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Lecture notes on Herbert (1995) The National Arts Education Landscape

Help in establishing arts as basic:

• Reform of elementary and secondary education
• Integration of curriculum
• Authentic assessment

Need to make connections across disciplines
Bridge ideological and political boundaries
Sustain partnerships in arts and education communities

Arts must be concordant, not discordant

Growing synergy attributed to realizations:

• Arts organizations should work together
• Connecting arts to ed reform rather than apart from it
• Research and development: "determining whether what we do makes a difference"

Time frame:

1983

National Commisision on Excellence in Education published "A Nation At Risk"

1985

Congress required the National Endowment of the Arts to study the state of arts education.

1986

National Coalition for Education in the Arts established by the American Council for the Arts and Music Educators National Conference; developed the Philadelphia resolution.

1988

NEA published its report "Toward civilization," noting arts education is in jeopardy.
Recommendations:

• Comprehensive definition of arts education
• Make arts part of basic education
• Develop partnerships to advocate for and provide comprehensive arts education.

NEA developed arts in schools basic education grants for partnerships at state level. State arts agencies expanded to embrace arts education.

1989

NEA began supporting the NCEA, published "Arts and School Reform" and "Advocacy through Partnership."

NEA began working with US Department of Education:

• Development of national curriculum, content, achievement standards by consortium of national arts education associations.
• Development of a framework for inclusion of the arts in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) [omitted since 1977]
• Framing of arts education research agenda
• Foster communication among artists, teachers, others, through technology.

1990

National Goals 2000 announcment omitted arts in the curriculum goal.

National Educational Goals Panel received comment from arts educators:

• Marked a political coming of age for arts adovcates
• Marked advantages of coalitions.

1992

Grammy Awards: Michael Greene notes arts are left out of goals

Birth of the national standards movement: recognition that standards should include the arts.

Consortium of National Arts Education Associations initiated a consensus process for National Standards for Arts Education (completed 1994)

• Development of the groundwork for the NAEP in the Arts in 1997

NEA and DOE form Arts Partnership for America 2000.

Richard Riley (head DOE) wrote Goals 2000, which became law in 1994. Provided implementation grants through DOE.

1994

Improving America's Scools Act. Recognized:

• The arts are important forms of understanding
• Arts are important to excellent education
• Arts contribute to transformation of teaching and learning.

Congress Authorizes Community Arts Partnership Act
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Effectiveness of these efforts is dependent on state and local efforts

Goals 2000 Arts and Education Partnerships includes over 100 national arts and other organizations.

Must work both initiatives: as a core subject and as a developmental skill

Public perception of the arts remains that it is a frill.

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