1. National Core Arts Standards: A Framework for PreK-Arts Learning
Southeast Theatre Conference
March 7, 2013

2. The Next Generation Arts Standards Project

3. American Alliance for Theatre and Education
The College Board
Educational Theatre Association
National Association for Music Education
National Art Education Association
National Dance Education Organization
State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education
Young Audiences

4. The Goal:
to update the 1994 National Standards for Arts Education (adopted by 49 states)
to create new arts standards that reflect the 21st Century needs of students, teachers, parents, and administrators.

5. Why new arts standards?
Standards are the drivers of our education system’s structure, delivery and assessment
The 1994 Arts Standards are nearly 20 years and reflect a 20th century model of teaching and learning
Emphasis on core subject areas for federal accountability system + STEM subjects risks marginalizing arts learning

6. What will the new arts standards look like and how will they be different than the 94 standards?

7. The new standards are built on recent College Board research
The Arts and the Common Core
The International Arts Education Standards: A Survey of of Fifteen Countries and Regions
Arts Education Standards and 21st Century Skills
College Learning in the Arts: A Summary and Analysis of Recommendations and Expectations for Arts
Child Development and Arts Education Research Review
A Review of Selected State Arts Standards
A Survey of Higher Education Arts Study by Non-majors

8. The new standards are organized around the NAEP-created artistic processes of
Perform
Respond
Connect

9. Broader, higher-thinking content in the individual arts disciplines focusing on “big ideas” that position the arts in an overarching framework of artistic literacy includes
Philosophical Foundations
Lifelong Goals
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions

10. Grade-level standards that cover grades PreK-8 by individual grades rather than by grade bands that include
Overarching Anchor Standards
Actionable components for each discipline’s artistic processes (ie: for theatre: create--envision, generate)
Performance Standards
Key Traits that demonstrate understanding
Cornerstone Assessments at benchmarks grades 2, 5, 8

11. Components of the Processes
RESPOND:
Reflect by
Synthesizing
CONNECT:
Engage by Inquiring
CREATE:
Envision
PERFORM:
Realize by Sharing
CREATE:
Generate by Applying
Flipper for
Technique
Flipper for
Intuition

12. High school standards at three tiers—proficient, accomplished and advanced—featuring
Progressive pathways that can be adapted to an individual student’s discipline knowledge and skill
Sequential alignment with the Pre-K-8 artistic processes & components, anchor & performance standards, key traits, and cornerstone assessments

13. Theatre

14. Grade Band View
Pre K - 5

15. Uniformity across the arts disciplines, with common use of
A Matrix Template that illustrates the the consistent application of the artistic processes of Create, Perform, Respond to art teaching and learning
A Conceptual Framework that details the rationale, goals, and strategies of the new standards

17. Model Cornerstone Assessments of performances, products & portfolios that provide examples by grade band to support
Teaching
Learning
Public policy
Teacher and student evaluation
The measurable value of arts education as a core subject area

18. Effective Cornerstone assessments
are curriculum-embedded
recur over the grades
establish authentic contexts
assess understanding & transfer
integrate 21st century skills
evaluate performance with established rubrics
engage students in meaningful learning
provide content for a student’s portfolio
-Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins

19. The addition of Media Arts as a fifth arts discipline and an articulation of its distinct aesthetic, artistic value and processes in
Film
Animation
Interactive gaming
Computational art making ?

20. A strong connection to the Common Core State Standards adopted by nearly all states that clearly indicates the parallel central priority of higher, more rigorous standards reflecting the knowledge and skills that young people need for success in college and career

21. A “click and learn” web-based environment that will include
Teacher uploaded examples of practice, student performance, curriculum, and assessment
A relational database that will allow users to create custom pathways of learning and teaching
Periodic standards updates that respond to changing technology, innovative modes of teaching & learning, and changing public policy

22. National Core Arts Standards
ARTISTIC LITERACY
Philosophical Foundations Life Long Goals
Framework
Matrix
MEDIA
ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
DANCE
MUSIC
THEATRE
Choose a filter :
Discipline
__ Dance
__ Media Arts
__ Music
__ Theatre
__ Visual Arts
Process
__ Creating
__ Performing
Presenting
Producing
__ Responding
__ Connecting
__ All
Grade
Pre K-2 grade band
_2_ grade level
A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning 22

23. National Core Arts Standards
ARTISTIC LITERACY
Philosophical Foundations Life Long Goals
Framework
Matrix
MEDIA
ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
DANCE
MUSIC
THEATRE
Anchor
Standards
With EU’s &
EQ’s
ANCHOR STANDARDS (choose on any standard(s)
to drill down)
Create __ Imagine and explore through play, drama processes and theatre experiences
to discover diverse creative ideas.
Perform
__ Communicate realized artistic ideas through play, drama processes, theatre
experiences and/or formal presentations.
Respond
__ Interpret and articulate feelings and perspectives on play, drama processes and theatre experiences in one’s own work and the work of others using criteria such as aesthetics, preferences, beliefs and contexts.
Connect
__ Communicate an awareness of relationships between play, drama
processes and theatre experiences and the world to make meaning and deepen
understanding of cultural, global or historical contexts.
You may
also like:
Grade Band
Grade by Grade
Key traits
Cornerstones
A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning 23

24. National Core Arts Standards
ARTISTIC LITERACY
Philosophical Foundations Life Long Goals
Framework
Matrix
MEDIA
ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
DANCE
MUSIC
THEATRE
ANCHOR STANDARD (K-12)
Perform
Communicate realized artistic ideas through play, drama processes, theatre experiences and/or formal presentations.
Enduring Understanding (K-12)
Theatre artists share stories about the human experience.
Essential Question (K-12)
How does what I share affect me and others?
Anchor
Standards
With EU’s &
EQ’s
You may
also like:
Grade by Grade
Key traits
Cornerstones
Choose a filter:
Grade Band:
__ Pre K __ 3-5
__ __ HS __ All
A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning 24

25. National Core Arts Standards
ARTISTIC LITERACY
Philosophical Foundations Life Long Goals
Framework
Matrix
MEDIA
ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
DANCE
MUSIC
THEATRE
ANCHOR STANDARD (K-12)
Perform
Communicate realized artistic ideas through play, drama processes, theatre experiences and/or formal presentations.
Enduring Understanding (K-12)
Theatre artists share stories about the human experience.
Essential Question (K-12)
How does what I share affect me and others?
Anchor
Standards
With EU’s &
EQ’s
You may
also like:
Grade by Grade
Key traits
Cornerstones
Grade 2 Performance Standard
Participate in role through dramatic play and process drama, and share individually and collaboratively.
Key Traits:
Cornerstone Assessment:
A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning 25

26. Where are we now in the process?
65-plus writers on 5 teams are currently working to complete the PreK-12 standards drafts
A “friends and family” review of a partial draft of the work will begin at the end of March
Writing teams will incorporate suggested changes into the drafts in April
Cornerstone assessments will be completed in May and prepared for a fall pilot
Substantive portions of the standards will be released for public review in June
Teams and NCCAS Leadership will meet in August to review feedback and begin the process of moving the standards to a web-based relational database ,

27. State adoption of the standards
National Education Standards are voluntary
Each state adopts its own standards for all academic areas
SEADAE surveyed its members to find out:
interest in and support for revision of the national voluntary arts education standards in 2011, and
member interest in using national standards in their own standards development process
39 states responded to the survey

28. The goal is to have the finished National Core Arts Standards ready for release and adoption in early 2014
Population of student work and other tools and resources on the website will continue, along with revisions, throughout 2014.

29. Our teams leading the way
More than 450 individuals applied to serve on five art discipline standards writing teams
NCCAS’s professional organizations chose teams based on breadth of and skills in teaching, standards and curriculum writing, assessment and leadership, and practical knowledge in their area of expertise
Visit for a complete list of writers

30. Questions & Answers