School Wide Arts Infusion

and Tools for SuccessPresented by Christine Fisher

For ArtsErie Arts in Education Learning Lab

What is it?

What tools are there?

Why does it matter?

School Wide Arts Infusion:

Dance, drama, music, visual arts and creative writing: each one is literacy. Literacy includes how we see the world, interpret it, and communicate about it. The arts are a way of communicating perceptions, ideas, feelings, culture, and our imaginations. The arts are an arena for human expression, interaction, and creativity that reflects our commonality and diversity, including our shared perceptions and realities, and our conflicting ones. This makes arts infusion powerful!

Arts Infusion: Engagement, Relevance, Meaning, and Value

What Arts Infusion Isn’t:

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

Albert Einstein

The ABC blueprint is founded on the premise that the arts are an indispensable part of a complete education because quality education in the arts significantly adds to the learning potential of our students. Arts education complements learning in other disciplines and establishes a foundation for success in school and lifelong learning. The ABC blueprint also provides a forum for the development of strategic arts initiatives, and serves as the foundation for a broad advocacy coalition for arts education reform in South Carolina.

The Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project: 1987

The ABC Project was established to promote high quality arts instruction and integration efforts across schools and districts in South Carolina. The Office of Program Evaluation at the University of South Carolina (USC) has been evaluating portions of the ABC Project for numerous years.

Based on Evaluation and Research

Evaluation efforts have gone from a ground breaking ten - year evaluation of ABC Sites and closely matched schools, to field testing arts infusion instruments designed by the ABC Arts Infusion task force. Evaluation and Research: Ten-Year Evaluation (1989-1999) Comparison Schools & Longitudinal Studies (1999-2004)Higher student attendanceHigher parent approval, parent support & involvementFewer discipline referrals & teachers reported fewer student disruptionsHigher test scores

USC Office of Program Evaluation

Schools and districts needed more clarity, a deeper understanding, and structure

The Last Straw, or was it a turkey in the straw?????

Arts Centered Arts Integrated Arts Infused

ABC Arts Schools Definitions

The arts are used as a focal point for the identity and image of a school. An arts focused school stresses competencies in all the arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts and creative writing) and ensures that the arts are aligned with the general education core of the school. The arts are a hub of the main activities within a school and provide in-depth exposure of the arts for all students.

(A comprehensive, sequential arts program)

Arts Centered:

The arts are incorporated into the general education curriculum and are used to enhance the understanding of areas of study outside of the arts disciplines themselves, as well as in-depth learning in the arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts and creative writing).

Arts Integrated:

Teaching-tool integration: One discipline serves the other by providing a vehicle through which knowledge can be efficiently learned and remembered

Topical integration: Specific topic from one discipline is determined where connective and interactive relationships among disciplines are explored

Thematic integration: A theme is chosen and then knowledge and skills that support this theme from different disciplines are sought.

Types of Arts Integration: (Excerpts from Wiggins, 2001)

The arts enhance the education of every student and improve the general curriculum, as well as in-depth learning in the arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts and creative writing). An arts infused school disseminates and permeates the arts into the traditions and experiences that are at the core of every program within the school. Arts and non-arts disciplines mutually support and enhance each other through constant planning and collaboration.

Arts Infused

Using the definitions, determine where you are and what you need to do to move to the next level?

What’s Your Next Step?

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force of 21 Members◦ Steering Committee members, arts teachers, classroom teachers,

principals, higher education faculty, researcher◦ Read books, studied articles and papers prior to first meeting◦ Worked in groups outside of regular task force meetings

Second Task Force of 50 Members◦ Studied and Reviewed Work◦ Probed and Questioned Work◦ Endeavored to Implement Work◦ Reported back to Infusion Task Force

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force Reviewed Recommendations and Made Adjustments

USC Office of Program Evaluation Researched the Tools for Validity and Reliability

Tools Produced for Arts Infusion:◦ Arts Infusion Continuum◦ Essential Elements◦ Arts Infusion Teacher Survey

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force

A clear, concise definition that is acceptable to everyone in the field has not found

The concept has been a part of education for many years

Transfer of Learning and Constructivism relate to the issue

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force

For successful programs there must be appropriate:◦Organizational support◦Arts education expertise◦High standards

The arts disciplines must be taught as such!!!!!

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force

1. A Random Collection of Information Concerning Arts Integration

2. Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design & Implementation

3. University of Minnesota Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), Arts for Academic Achievement: The Annenberg Challenge, Varieties of Arts Integration (VAI) Chart and Project Description

4. Creating Islands of Excellence: Arts Education as a Partner in School Reform

5. California Arts Education Program Toolkit

ABC Arts Infusion Task Force

Interdisciplinary Education Continuum

Heidi Hayes Jacobs

Discipline Based

Complete Program

ParallelDisciplines

Complementary Disciplines

Interdisciplinary Units/Courses

Integrated Day

Integration-Infusion

Instruction: Concepts TaughtMethods UtilizedStudent ExperiencesStudent Products

ARTS INFUSION CONTINUUM

Arts Basic (Serendipitous)

Arts Enhanced (Planned Exposure)

Initial Arts Integration Developed Arts Integration

Arts Infused

Infusion Level

Arts Basic: Knowledge is discipline specific.Arts Enhanced: Some superficial connections are made between arts and non-arts disciplines. Initial Arts Integration: Knowledge is discipline- specific however, some meaningful connections between arts and other subjects are evident.Developed Arts Integration: Knowledge is a synthesis of arts and other disciplines.Arts Infused: Knowledge is a tool for identifying issues, solving problems, and making decisions in an environment that encourages inquiry.

CONCEPTS TAUGHT

Each table look at the Arts Infusion Continuum and select under “Concepts Taught” infusion level:

Arts Enhanced Initial Integration Developed Integration Infusion

As a group, demonstrate what your topic would look like using dance, music, drama, visual arts or creative writing. (Share with another table)

Water Cycle or Your Choice

Task Force developed this chart

Assumes use of Opportunity to Learn Standards (OTLS) first

Based on OTL Standards model

Includes categories (elements) from California Toolkit

Formatted by Dr. Ching Ching Yap

The ABC Essential Elements for Arts Infusion Programs

Addresses Seven Categories◦Curriculum & Instruction◦Collaboration & Partnerships◦Evaluation◦Facilities◦Professional Development◦Planning & Scheduling◦Resources & Materials

The ABC Essential Elements for Arts Infusion Programs:

Provides rubric for measuring degree reached for each descriptor:◦Not Evident◦Seldom Evident◦Frequently Evident◦Always Evident

The ABC Essential Elements for Arts Infusion Programs

Categories Level DescriptorsNot

EvidentSeldom Evident

Frequently Evident

Always Evident

Categories Level Descriptors

Not Evident

Seldom Evident

Frequently Evident

Always Evident

Resources &

Materials School An annual budget funds staffing for the five arts areas and arts infusion.

RM School

Funds are allocated to insure that every teacher has access to a variety of appropriate resources, consumable materials, and equipment to support the implementation of arts infusion.

RM School

A library of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, and other reference materials is established, updated, and maintained for the implementation of arts infusion.

RM School

All teachers are provided copies of the SC Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Standards and the South Carolina English/Language Arts Curriculum Standards (Creative Writing)

CI 6 Curriculum & Instruction CP 7 Collaboration & Partnership EV 4 Evaluation FC 3 Facilities PD 2 Professional Development PS 7 Planning & Scheduling RM 4 Resources & Materials

Examined the validity and usability of the three instruments designed to gauge schools’ level of integration

Three standardized self- assessment instruments were developed to consistently and accurately denote the level of arts integration occurring at ABC schools. ….to determine their usefulness in gaining information for teacher, grade level and school wide growth…

USC Office of Program Evaluation

“The ABC Arts Infusion Continuum, the Essential Elements Rubric and the Infusion Questionnaire showed high reliability indices for each component or area as well as the overall instrument.”

“These instruments function well. They have the ability to serve as on-going tools to examine the progress of schools in meeting their arts infusion goals.”

USC Office of Program Evaluation

A girl who became a Red Bird

And a venomous snake was born!

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

Arts Infusion is the way to go and these tools can get you there!