Common Core Standards:What Arts Teachers Should

Know

Brad FoustFine Arts Instructional Advisor

Shelby County SchoolsMemphis, TN

Today’s Presentation

What Are Common Core Standards?

How Do They Impact Arts Teachers?

What Are Some Examples Of “Arts-Aligned” Standards?

How Are The Standards Impacting the New National Arts Standards?

What Resources Are Available To Assist In Teaching With The Standards?

Common Core Standards

Are aligned with college and work expectations;

Are clear, understandable and consistent;

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;

Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;

Are informed by other top performing countries, and

Are evidence-based.

Common Core Standards

Common set of standards for ALL students

Relevance and real world connections

College and career readiness

“Clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce” (TN Core, 2012).

Impact of Common Core

Source: www.commoncore.org

The implementation of Common Core State Standards is a full-school endeavor, not just a project for math and English Language Arts (ELA)

teachers. In addition to the ELA standards, the Common Core State Standards include Literacy (reading and writing) standards for the

“specialized disciplines” of history, social studies, science, and technical subjects for grades 6-12. The potential of the Common Core to influence

instruction and improve student learning goes well beyond just this. Teachers of all grades and subjects can integrate math and literacy skills and activities into their disciplines in order to utilize Common Core to improve

student learning across the board.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Source: www.p21.org

-Critical Thinking - Communication

-Collaboration - Creativity

The 4 Cs

Are aligned with college and work expectations;

Are clear, understandable and consistent;

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;

Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;

Are informed by other top performing countries, and

Are evidence-based.

Common Core Standards

Are aligned with college and work expectations (relevance and real world);

Are clear, understandable and consistent (sequential study of subject matter);

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge (performance-based tasks) through high-order skills (creativity);

Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;

Are informed by other top performing countries (arts rich education), and

Are evidence-based (authentic assessment).

Common Core? The Standards set requirements not only for English language arts (ELA) but also for literacy in history/social studies, science, and

technical subjects. Just as students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, so

too must the Standards specify the literacy skills and understandings required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines (TN

Core, 2012).

Teachers of all grades and subjects can integrate math and literacy skills and activities into their disciplines in order to harness the

power of the Common Core to improve student learning across the board (TN Core, 2012).

Is Music a Technical Subject?

Technical subjects – A course devoted to a practical study, such as engineering, technology, design, business, or other

workforce-related subject; a technical aspect of a wider field of study, such as art or music (p. 43 of Appendix A of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in

History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects).

Questions to Consider

Are there concepts and skills inherent in the study of the arts that are not found in other subject areas?

Are there concepts and skills found in the study of the arts that are found in other subject areas?

Common Core Standards Example

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Common Core Standards Example

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Luckily, the Common Core definition of “informational text” is broad, including (but not limited to) biographies, memoir, technical texts, graphs and charts, speeches, essays, opinion pieces, and digital sources such as blogs (Howald, 2013).

If the definition of text may be expanded to include non-print texts, such as works of dance, visual or media arts, music, or theatre, then all of the standards in this category (reading), at every grade level, have direct references to arts-based content or investigation (Charleroy, 2012).

Definition of Text

Close Reading of Text

Close reading of text is a purposeful, careful reading of a text that leads to deep comprehension.

ELA Instructional Shift #3- Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

ROMEOLady, by yonder blessed moon I swearThat tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops--JULIETO, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,That monthly changes in her circled orb,Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.ROMEOWhat shall I swear by?JULIETDo not swear at all;Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,Which is the god of my idolatry,And I'll believe thee.ROMEOIf my heart's dear love--JULIETWell, do not swear: although I joy in thee,I have no joy of this contract to-night:It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;Too like the lightning, which doth cease to beEre one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.Good night, good night! as sweet repose and restCome to thy heart as that within my breast!

“The wrong answer for the arts in literacy is to say when you’re reading and writing about the arts, you’re doing literacy. This is

the cheap answer, where the arts teacher become the handmaiden of the literature environment or the literacy environment. Much more interesting is to consider: What do the arts do that literacy teachers could learn from? What do the arts tend to be better at

than the literacy profession? I will suggest to you two things:

David ColemanPresident, The College Board and

Lead Writer, K-5 Common Core ELA Standards

1. No great artist looks at a piece of art once and considers it done. Every artist loves observation, rigorous observation and repeated observation. At

the core of these standards is more demanding texts that will require rereading and careful observation.

2. The arts have the great advantage of a single score with multiple interpretations. For example, when reading Shakespeare, one can see

multiple examples of how others have interpreted this text, and there’s no greater master class on the role of evidence and interpretation than a single

score of music being interpreted in several different ways.”

David ColemanPresident, The College Board and

Lead Writer, K-5 Common Core ELA Standards

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS)

- New National Standards for the arts, including music, are currently being written and reviewed

- Common Core Standards, Partnership for 21st Century Skills and The College Board

- Conceptual Framework Outlines the Thinking Behind the Standards

Two Approaches to Alignment

•Identifying arts references already present in the Common Core standards

•Identifying elements of the Common Core standards that reference the same broad goals and thinking skills that are highlighted in the framework

for the National Core Arts Standards, even if the Common Core components do not directly refer to the arts.

Phase I: Content-Based Alignment

RL.2.4: Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

Arts References in Common Core ELA Standards

Anchor Standard category

Total # of grade-level standards

Total # of standards containing arts

references

Reading 220

(110 informational text; 110 literature)

50

Writing 110 8

Speaking and Listening 66 16

Language 66 1

Source: NCCAS

Phase II:Skills-Based Alignment

The Arts as Communication

The Arts as Creative Personal Realization

The Arts as Culture, History and Connections

The Arts as a Means to Wellbeing

The Arts as Community Engagement

1. Philosophical Understandings and Lifelong Goals

Phase II: Skill-Based Alignment

In the National Core Arts Standards, the creative practices are a springboard and bridge for the application of the artistic processes across all five arts disciplines and disciplines outside the arts (NCCAS, 2012).

2. Creative Practices

Common Core Standards ExampleCCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Philosophical Foundations and Lifelong Goals (the arts as):

- Communication- Creative Personal Realization- Culture, History and Connections- Means to Wellbeing- Community Engagement

Creative Practices

- Imagine- Investigate-Construct

-Reflect

Common Core Standards Example

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Philosophical Foundations and Lifelong Goals#1- The Arts as Communication

Creative PracticesInvestigation and Reflection

Imagine Investigate Construct Reflect

Anchor Standards for Reading (10 possible connections)

7 10 1 10

Anchor Standards for Writing (10 possible connections)

7 6 9 10

Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening (6 possible connections)

2 2 4 5

Anchor Standards for Language (6 possible connections)

0 3 4 2

Standards for Mathematical Practice (8 possible connections)

6 7 6 8

Connections between Common Core Standards and Creative Practices

Source: NCCAS

Don’t Panic! Common Core Standards do not replace music standards (ongoing discussion surrounding “connect” standards)

Common Core Standards provide for deep, natural connections with the arts in various ways

Begin with the Anchor Standards (ELA) and Standards for Mathematical Practice (Math)

Emphasize vocabulary and text through music content, as well as the unique characteristics that make the arts relevant beyond the arts classroom

Common Core and the Arts Sitehttp://www.ccssarts.weebly.com

Brad’s email addresses:

foustmusic@aol.comfoustbs@scsk12.org