IAA Releases Illinois’ First Arts Education Guidebook
Submitted by CAR_Rachel on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 10:51am.
AA RELEASES ARTS EDUCATION GUIDEBOOK
Arts at the Core First of Its Kind for Illinois
On September 29, 2008, the Illinois Arts Alliance released Committing to Quality in Education: Arts at the Core, the first arts education guidebook specifically designed for Illinois teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, and community partners.
Arts at the Core offers direction and tools to assist stakeholders in strengthening arts education. More than just a manual, Arts at the Core is also a call to action to educators, administrators, and parents to reform arts education in Illinois schools.
Included in the guidebook are descriptions of policies, practices, and systems that support success in arts education; examples of effective practice from schools and school districts throughout the state, and useful tools for planning and implementing quality, standards-based arts education.
About the Guidebook
Arts at the Core offers inspiration and support to education and arts education stakeholders. Each of its 8 sections includes new, different, and relevant ideas and suggestions for the entire education community:
In addition to these ideas and suggestions, the guidebook addresses the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in ensuring Illinois children experience the arts as part of a well-rounded education. The guidebook explores:
The Guidebook and the Illinois Creates Initiative
Arts at the Core is part of the Illinois Creates campaign, an initiative launched in 2004 by the Illinois Arts Alliance to increase arts education in Illinois schools.
In the spring of 2005, Illinois Creates commissioned the first statewide survey of principals and superintendents to assess the status of arts education in Illinois. The research revealed broad disparities in the levels of arts education offered in schools throughout the state.
In response in 2006, the Illinois State Board of Education, with the support of the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, established the Arts and Foreign Language Grant Program to support schools' efforts to offer quality, standards-based arts education in Illinois schools. In 2006 and 2007, ISBE, in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council, awarded 91 grants to districts throughout the state. Funding for the program was eliminated in FY2008, but in July 2008, the state restored $4 million for the grant program for FY2009.
IAA's 2005 statewide survey raised questions among educators, administrators, and parents: How do you define quality, standards-based arts education? How do schools get started? How do the arts fit into an already packed school day? Arts at the Core provides answers as well as support for schools to plan and implement arts education programs.
Praise for the Guidebook
"This arts education guidebook will help school personnel strengthen existing arts programs and assist them in strategic planning as they prepare to establish new programs," said Christopher A. Koch, Superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education. "It is a foundational resource that complements our Arts and Foreign Language Grant Program, helping districts as they work to improve student opportunities."
"If arts education suffers as a low priority in your school district right now, then this guidebook offers hope," added David Roche, PhD, Director of the Office of Arts Education of Chicago Public Schools. "Math and literacy dominate the national public education agenda. Testing in those disciplines are measures of school success. But the Greeks had it right: the arts hold important keys to learning."
"Arts at the Core presents additional resources to initiate, expand, and improve arts instruction in our schools," said Terry A. Scrogum, Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council. "By engaging students with the arts, we provide a pathway to productivity and help them to realize their full potential - both in school and throughout their lives."
The Illinois State Board of Education, the Chicago Public Schools' Office of Arts Education, and the Illinois Arts Council endorsed and were involved in the development of the guidebook. The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, and the Illinois Arts Council generously provided funding for the guidebook, and Columbia College of Chicago donated design services.
To order copies of Committing to Quality in Education: Arts at the Core, please contact Lakisha Young-Barbee at barbee@artsalliance.org or 312-855-3105 x16.
CONGRESSIONAL ARTS REPORT CARD RELEASED
Arlington Heights, Effingham: Presidents' Choice Winners
On September 15, 2008, the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Municipal League announced 18 communities would receive the 2008 Illinois Arts Friendly Community Awards.
The Village of Arlington Heights received the coveted Presidents' Choice Award, and the City of Effingham received the equally prestigious Presidents' Choice Award for a small community. 16 communities captured Honorable Mentions.
The 16 communities receiving Honorable Mentions are Aurora, Bartlett, Belvidere, Carol Stream, Danville, Elmwood Park, Hickory Hills, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lombard, Orland Park, Palatine, Princeton, Tinley Park, Urbana, and Waukegan.
Village Trustee Thomas Hayes of Arlington Heights and Mayor John Lange of Effingham accepted the Presidents' Choice Awards at the Illinois Municipal League's conference at the Chicago Hilton on September 26, 2008. IML President Gerald Bennett, Mayor of Palos Hills; Alderman Rich Walker of the City of Edwardsville; and Mayor Al Larson of the Village of Schaumburg presented the awards and recognized the 16 Honorable Mentions.
The Arts Friendly Community Awards
The Illinois Arts Friendly Community Awards - a collaboration between IAA and the Illinois Municipal League now in its 6th year - serve to recognize municipalities that support the arts and to celebrate municipal leaders who use the arts to build healthy communities.
Two Presidents' Awards are presented annually - one to a small community with a population less than 20,000 and one to a larger community. Previous recipients of the Presidents' Awards are Schaumburg, Rockford, Rock Island, Carbondale, and Evanston (large community), and Fairfield, Palos Park, Prophetstown, Marshall, and Lincolnwood (small community). (Pictured below are representatives from the 2007 Presidents' Choice communities with Alderman Walker, Mayor Larson, and Ra Joy of IAA.)
"By investing in the arts, we can inspire and strengthen our communities," said Al Larson, Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg. "Each of these communities provides a model for how mayors can collaborate with arts organizations and artists to improve the quality of life of all residents." Schaumburg received the inaugural Presidents' Award in 2003.
All nominations are judged on four criteria: is the municipality's commitment to the arts ongoing; do the municipality's arts activities meet a clearly defined community needs, and are the results tangible; is broad and diverse support for the municipality's arts activities present in the community; is the municipality creative and innovative in integrating the arts with its overall municipal strategies?
The Village of Arlington Heights
"It's a great honor for Arlington Heights to receive the 2008 Presidents' Arts Friendly Community Award," said Arlene J. Mulder, Mayor of Arlington Heights. "Receiving this prestigious award is a great acknowledgment of the dedicated work of professionals, artists, and volunteers who are committed to broadening opportunities for everyone to enjoy quality arts programs in Arlington Heights."
In 2004, the Village purchased the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and transformed the Metropolis into the 7th largest theater in Chicagoland with 83,000 patrons annually, according to the League of Chicago Theatres.
Other arts programs that the Village supports include the Sounds of Summer concert series, the Promenade of the Arts festival, and the Sculpture Walk. To support these artistic initiatives, the Village created a .25% tax on food and beverage in 2005. The tax generates approximately $500,000 per year.
"A key goal for the Village has been to create a unique, inviting arts culture in Arlington Heights that would enhance the quality of life of our residents and help identify us as the place to be for a great cultural experience," explained Mayor Mulder.
The City of Effingham
"It is a great honor for the City of Effingham to be recognized for its efforts in promoting the arts by the Illinois Art Alliance," said John Lange, Mayor of Effingham. "Our local artisans along with my staff and community committees have dedicated themselves to keeping the arts alive in our community."
The City of Effingham has strongly supported the Rosebud Theatre, which opened in 2007 and is home to national and local performers, and has encouraged other arts programs such as the Artisan Fair, the Sculpture on the Avenues exhibition, and Effingham's high school film festival. (Pictured below: breaking ground at the Rosebud Theatre location in 2006.)
"Our residents understand the importance of arts and that our City does support the arts. Whether it is a high school student working on a film for the festival or an elderly woman painting her final masterpiece, artists know Effingham is a place where they can proudly show their work and be appreciated for their talents," explained Mayor Lange.
More information on the Arts Friendly Community Awards - including more information on all 18 Illinois Arts Friendly Communities - is available online at www.artsalliance.org/artsfriendly. Or contact Scarlett Swerdlow at swerdlow@artsalliance.org or 312-855-3105 x13.
Arts at the Core First of Its Kind for Illinois
On September 29, 2008, the Illinois Arts Alliance released Committing to Quality in Education: Arts at the Core, the first arts education guidebook specifically designed for Illinois teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, and community partners.Arts at the Core offers direction and tools to assist stakeholders in strengthening arts education. More than just a manual, Arts at the Core is also a call to action to educators, administrators, and parents to reform arts education in Illinois schools.
Included in the guidebook are descriptions of policies, practices, and systems that support success in arts education; examples of effective practice from schools and school districts throughout the state, and useful tools for planning and implementing quality, standards-based arts education.
About the Guidebook
Arts at the Core offers inspiration and support to education and arts education stakeholders. Each of its 8 sections includes new, different, and relevant ideas and suggestions for the entire education community:
- A Quality Education for Every Child fosters an understanding of the power and importance of the arts in education.
- Administrative Leadership stresses the essential role that administrators play in supporting arts education.
- Curriculum and Assessment describes quality, standards-based arts education.
- Instruction and Professional Development addresses training and capacity-building for teachers.
- Collaboration and Partnership discusses alliances between schools and artists, arts organizations, businesses, and other organizations to strengthen arts education.
- Accountability considers how to measure and communicate the value of the arts to student and school achievement.
- Planning for Effective Arts Education offers worksheets and tools to help create an arts education plan.
- A Call to Action outlines actions for all stakeholders - from educator to administrator to parent - to take to ensure the success of arts education.
In addition to these ideas and suggestions, the guidebook addresses the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in ensuring Illinois children experience the arts as part of a well-rounded education. The guidebook explores:
- For superintendents, principals, and administrators: how to be an effective leader in support of the arts in your school and school district, and how to integrate the arts into your education strategies and goals.
- For arts educators and arts partners: how to define your role in education, and how to raise awareness and support for arts education and your contributions to the community.
- For parents and community members: how to ensure the arts are part of your school's core curriculum, how to plan and implement arts education in your community, how to measure and communicate the value of arts education, and how to advocate for the arts in education.
- For non-arts educators: how to better understand the power and importance of the arts in education, and how to connect the arts with non-arts subjects.
The Guidebook and the Illinois Creates Initiative
Arts at the Core is part of the Illinois Creates campaign, an initiative launched in 2004 by the Illinois Arts Alliance to increase arts education in Illinois schools.In the spring of 2005, Illinois Creates commissioned the first statewide survey of principals and superintendents to assess the status of arts education in Illinois. The research revealed broad disparities in the levels of arts education offered in schools throughout the state.
In response in 2006, the Illinois State Board of Education, with the support of the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, established the Arts and Foreign Language Grant Program to support schools' efforts to offer quality, standards-based arts education in Illinois schools. In 2006 and 2007, ISBE, in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council, awarded 91 grants to districts throughout the state. Funding for the program was eliminated in FY2008, but in July 2008, the state restored $4 million for the grant program for FY2009.
IAA's 2005 statewide survey raised questions among educators, administrators, and parents: How do you define quality, standards-based arts education? How do schools get started? How do the arts fit into an already packed school day? Arts at the Core provides answers as well as support for schools to plan and implement arts education programs.
Praise for the Guidebook
"This arts education guidebook will help school personnel strengthen existing arts programs and assist them in strategic planning as they prepare to establish new programs," said Christopher A. Koch, Superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education. "It is a foundational resource that complements our Arts and Foreign Language Grant Program, helping districts as they work to improve student opportunities."
"If arts education suffers as a low priority in your school district right now, then this guidebook offers hope," added David Roche, PhD, Director of the Office of Arts Education of Chicago Public Schools. "Math and literacy dominate the national public education agenda. Testing in those disciplines are measures of school success. But the Greeks had it right: the arts hold important keys to learning."
"Arts at the Core presents additional resources to initiate, expand, and improve arts instruction in our schools," said Terry A. Scrogum, Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council. "By engaging students with the arts, we provide a pathway to productivity and help them to realize their full potential - both in school and throughout their lives."
The Illinois State Board of Education, the Chicago Public Schools' Office of Arts Education, and the Illinois Arts Council endorsed and were involved in the development of the guidebook. The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, and the Illinois Arts Council generously provided funding for the guidebook, and Columbia College of Chicago donated design services.
To order copies of Committing to Quality in Education: Arts at the Core, please contact Lakisha Young-Barbee at barbee@artsalliance.org or 312-855-3105 x16.
CONGRESSIONAL ARTS REPORT CARD RELEASED
Illinois Congressional Delegation Scores B+
The Americans for the Arts Action Fund PAC issued its Congressional Arts Report Card for the 110th Congress on September 16, 2008. The Report Card assigns each congressperson a grade and score based on his or her votes on arts and arts education issues.
According to the Arts Report Card, the cumulative grade point average of the Illinois delegation is a B+ for the 110th Congress from 2007 to 2009. The last Arts Report Card in 2006 issued Illinois a B. The Illinois delegation ranks 17th among all state delegations.
The Illinois Arts Alliance is proud to congratulate the Illinois congressional Honor Roll who received either an A or A+ on the Report Card:
The grades of the remaining 9 members of Illinois' delegation are as follows:
Key Findings from the Congressional Arts Report Card
The Congressional Arts Report Card reveals 181 members - or 43 percent - of Congress received a grade of A or higher.
When grades are averaged on a state-by-state basis, the highest-scoring state delegation is Maine with an A+. Alaska and Wyoming are the lowest-scoring state delegations with Ds.
21 representatives improved their Report Card scores by 1 grade or more from their 2006 Report Card grade.
Most importantly, support for the arts is bipartisan and growing. From 2000, membership in the Congressional Arts Caucus jumped 24 percent in 2008, with Republicans and Democrats both joining.
"As the arts and arts education increasingly established a foothold during this year's presidential campaign trail, the Report Card will serve as a compelling guide for the public to make overall arts-informed decisions at the ballot box on Election Day," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund.
The Report Card and its full findings are available online.
(Pictured below: the US Capitol rotunda.)
Scoring System for the Congressional Arts Report Card
Members' scores are based on 4 criteria:
Since the Senate took no up-or-down votes on funding for the arts or arts education during the 110th Congress, no Arts Report Card was issued for the Senate.
IAA ANNOUNCES 2008 ARTS FRIENDLY COMMUNITIESThe Americans for the Arts Action Fund PAC issued its Congressional Arts Report Card for the 110th Congress on September 16, 2008. The Report Card assigns each congressperson a grade and score based on his or her votes on arts and arts education issues.
According to the Arts Report Card, the cumulative grade point average of the Illinois delegation is a B+ for the 110th Congress from 2007 to 2009. The last Arts Report Card in 2006 issued Illinois a B. The Illinois delegation ranks 17th among all state delegations.
The Illinois Arts Alliance is proud to congratulate the Illinois congressional Honor Roll who received either an A or A+ on the Report Card:
The grades of the remaining 9 members of Illinois' delegation are as follows:
- Representative Melissa Bean (D-8): B+
- Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-5): B+
- Representative Bill Foster (D-14): Incomplete (Did not take office until March 2008)
- Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-4): B+
- Representative Ra LaHood (R-18): B+
- Representative Donald Manzullo (R-16): F
- Representative Peter Roskam (R-6): D
- Representative John Shimkus (R-19): B+
- Representative Jerry Weller (R-11): C
Key Findings from the Congressional Arts Report Card
The Congressional Arts Report Card reveals 181 members - or 43 percent - of Congress received a grade of A or higher.
When grades are averaged on a state-by-state basis, the highest-scoring state delegation is Maine with an A+. Alaska and Wyoming are the lowest-scoring state delegations with Ds.
21 representatives improved their Report Card scores by 1 grade or more from their 2006 Report Card grade.
Most importantly, support for the arts is bipartisan and growing. From 2000, membership in the Congressional Arts Caucus jumped 24 percent in 2008, with Republicans and Democrats both joining.
"As the arts and arts education increasingly established a foothold during this year's presidential campaign trail, the Report Card will serve as a compelling guide for the public to make overall arts-informed decisions at the ballot box on Election Day," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund.
The Report Card and its full findings are available online.
(Pictured below: the US Capitol rotunda.)
Scoring System for the Congressional Arts Report Card
Members' scores are based on 4 criteria:
- 4 floor votes on arts and arts education funding
- Membership in the Congressional Arts Caucus
- Introduction or cosponsorship of cultural legislation
- Signatures on "Dear Colleague" letters in support of the arts and arts education
Since the Senate took no up-or-down votes on funding for the arts or arts education during the 110th Congress, no Arts Report Card was issued for the Senate.
Arlington Heights, Effingham: Presidents' Choice Winners
On September 15, 2008, the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Municipal League announced 18 communities would receive the 2008 Illinois Arts Friendly Community Awards.The Village of Arlington Heights received the coveted Presidents' Choice Award, and the City of Effingham received the equally prestigious Presidents' Choice Award for a small community. 16 communities captured Honorable Mentions.
The 16 communities receiving Honorable Mentions are Aurora, Bartlett, Belvidere, Carol Stream, Danville, Elmwood Park, Hickory Hills, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lombard, Orland Park, Palatine, Princeton, Tinley Park, Urbana, and Waukegan.
Village Trustee Thomas Hayes of Arlington Heights and Mayor John Lange of Effingham accepted the Presidents' Choice Awards at the Illinois Municipal League's conference at the Chicago Hilton on September 26, 2008. IML President Gerald Bennett, Mayor of Palos Hills; Alderman Rich Walker of the City of Edwardsville; and Mayor Al Larson of the Village of Schaumburg presented the awards and recognized the 16 Honorable Mentions.
The Arts Friendly Community Awards
The Illinois Arts Friendly Community Awards - a collaboration between IAA and the Illinois Municipal League now in its 6th year - serve to recognize municipalities that support the arts and to celebrate municipal leaders who use the arts to build healthy communities.
Two Presidents' Awards are presented annually - one to a small community with a population less than 20,000 and one to a larger community. Previous recipients of the Presidents' Awards are Schaumburg, Rockford, Rock Island, Carbondale, and Evanston (large community), and Fairfield, Palos Park, Prophetstown, Marshall, and Lincolnwood (small community). (Pictured below are representatives from the 2007 Presidents' Choice communities with Alderman Walker, Mayor Larson, and Ra Joy of IAA.)
"By investing in the arts, we can inspire and strengthen our communities," said Al Larson, Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg. "Each of these communities provides a model for how mayors can collaborate with arts organizations and artists to improve the quality of life of all residents." Schaumburg received the inaugural Presidents' Award in 2003.
All nominations are judged on four criteria: is the municipality's commitment to the arts ongoing; do the municipality's arts activities meet a clearly defined community needs, and are the results tangible; is broad and diverse support for the municipality's arts activities present in the community; is the municipality creative and innovative in integrating the arts with its overall municipal strategies?
The Village of Arlington Heights
"It's a great honor for Arlington Heights to receive the 2008 Presidents' Arts Friendly Community Award," said Arlene J. Mulder, Mayor of Arlington Heights. "Receiving this prestigious award is a great acknowledgment of the dedicated work of professionals, artists, and volunteers who are committed to broadening opportunities for everyone to enjoy quality arts programs in Arlington Heights."
In 2004, the Village purchased the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and transformed the Metropolis into the 7th largest theater in Chicagoland with 83,000 patrons annually, according to the League of Chicago Theatres.
Other arts programs that the Village supports include the Sounds of Summer concert series, the Promenade of the Arts festival, and the Sculpture Walk. To support these artistic initiatives, the Village created a .25% tax on food and beverage in 2005. The tax generates approximately $500,000 per year.
"A key goal for the Village has been to create a unique, inviting arts culture in Arlington Heights that would enhance the quality of life of our residents and help identify us as the place to be for a great cultural experience," explained Mayor Mulder.
The City of Effingham
"It is a great honor for the City of Effingham to be recognized for its efforts in promoting the arts by the Illinois Art Alliance," said John Lange, Mayor of Effingham. "Our local artisans along with my staff and community committees have dedicated themselves to keeping the arts alive in our community."
The City of Effingham has strongly supported the Rosebud Theatre, which opened in 2007 and is home to national and local performers, and has encouraged other arts programs such as the Artisan Fair, the Sculpture on the Avenues exhibition, and Effingham's high school film festival. (Pictured below: breaking ground at the Rosebud Theatre location in 2006.)
"Our residents understand the importance of arts and that our City does support the arts. Whether it is a high school student working on a film for the festival or an elderly woman painting her final masterpiece, artists know Effingham is a place where they can proudly show their work and be appreciated for their talents," explained Mayor Lange.
More information on the Arts Friendly Community Awards - including more information on all 18 Illinois Arts Friendly Communities - is available online at www.artsalliance.org/artsfriendly. Or contact Scarlett Swerdlow at swerdlow@artsalliance.org or 312-855-3105 x13.
The
Illinois Arts Alliance (IAA) is the statewide arts advocacy and service
organization promoting the value of the arts to all residents of
Illinois.
Illinois Arts Alliance
203 North Wabash Avenue
Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312.855.3105
www.artsalliance.org
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312.855.3105
www.artsalliance.org
All Arts Advocacy News content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share-Alike 3.0 United States License unless otherwise noted.
Image Credits:
Paints - Flickr user mrmt2
Untitled (Girls Laughing) - IAA
Untitled (Boy Drawing) - IAA
Untitled (Apples) - IAA
checks and balances - Flickr user debaird
rotunda - Flickr user millicent_bystander
Untitled (2007 Arts Friendly Winners) - IAA
Untitled (Metropolis) - Copyright Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
Untitled (Breaking Ground at Rosebud) - Copyright Rosebud Theatre
Image Credits:
Paints - Flickr user mrmt2
Untitled (Girls Laughing) - IAA
Untitled (Boy Drawing) - IAA
Untitled (Apples) - IAA
checks and balances - Flickr user debaird
rotunda - Flickr user millicent_bystander
Untitled (2007 Arts Friendly Winners) - IAA
Untitled (Metropolis) - Copyright Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
Untitled (Breaking Ground at Rosebud) - Copyright Rosebud Theatre
Discipline:
VisualDiscipline:
TheaterDiscipline:
MusicDiscipline:
Dance