The Advocacy Update is where you can find state and national news about theatre and other arts education
EdTA NEWS
EdTA responds to Senate ESEA reauthorization bill: EdTA is partnering with other national organizations to speak out on a new Senate reauthorization bill for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) put forth by Senate education committee chairman Lamar Alexander. The bill features some alarming changes that could ultimately have a profound impact on arts education access and equity at the state, district, and school level.
EdTA launches the JumpStart Theatre Pilot Program in Cincinnati: JumpStart Theatre is a collaboration among the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), and New York City-based companies, Music Theatre International (MTI) and iTheatrics. The program will train educators to develop sustainable arts programs at underserved middle schools that do not currently offer theatre in the curriculum or after school.
The Democracyworks student essay competition: The competition is accepting entries from students who are members of the EdTA’s International Thespian Society. The winning essayist and a chaperone earn a trip the Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. March 23-24. This year’s prompt is “How have your theatre and other arts education experiences helped prepare you to live in a democratic society?” The deadline for entries is February 13.
NATIONAL NEWS
Core Arts Standards Model Cornerstone Assessment Pilot Project launches: The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) has begun the piloting the standards’ example assessments in the benchmark grades of 2, 5, and 8. More than one hundred teachers from throughout the country are “trying out’” the standards-based arts assessments in their classroom in the next months and gathering student examples that will be adjudicated and benchmarked into a final collection that will be posted on the NCCAS website.
Arts Advocacy Day 2015: Registration is open. AAD annually convenes advocates from throughout the country for training and lobbying for strong public polices and funding for the arts and arts education.
Applications are now open for the 2015 College Board Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts: This annual award recognizes and celebrates the achievements of innovative arts initiatives for students in grades 6–12. Awards are given in arts integration, programs that use the arts as a tool for increasing academic engagement among underserved students, and civic engagement/professional partnerships. An award of $5,000 will be given to a winning school in each category.
2015 VSA Playwriting competition for students Middle and high school students are invited to explore the disability experience—in their own life, the lives of others, or through fictional characters—by writing a script. The application deadline is April 13, 2015.
STATE NEWS
Arizona: USDOE awards Osborn School District a $300,000 grant to work with Childsplay on innovative arts integration drama & literacy program. (Childsplay)
California: California governor’s proposed budget would halve arts funding (Hyperallergic.com)
New York: Mount Vernon schools gets funds to add arts tro STEM subjects (Mount Vernon Daily News)
Texas: Young Audiences of Houston Receives $50,000 to Support Local Arts-in-Education (Broadwayworld.com)
WORTH READING
7 Ways Michelle Obama positively influenced education in 2014: Among other things, the First Lady endorsed arts education, saying .d"Arts education isn't something we add on after we've achieved other priorities, like raising test scores and getting kids into college. It's actually critical for achieving those priorities in the first place." (Huffington Post)
What would Picasso have to say about Common Core State Standards now driving the curriculum—and leaving art behind—in over 40 states?: How would he view the wrenching removal of art and music from the curriculum in favor of teaching for the test? As it turns out, both Picasso and psychological studies support a call for cross-disciplinary connections at all levels of education (Psychologytoday.com).
Arts education helps students become critical thinkers: A growing group is advocating for a STEAM approach -- from parents and teachers who think that integrating arts into subjects motivates students, to business leaders who say that an arts education produces more innovative thinkers and better problem solvers. (uexpress.com)
Arts education matters: we know, we measured it: The results across two experiments were remarkably consistent: Cultural experiences improve students' knowledge about the arts, as well as their desire to become cultural consumers in the future. Exposure to the arts also affects the values of young people, making them more tolerant and empathetic and boost critical thinking, teaching students to take the time to be more careful and thorough in how they observe the world. (edweek.com)
How integrating arts into other subjects makes learning come alive: Many studies show have shown that exposure to the arts can help with academics. A few schools are taking the research to heart, weaving the arts into everything they do and finding that the approach not only boosts academic achievement but also promotes creativity, self-confidence and school pride. (http://blogs.kqed.org)