salaries and one-time capital expenses).

Per-Pupil Arts SpendingPer-pupil arts spending (defined as funds allo-cated to curricular support materials for the artsdivided by student population) is a direct indica-tor of higher or lower levels of arts education.79% of schools spend less than $1 per year perstudent for arts instruction or less than half acent per day.

Instructional TimeStudents in elementary schools receive musicand visual arts instruction an average of 55 min-utes per week. In contrast, dance and theatrenever exceed an average of 15 minutes perweek.

Prioritizing Arts Education: ResourcesResources – whether dollars to purchase crayons and paper, capital expenditure for newband instruments, or time allocated to teach the arts – are important precursors to buildinghigh quality arts education opportunities for Arizona students. With the Great Recession,resource allocation for arts education has been greatly impacted.

% of Schools Allocating Funding by Dollar Group

The study of drama, dance, music, and visual arts helps students explore realities andideas that cannot be summarized simply or even expressed in words or numbers.

—Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education

Per-Pupil Spending by Dollar Group

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External ResourcesAll schools reported receiving funding from non-district/charter school sources. Tax credits were the mostsignificant source (52%), followed by parent groups (35%)and county/local arts agencies (21%).

Use of TechnologyThe use of student-centered technology (usually associatedwith music and visual arts courses) is more common inmiddle and high schools than in elementary schools.At the high school level, 28% of dance courses in schoolsutilize technology in instruction, 35% of schools in music,33% in theatre and 60% in visual arts.

Dedicated Space47% of schools reported having space that is appropriatelydesigned and equipped for theatre courses. 44% reportedthe same for music and 41% for visual arts. Only 8% ofschools reported having adequately equipped facilities fordance.

ResourceRecommendations

The following are recommendations forArizona public schools, the ArizonaCommission on the Arts, the ArizonaDepartment of Education and Arizona’spublic universities.

* Build systemic professional devel-opment for Arizona’s publicschool leaders around what quali-ty education – including the arts –looks like, and how quality artseducation programs are beingimplemented in Arizona. Qualityindicators include: student accessand participation; strong curricu-lum, instruction and assessmentaligned to the Arizona AcademicStandards in the Arts; investmentin professional development; andevaluation of programs.

* Recommend a per pupil allocationfor arts materials and supplies.

* Design and pilot comprehensiveand sequential arts education pro-grams in partnership withArizona’s rural, charter and smallschools, including investigation oftechnology-based instruction andcollaborations with rural-basedarts and cultural resources.

* Work with the Arizona Departmentof Education’s EducationalTechnology Unit to support a rich-er technology-based environmentfor arts learning in Arizona publicschools.

*

% of Schools Receiving External Funding by Source

% of High Schools Using Technology to Support Arts Instruction by Discipline

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Access to Arts Education134,203 students (or 13% of the total student popula-tion) attend school each day without access to musicor visual arts instruction provided by a highly qualifiedarts teacher, based on the Highly Qualified TeacherDatabase (for more information, see page 18).

AssessmentMost schools reported assessing the arts throughinformal school-based assessments (53%). 22%reported district developed and required assessment(the most rigorous of the choices), while 10% reportedhaving no assessment in place. 15% of schools didnot answer the question.

Certified Arts SpecialistsThe presence of a certified arts specialist contributesto the delivery of quality arts instruction. Studentshave access to certified arts specialists as the primaryproviders of instruction in 90% of schools offeringmusic instruction and 76% of schools with visual arts.In elementary and middle schools, certified arts spe-cialists are used as the primary providers of danceinstruction for no more than 27% of schools and for nomore than 34% of schools in any grade for theatreinstruction. For high schools, the use of certified artsspecialists in dance increases to 68% and 72% in theatre.

Enrollment Differences in Small SchoolsSmaller schools (lower one-third of all elementary,middle and high schools in student population) wereless likely to have students enrolled in the more com-mon courses: 41% of small schools had studentsenrolled in general music (compared to 51% for allschools), and 19% of small schools had studentsenrolled in band (compared to 50% for all schools).

Students

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Student Centered EducationStudents should be at the center of making decisions about how to build quality arts and over-all education programs in our schools. Can students access the arts? How are the arts deliv-ered and by whom? And, do they make sense – in terms of progression, availability and levelof difficulty – for our students? Can we measure what students are learning to build betterprograms and curricula?

% of Students without Access to Music or Visual Arts Instruction Provided by a Highly Qualified Teacher

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Arts EnrollmentGeneral music and general art are the two main coursesstudents participate in at the elementary and middle schoollevels. Orchestra, dance and theatre have little studentenrollment with only 1% to 2% of students participating.Compared to elementary and middle schools, changes inenrollment appear at the high school level. 64% of studentsat the elementary level and 51% of students at the middleschool level are enrolled in general art. At the high schoollevel this drops to 9%. More students are enrolled in dance at the high school levelthan in band, orchestra or theatre despite the fact that moreschools offer music instruction than dance. The lack of highschool entry-level music courses creates a barrier for stu-dent participation.

StudentRecommendations

The following are recommendations forArizona’s public schools, ArizonaCommission on the Arts, ArizonaDepartment of Education and Arizona’spublic universities.

* Strengthen curricular, instructionaland assessment approaches toalign with the Arizona AcademicStandards in the Arts through pilotprograms, research and web-based resources;

* Work with unified school districts(K-12) and non-unified schooldistricts (of elementary andunion high school district part-ners) and charter schools on theseamless delivery of arts educa-tion offerings from a student’sperspective ensuring verticallyintegrated, logical, sequentialarts offerings.

* Develop assessment tools,products and processes todetermine student proficiency inthe arts.

* Encourage high schools to createentry-point opportunities for stu-dents to engage in the arts, espe-cially in music.

* Schedule an Arizona Departmentof Education review of schoolswhere no arts instruction is avail-able so information, policies andresources may be aligned to sup-port the restoration of arts educa-tion in these schools.

*

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% of Students Enrolled by Arts Course for Elementary and Middle Schools

% of Students Enrolled by Arts Course for High Schools

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Full Time Equivalent Arts Teachers

Teacher Professional DevelopmentSchools provide a variety of professional developmentopportunities for teachers charged with arts instruc-tion; 74% use off-site seminars or conferences, 67%use workshops with professional artists or arts groups,59% use in-school seminars or conferences. Only 24%reported using partnerships with colleges and univer-sities. Only 8% of schools offered professional devel-opment in the arts for general classroom teachersresponsible for instruction in an arts discipline.

Arts Supervisors63% of schools reported having some type of artssupervisor with 24% reporting a supervisor at theschool level. 92% of all arts supervisors at the schoollevel are certified art specialists, while only 55% ofsupervisors at the district level are certified arts spe-cialists. 37% of responding schools do not have anarts supervisor.District-level arts supervisors, or district arts coordina-tors are important voices for supporting and sustain-ing arts programs over time. Gaining the ArtsAdvantage (www.aep-arts.org) highlights the researchbehind the power of a district arts coordinator, includ-ing its effect in one of Arizona’s own school districts –Peoria Unified.

Teachers

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Supporting Our TeachersDance, music, theatre and visual arts teachers represent the heart of a school arts program.In Arizona, arts teachers must meet stringent certificate requirements and federal highlyqualified requirements. Arts programs do exist in schools that do not have certified arts spe-cialists; with the help of general classroom teachers, arts programs in these schools tend torely on community partnerships. The census data indicates a need to: re-think how the artsare delivered based on the lack of arts teachers in rural, small and charter schools; refocustraining to help general classroom teachers with arts learning; and increase the pool of available arts teachers.

% of Schoolswith at Least One Full Time Equivalent Teacher of Arts by Discipline

% of Schools with Arts Supervisor by Category

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Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT)The Arizona Department of Education maintainsdata on all highly qualified teachers based onteacher qualifications and assignments for everyschool across the state. The following findingswere based on that data.In Arizona, music and visual arts teachers are tracked in theHighly Qualified Teachers Database (see page 18).80% of district schools representing 92% of student enroll-ment, and 30% of charter schools representing 42% of thecharter school population, have either a highly qualifiedmusic or visual arts teacher. Comparatively, only 51% of dis-trict schools representing 69% of the student population,and 11% of charter schools representing 18% of the charterschool population, have highly qualified teachers for bothmusic and visual arts.

Rural vs. Urban: When reviewing the presence of highlyqualified teachers in music or visual arts in relation to thegeographic profile of a community, the more rural the com-munity the less likely there is a highly qualified teacher pro-viding arts instruction.

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TeacherRecommendations

The following are recommendations forArizona’s public schools, ArizonaDepartment of Education and Arizona’spublic universities.

* Strengthen teacher preparationprograms for both general class-room teachers and arts educatorsat Arizona universities;

* Require at least 6-9 credits infine arts for general classroomteachers.

* Offer arts teacher preparationprograms with 130 or fewercredits to help address an on-going teacher shortage in the arts.

* Recognize theatre and dance ascontent areas to be taught byhighly qualified theatre and danceeducation instructors as musicand visual arts are currently recognized.

* Collaborate with the ArizonaCharter School Board and theArizona Charter SchoolsAssociation to assist charterschools on the law requiring artseducation in K-8 and highschools, and provide technicalassistance to charter schools tomeet the Arizona AcademicStandards in the Arts.

* Encourage school districts toinvest in a district arts coordinatorto support professional develop-ment, recruitment and retention ofhighly qualified arts teachers andto coordinate a vertically integrat-ed curriculum between schools.

*

% of Schools with Highly Qualified Music OR Visual Arts Teachers

% of Schools with Highly Qualified Music AND Visual Arts Teachers

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Artists-in-ResidenceArtist-in-residence programs provide opportunities forstudents to engage with practicing professional artistsin the school environment and/or out of school pro-grams. Teaching artists collaborate with the school ororganization to design and implement instruction toengage learners in or through the arts.

Artist-in-residence projects focus on student learningwithin a set period of time and often conclude with acelebratory event showcasing student work and pro-fessional artist work.37% of schools use some type of artist-in-residence.Artist residencies in the visual arts occur most often.

Community ResourcesEngaging Community ResourcesCommunity resources are vital components of any high quality arts education program. Froman opera company to a school of dance, and a large art museum to a teaching artist special-izing in a traditional craft, community resources offer Arizona schools opportunities to origi-nate, strengthen and continue arts experiences with their students. While many Arizonaschools make good use of our local artists and arts organizations, some schools seem unableto connect with resources in their own backyard. Finding ways to increase the connectionsbetween community resources and our public schools is at the heart of the recommendationsin this section of the report.

% of Schools Which Used Artists-in-Residence by Discipline

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Multi-Year Partnerships55% of elementary, 58% of middle and 57% of high schoolshave partnerships with one or more community-based artsorganization(s).

Visual and Performing Arts Field TripsArizona public schools are providing frequent exposure toprofessional artists and arts events via field trips. 75% of allschools offered at least one field trip to arts exhibitions, per-formances or events within the past three years. Of thoseschools participating in arts field trips, music is the mostpopular subject (81%), followed by theatre (50%) and visualarts (41%).

Barriers to Participation in Arts Field TripsOf those schools who have not participated in arts field tripsin the past three years, the number one barrier to participa-tion was identified as “budget constraints” (45%). However,26% identified “lack of information” as the main barrier,while 47% of schools who have not participated in arts fieldtrips in the past three years reported “no obstacles” to participation.

CommunityRecommendations

The following are recommendations forArizona’s arts and cultural organiza-tions, Arizona’s teaching artists, theArizona Commission on the Arts, theArizona Department of Education andArizona’s public universities.

* Further study the Arizona ArtsEducation Census database tohelp identify model programsacross all socio-economic areasin order for schools to learn fromone another.

* Strengthen partnerships betweenschools and arts and cultureresources.

* Develop better communicationtools and strategies to connectarts and culture providers(teaching artists, cultural organi-zations and other communityresources) with schools.

* Document existing high qualitypartnerships, especially in ruralArizona and with charterschools, to share with schools,cultural organizations and teach-ing artists throughout the state.

* Strengthen education plans andeducation funding for large andmid-sized arts and culturalorganizations.

*

% of Schools with At Least One Field Trip by Discipline

Barriers to Participation in Arts Field Trips

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The Arizona Arts Education Census is just the beginning of our work as a community. Now,with research that provides a deeper understanding of student access to the arts in ourschools, it is time to act.As parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers, artists, volunteers and residents ofArizona, we need to stand up and be agents of change. Our voices need to be heard in creat-ing a public education system that ensures every child has access to a high quality arts education.Through policy development, advocacy and the implementation of best practices, we canbuild a future that includes arts education for all Arizona children.

How to StayConnected

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1 Students: Get your parents involved! Participate in arts courses and attend afterschoolarts events; start a dialogue with your guidance counselor, principal, district and schoolboard members about the value of the arts in your education.

2Parents, Families and Friends: Be vocal about your support of arts education. Tell elect-ed officials – from school board members to the Governor – that access to arts educationfor every Arizona student is important. Share with them your success stories of studentsin the arts.

3Business Community Members and Funders: Communicate with colleagues, elected offi-cials and policy makers about the critical importance of creativity and innovation inArizona’s future workforce, and how these skills are acquired through arts education.Fund local arts education programs; including support for planning, evaluation andassessment of student achievement.

4Arts and Culture Organizations: Develop sustainable partnerships with schools. Qualitypartnerships involve on-going communication, development of programs which supportthe school’s mission and standards-based curriculum, and established evaluation of pro-grams, to better meet the needs of students, teachers and community partners. Supportarts education through advocacy and professional development for your staff.

5Principals: Include the arts as part of your school’s mission. Support arts learning throughdedicated funds, planning time and professional development for arts teachers and general classroom teachers; encourage arts integration and teamwork through collabo-rative release time for arts teachers and other subject area teachers. Seek partnershipswith parents and community organizations.

6School Boards and Superintendents: Adopt a vision for your schools which supports theinclusion of the arts for all students as part of a comprehensive curriculum. Create a district-wide arts curriculum that aligns with state standards. Define specific line items forarts education in district budgets to include funds for supplies and coordination at the district level.

7Educators: Collaborate with arts teachers in your school to co-create curriculum that integrates the arts, attend events to show your support for arts education, and find opportunities for professional development to further your abilities to teach in and throughthe arts.

8Art Teachers: Implement high quality standards-based arts curricula. Advocate for contin-ued professional development and collaborate with teachers in other subject areas todevelop arts-integrated instruction outside the arts classroom. Share the creative andinnovative successes of your students with school and district leaders.

9Higher Education Institutions: Create professional development programming for artsteachers and general classroom teachers. Collaborate with K-12 school districts to develop innovative arts education partnerships. Include arts education in general teacherprograms and administrative certificate programs.

Call to ActionYou can ensure arts education is part of a complete education for all our children.

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Data CollectionThe Superintendent of Public Instruction requested thatprincipals in all 1,889 Arizona public schools, includingcharter schools, provide detailed information on artseducation in his or her school for this study.Data was gathered via an on-line questionnaire hostedby the Arizona Department of Education.Data collection began on March 15, 2009 and the lastcompleted questionnaire was collected on September15, 2009. The data submitted by each school was cer-tified as accurate by the school’s principal. The com-piled data was transferred to Quadrant Arts EducationResearch for statistical analysis, which is the basis ofthis report.

Highly QualifiedTeachers DatabaseIn addition to data collected through this study, theArizona Department of Education provided theresearch team with the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT)Database report for all schools for the 2008/2009school year.The HQT report represents 1,436 district schools, with a total student enrollment of 958,269, and 453charter schools, with a total student enrollment of96,994. Therefore, the HQT report represents 1,889public schools with a combined population of1,055,263 students.

Methodology

Sample Survey Questions* Number of hours in a yeardedicated to arts education,by arts discipline.

* Certification level of teachersproviding arts education.

* Non-salary budgets allocatedto arts education.

* Professional developmentofferings to arts and generalclassroom teachers.

* Policies in place regardingarts education (adoption ofstandards, high school artsgraduation requirements,etc.).

* Types of arts courses (curric-ular and extra-curricular)offered, by grade level (formusic, visual arts, theatreand dance).

* Number of students enrolledin arts courses.

* Use of visiting artists, fieldtrips and artists-in-residence.

In the spring of 2009, Quadrant Arts Education Research, on behalf of the Arizona ArtsEducation Research Institute, began this study of the level of arts education in Arizona public schools.A total of 409 schools (including charter and district schools representing 236,645 students)completed the Arizona Arts Education Census questionnaire, a 22% response rate.

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Defining Schools for this ReportArizona schools are represented in this study by a majorityof schools with at least one elementary grade (64%). Theremaining schools had middle school grades (52%) and/orhigh school grades (30%). School types are not mutuallyexclusive; a single building could be designated as being anelementary school, a middle school, and/or a high school,depending upon the grades in which they have enrollment.

Measures of Arts EducationThe research team found that schools and districts deliverarts education in many different ways. In order to giveschools credit for the different approaches to providing artseducation, while recognizing those that are followingArizona state mandates, the research team created anindex to account for all the measures of delivery. Thosemeasures that were critical in the delivery of arts educationwere weighted higher than others.Measures Used in the Index:

• Access to arts in school• Graduation requirement• Adoption of the Arizona Academic Standards in the Arts• Presence of an arts teacher• Curricular participation in the arts• Extra-curricular participation in the arts• External partnerships in arts education• Instructional hours in the arts• Dedicated space for the arts• Dedicated technology workstations• Dedicated school budget line items for the arts• Secured outside funding for the arts• Dedicated district arts coordinator• Arts grade weighted equally in GPA• Provision of professional development in the arts for

arts and general classroom teachers

Responding Schools by Type

Top 10% of ArizonaSchools for Access toArts Education(list based on respondents to the ArizonaArts Education Census)Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics, PhoenixNew School for the Arts, TempeNew School for the Arts Middle School, TempeStarShine Academy, PhoenixAsh Creek Elementary, PearceCenter for Educational Excellence, TempeSouth Mountain High School, PhoenixMaryvale High School, PhoenixCentral High School, PhoenixCamelback High School, PhoenixSandra Day O'Connor High School, GlendaleBoulder Creek High School, AnthemEagles Aerie School, GilbertRobins Elementary School, TucsonDeer Valley High School, GlendaleCarl Hayden High School, PhoenixMiller Elementary School, TucsonHighland High School, GilbertHamilton High School, ChandlerCoronado High School, ScottsdaleMountain Pointe High School, PhoenixPine Forest School, FlagstaffLifelong Learning Academy, TucsonCesar Chavez High School, LaveenZuni Elementary School, ScottsdaleNorth High School, PhoenixAgua Fria High School, AvondaleKingman Academy of Learning Middle School, KingmanTrevor G. Browne High School, PhoenixFruchthendler Elementary School, TucsonDesert Harbor Elementary School, PeoriaDan Hinton Accommodation School, PimaFranklin Phonetic Primary School, Prescott ValleyArcadia High School, PhoenixNan Lyons Elementary School, TucsonHorseshoe Trails Elementary School, PhoenixRoadrunner Elementary School, PhoenixBetty Fairfax High School, LaveenSevilla Primary School, PhoenixAmerican Heritage Academy, CottonwoodCity High School, Tucson

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ResourcesArizonaArizona Alliance for Arts Educationwww.artsed.orgArizona Citizens for the Artswww.azcitizensforthearts.orgArizona Commission on the Artswww.azarts.govArizona Department of Educationwww.ade.az.govArizona State Universitywww.asu.eduNorthern Arizona Universitywww.nau.eduUniversity of Arizonawww.arizona.edu

National Agenciesand OrganizationsAmericans for the Artswww.americansforthearts.orgArtsEdge (The Kennedy Center)www.artsedge.kennedy-center.orgArts Education Partnershipwww.aep-arts.orgThe Dana Foundationwww.dana.orgHarvard Project Zerowww.pz.harvard.eduNational Endowment for the Artswww.nea.gov

Select ArtsEducation ResourcesChampions of Change: The Impactof the Arts on Learninghttp://www.aep-arts.org/files/publications/ChampsReport.pdfCritical Evidence: How the ArtsBenefit Student Achievementhttp://aep-arts.org/publications/info.htm?publication_id=31

Critical Links: Learning in the Artsand Student Academic and SocialDevelopmenthttp://www.aep-arts.org/files/publications/CriticalLinks.pdfThe Nation’s Report Card: Arts 2008 Music and Visual Artshttp://nationsreportcard.gov/arts_2008/No Subject Left Behind: A Guide toArts Education Opportunities in the2001 NCLB Acthttp://www.aep-arts.org/files/advocacy/NoSubjectLeftBehind2005.pdfThe Qualities of Quality: Excellence in Arts Education and How to Achieve Ithttp://www.pz.harvard.edu/Research/Quality.htm

Arizona StateMandates for ArtsEducationArizona State Administrative Code,Common Schools (grades K-8)Teaching Requirementshttp://www.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_07/7-02.htm#Article_3Arizona State Administrative Code,High School GraduationRequirements http://www.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_07/7-02.htm#Article_3Arizona Board of Regents Requirementshttps://azregents.asu.edu/academicaffairs/Doc%20LibraryAcadAff/ABOR%20Admissions%20Requirements.pdfArizona Academic Standards in theArts (revised June 2006)http://www.ade.az.gov/standards/arts/revised/

Partners

Arizona Department of EducationTom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction

Arizona Department of EducationInnovative & Exemplary ProgramsAcademic Achievement Division

Maxine E. DalyDeputy Associate SuperintendentInnovative & Exemplary Programs

1535 West Jefferson StreetPhoenix AZ 85007602 542-5510

[email protected]

The Arizona Department of Education does not discriminateon the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, dis-ability or age in its programs, activities or in its hiring andemployment practices. For questions or concerns regardingthis statement, please contact (602) 542-3186.The contents of this publication were developed with fundsallocated by the U.S. Department of Education under PublicLaw 107-110. These contents do not necessarily represent thepolicy of the agency, nor should endorsement by the federalgovernment be assumed.

Printed in Phoenix, Arizona, by the Arizona Department of Education

Copies: 300 Total Cost: $2,209.85 Unit Cost: $7.36 July 2010

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Editorial AssistanceCasey BlakeMandy BuscasSteve CarrRobert B. MorrisonAlex NelsonLynn TuttleNancy WelchGraphic DesignerStacey Wong, Arizona Commission on the ArtsFunding for the Arizona Arts EducationCensus was provided by:Arizona Arts Education Research InstituteArizona Community FoundationLead ResearchersPat Cirillo, Cypress Research GroupRobert B. Morrison, Quadrant ArtsEducation ResearchSurvey AnalysisCypress Research GroupQuadrant Arts Education ResearchPhoto CreditsArizona Museum for Youth, Childsplay,Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool, RosiesHouse, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks,Tucson Meet YourselfSpecial AcknowledgmentsThank you to the Washington State ArtsCommission whose publication, K-12 ArtsEducation, Every Student, Every School,Every Year, served as a model and inspi-ration to this publication.Quadrant Arts Education Research hasbeen a valued partner and leadresearcher in the survey, report and publication.We would like to especially thank the409 schools who participated in thissurvey. Thanks to the patience anddedication of these school principalsand teachers, Arizona now hasschool-level data to better understandhow the arts are taught in our state.

The Arizona Arts Education Research Institute (AAERI) is a partnership of the ArizonaCommission on the Arts, Arizona Department of Education, College of Fine Arts at theUniversity of Arizona, College of Arts & Letters at Northern Arizona University and theHerberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. AAERI is solelyfunded by its partnering organizations.

Acknowledgments

Jacky AllingArizona Community FoundationJessica AndrewsArizona Citizens for the ArtsRobert BensonPeoria Unified School DistrictJanet BlumScottsdale Unified School DistrictRobert C. BookerArizona Commission on the ArtsPat BurdetteTempe Elementary School District;Arizona Art Education AssociationMandy BuscasArizona Commission on the ArtsSteve CarrThe Kur Carr GroupRod CastilloMesa Public Schools;Arizona Alliance for Arts EducationShelley CohnArizona Community FoundationMaxine DalyArizona Department of EducationDavid DuarteArizona Music Educators AssociationDenise FergusonArizona State ThespiansJocelyn HansonPhoenix Office of Cultural AffairsCarol KratzThe Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

Peter LaingArizona Department of EducationTee LambertWashington Elementary School DistrictPeter McAllisterUniversity of ArizonaJim McPhersonFlinn FoundationLynn MonsonArizona Dance Education Organization;Arizona Alliance for Arts EducationAlex NelsonArizona Commission on the ArtsLinda PhillipsArizona State ThespiansWendy PleakeArizona Art Education AssociationMichael SotoArizona Citizens for the ArtsSunnee SpencerArizona Museum for YouthBrenda SperdutiArizona Citizens for the ArtsSandra StaufferArizona State UniversityPam StephensNorthern Arizona UniversityJill SullivanArizona State UniversityLynn TuttleArizona Department of EducationNancy WelchMorrison Institute of Public Policy

To request this or any other agency publication in an alternative format, contact the Arizona Commission on theArts at 602-771-6502 or [email protected].

Arts Education Census Committee

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The results of the Arizona Arts Education Census were unveiled July 29, 2010 at the JointArts Education Conference, presented by the Arizona Commission on the Arts and theArizona Department of Education.This publication includes highlights from the complete AAERI Arts Education Census, available at http://www.azarts.gov/news-resources/resources/arizona-arts-education-census/.