About the Impact of CDE Arts Work Grants

Prior to 1998, when the Arts Work grant program was initiated, there was little or no guidance in developing the content of arts courses, no accountability for student achievement, and no monitoring for teacher preparation or professional development in the arts. Even though Education Code 51210 and 51220 specify the arts as a required course of study for grades one through twelve, many school districts have been unable to provide students with comprehensive, sequential instruction in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts.

Arts Work grants have played a vital role in helping districts develop new or extend existing programs that align with the standards. Specifically, the grants have been instrumental in:

• Aiding districts in strategic planning for standards implementation
• Development assessment tools
• Creating a statewide online curriculum resource
• Providing much-needed professional development for teachers
• Enabling partnerships with arts and cultural institutions

Since its inception in 1999, the program has distributed funding to over 32,000 schools, serving over 6 million students and 90,000 teachers.

A sampling of impact statements by Arts Work grantees reveals the following implementation strategies, made possible in whole or in part by the Arts Work funds:

• All middle and secondary art, music and theatre teachers in this district have taken part in the development of local content standards and grade level indicators in alignment with the state content standards. The standards work provided high level professional development and buy-in for the standards and took two years. Teachers completed the process through a series of after school and Saturday workshops in combination with two district staff development days. Course descriptions have been revised as necessary to reflect the standards. All secondary arts electives are now yearlong courses and meet the CSU/UC requirement.
  
• This district adopted arts content standards K-8 and completed a district baseline assessment of visual arts and music for grades 4 and 8. The information from the assessment will be use to inform program improvement.
  
• The school district teachers wrote and published a "Model Integrated Tasks with Examples and Rubrics" curriculum guide for visual arts. The guide contains standards-based lessons for middle school students.
  
• The goal for arts education is part of the school district's overall five year goal to develop "Power Standards" in all subjects including the arts so that teachers can implement multidisciplinary instruction and assessment. Power standards are identified by their endurance – value beyond a single test date, leverage, knowledge and skills that will be of value in multiple disciplines and prepare students for the next level of instruction.
  
• Centralized coordination and communication among the school sites and with the many local arts providers has been established is this district. This prepared the way for comprehensive planning, professional development and mutual accountability for curriculum implementation.

If funding for Arts Work is eliminated, California is likely to see:

• A return to scattershot arts programs, benefiting primarily wealthy districts
• Loss of momentum and extended delays in standards implementation
• Possible elimination of vital partnerships between districts, higher education and community arts resources
• A threat to the preparation of UC/CSU-qualified students
• Delay in development of arts assessment tools
• Loss of highly leveraged funding from private sources
• Destruction of efforts to build instructional delivery infrastructure
• Loss of valued networks and infrastructure support mechanisms

For information on how you can advocate to maintain the Arts Work program, see Action Alert and Budget Update for March 10, 2004