Newsgroups: bit.listserv.erl-l
Date:         Fri, 24 Jul 1992 22:41:00 CDT
From:         P30JWP1@NIU.BITNET
Subject:      OERI: America 2000 Arts Partnership (174 lines)

The following is provided by the Office of Educational Research
and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.  Please feel
welcome to distribute.


                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                               AND
               THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS



AMERICA 2000 Arts Partnership

Dance, theater, music, the visual arts. . .  Through each of its
disciplines, art represents a distinct way of exploring and
understanding our common humanity and surroundings.  Secretary
of Education Lamar Alexander has said: "If I were helping to
rethink the curriculum of a school in my hometown, I would want
instruction in the arts to be available to every student."  Yet
today, a rigorous and comprehensive education in the arts is
available to only a fraction of our children.

All students can benefit from appropriate arts instruction.  For
students with disabilities, gifted children, those with limited
English proficiency, as well as all others, the arts are an
important part of a well-rounded education.  Acting Chairman of
the National Endowment for the Arts Anne-Imelda Radice believes
that: "Infusing the creative spirit of the arts in our schools is
an important part of revitalizing American education."  A good
arts curriculum helps students understand our nation's evolving
cultural heritage as well as those of other civilizations.  The
arts enhance creativity and cultivate each student's ability to
make informed aesthetic judgments.  Additionally, the arts can be
used to enhance teaching and learning in all subjects.  Properly
integrated, arts education helps students develop an appreciation
for individual arts disciplines as well as for how those
disciplines relate to other subjects.

To improve students' knowledge, appreciation, and skills in the
arts, the U.S. Department of Education, with the National
Endowment for the Arts, is working to advance the AMERICA 2000
Arts Partnership. James D. Wolfensohn, Chairman of the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has agreed to head a
group of private citizens to propose options for the Partnership.
The AMERICA 2000 Arts Partnership as presently envisioned will
include the following seven major components.

Developing World Class Standards in the Arts

The U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the
Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities have joined
to support a national effort to develop World Class Standards
that describe the knowledge, skills, and understanding that all
students should acquire in the arts.  These voluntary, national
standards will complement similar standards in science,
mathematics, English, history, geography, civics, and other
subjects.  National standards in the arts will establish a
dramatic vision of what is possible and will encourage teachers
and students to strive towards the best in arts education for all
children.  Standard-setting in the arts will be coordinated by a
consortium of four organizations:  the American Alliance  for
Theatre and  Education; the Music  Educators National
Conference;  the National Art  Education  Association;  and the
National Dance  Association.   The effort  will be broad-based
involving respected individuals  from a variety  of backgrounds
who are interested  in arts education,  including nationally
recognized  educators and  artists.

Involving AMERICA 2000 Communities

The U.S. Department of Education will work with AMERICA 2000
communities to emphasize the importance of the arts for all
students and to help local coalitions improve arts education.
Priority will be placed on developing comprehensive and rigorous
school curricula in the arts.  Community arts institutions and
organizations will also be enlisted as partners to broaden
students' access inside and outside of school to a wide range of
arts experiences, including museums, lectures, live performances,
and local artists.  Communities will be encouraged to consider
including the arts as part of their AMERICA 2000 education
strategies.  The National Endowment for the Arts, with its
partners, the 56 state arts agencies, encourages and funds the
creation of collaborative partnerships between state and local
arts organizations and the education community.

Helping States Implement High National Standards

The U.S. Department of Education supports states in the creation
of their own K-12 curriculum frameworks based on the voluntary,
national standards in the arts.  These frameworks will constitute
the state's own vision of the education every child should
receive, helping to ensure every child the opportunity to learn
the arts.  They will provide the basis for improving teacher
education, professional development, and assessment.

Creating a National Center for Arts Education

The U.S. Department of Education supports the creation of a
National Center for Arts Education, which will involve respected
school professionals, scholars, and artists in research and in
projects to improve arts education.  The Center's activities may
include: helping to provide professional development for
teachers; supporting artists in schools; assisting in the
development of World Class Standards in the arts; building a
national resource network of exemplary programs, curricula,
research, and ideas made available through videos, software,
printed materials, and other means.  The Center will also work
with AMERICA 2000 communities and recognize outstanding local
initiatives.

Expanding the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

In cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S.
Department of Education plans to expand the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) to include assessment of students'
knowledge and abilities in  the arts.  Preliminary work to
develop an assessment framework will begin in July 1992.  Support
for this phase of the national arts assessment is being provided
by the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with the
Getty Center for Education in the Arts, a program of the J. Paul
Getty Trust.  Plans call for the NAEP arts assessment to be in
place by 1996.  Development will be coordinated with the parallel
effort to develop World Class Standards describing what all
students should learn in the arts.  The new assessment will be
informed by NAEP's experience assessing the arts in the 1970s, as
well as by current exemplary assessments in different states and
localities.

Developing a Research Agenda in  Arts Education

A national conference in May 1992 in Annapolis, Maryland,
launched the process of developing a research agenda for the next
decade in arts education.  The conference, convened by the U.S.
Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts,
brought together policymakers, teacher educators, artists, and
representatives of arts professional organizations.  Follow-up
meetings are planned in different regions of the country.

Designing a National Arts Education Dissemination Network

To improve dissemination of quality arts education programs to
those on education's "front lines," the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts, under contract from the National
Endowment for the Arts, has begun  work to design a  national
arts education  dissemination  network.  When  fully implemented,
the network will  provide referral  services, dissemination of
exemplary programs,  and a nationwide telecommunications network
linking educators interested in the arts.

U.S. Department of Education
Office of the Secretary
Lamar Alexander, Secretary
Agnes Warfield, Deputy Chief of Staff

Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Diane Ravitch, Assistant Secretary and
 Counselor to the Secretary
Francie Alexander, Deputy Assistant Secretary
Theodor Rebarber, OERI Associate

National Endowment for the Arts
Office of the Chairman
Anne-Imelda Radice, Acting Chairman

Office of Policy, Planning, Research, Budget
Margaret Wyszomirski, Director
Mindy Berry, Senior Policy Analyst

Arts in Education Program
Douglas Herbert, Acting Director

For More Information:
202-219-2050
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU