Questions to Ask
Learn where your school and school district are in terms of arts education.
- Does your state have arts standards?
- Is your district implementing them? Your local arts agency can be a good source of information.
- If your school district has a district arts coordinator, touch base with that person, and offer your support. Is s/he trying to expand the program to better implement high standards?
- Does s/he need community support to do so?
- Does your school district have a written arts education policy approved by the school board?
- If so, does it provide the arts to all children in the district?
- If so, are the arts provided equally with other subject areas?
- If not, is there a plan in place to do so?
- If so, what arts disciplines are included? (music? visual arts? theater? dance? digital/video media?)
- Has your school district designated a minimum time per week for arts instruction? If so, what is it? Is it adequate for achievement of challenging standards?
- Is your school district following state or national standards for arts education?
- Are students taught how to respond to (the work of others), perform (the work of others), and create in (original work) the arts?
- Who teaches the arts in your district? (nonarts teachers? certified arts specialists? professional artists? volunteers?)
- Are there separate arts facilities? (music rooms? a theater? visual art studio? dance studio?)
- What resources does your child's school/district have? (prints? artifacts? books? videos? slides of art work? educational arts computer programs? arts textbooks? sheet music? art supplies like paint or clay? musical instruments? curriculum units? lesson plans? field trips or school programs presented by outside organizations? are they tied into the curriculum?)
- How does your child's school district support arts programming? (allocate funding? create partnerships with community arts organizations? participate in curriculum programming? provide equipment and materials? provide for instructional time? provide professional development opportunities? support assessment of arts programming?)
- How is your community involved in arts education? (facilities? volunteers? instruction in the classroom? funding? professional development? field trips?)
- Are professional artists involved? (one-time performance or demonstration? multiple performances or demonstrations? short-term teaching residencies of 90 or fewer days? long-term teaching residencies of more than 90 days? co-planning with teachers on curriculum?)
- Is there a high school arts requirement for graduation?
- What is your district's budget for arts education? How does it compare with 10 years ago? Twenty years ago? Why?
