ATLANTA - The Georgia Council for the Arts has released the final policy recommendations from the Arts Learning Task Force. Included are more than a dozen recommendations and a list of "model" programs already in place around the state, including one in Hall County.
Governor Nathan Deal asked the Task Force to conduct an examination of existing arts learning initiatives in Georgia and other states and to provide recommendations regarding the implementation of arts learning in K-12 classrooms. The purpose of the Task Force process is to prepare Georgia’s public schools to improve the educational achievement and attainment of students through the creation of arts learning environments.
Included in the report are sixteen recommendations, divided into four themes: Access to Arts Learning, Quality Arts Instruction, Support for Effective Arts Learning, and Resourceful and Innovative Approaches to Arts Learning.
The recommendations are organized into four themes, with four recommendations applicable to each theme.
I. Access to Arts Learning
1) Requiring arts learning access and credits
2) Expanding access to arts instruction
3) Federal funding for arts learning
4) Measuring access to arts learning
II. Quality Arts Instruction
5) Certified arts educators
6) Pre-service training in the arts
7) Professional development and resources for arts educators
8) Assessment and evaluation tools for arts educators
III.Support for Effective Arts Learning
9) State leadership
10) School and district leadership
11) Student, parent, and teacher engagement
12) Facilities, supplies, equipment and resources
IV.Resourceful and Innovative Approaches to Arts Learning
13) Community collaboration and involvement
14) Artists and teaching artists
15) Arts integration
16) STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math)
Implementation of these recommendations will represent the state’s commitment to ensuring that all PreK-12 students in Georgia public schools have access to quality arts instruction. Based on what we know about the immense benefits of arts learning, Georgia students need arts instruction in order to achieve a complete education.
Click here http://www.georgia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ALTF-Report-Final-with-links-revised.pdf to access the full report.
MODEL PROGRAMS CITED
• At North Gwinnett High School, the Task Force observed model high school arts programs, a model arts integration course, as well as a school system that makes arts learning a priority and provides the resources and personnel to support arts learning system-wide.
• At Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts and Savannah Arts Academy, the Task Force members experienced model arts magnet schools at the elementary and secondary levels, saw evidence of model community arts partnerships, and observed another system that provides the resources and personnel necessary to support excellence in arts learning.
• At McEver Arts Academy in Hall County, the Task Force visited a school that provides a model for whole school reform through arts integration, in partnership with ArtsNow.
• At Drew Charter School, the Task Force observed one of the few schools that has successfully implemented a STEAM curriculum, in part through meaningful partnerships with Georgia State University and Georgia Tech.
• At Twin Oaks Elementary and Lee County High School, the Task Force was introduced to a model elementary afterschool theatre program and an award-winning high school theatre program.
• At the Carlos Museum, the Task Force experienced a model museum education program that serves numerous schools, heard from guest speakers about model teaching artist programs, and discovered model community arts education programs implemented by Atlanta Ballet, Alliance Theatre, and Atlanta Music Project.
As the Task Force articulated on several occasions during this process, part of the solution to improve access to quality arts learning opportunities in Georgia is to expand and replicate the models and best practices already present in the state.
