Dewey21C

White House.Gov Showcases Videos on Arts Education Champions

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:42:44 -0500

As part of the Obama Administration's Champions of Change, Winning the Future Across America initiative, a series of videos have been posted on Whitehouse.gov, featuring a number of arts and education leaders from across America.

Here's my favorite: Ramon Gonzalez, Principal of MS223, in The Bronx. From our nation's poorest congressional district, has risen a school leader who gets the importance of the arts, as part of a sound and basic education.

Here's Ramon. And after you're done with this, head on over to Whitehouse.gov, to hear from colleagues such as Gigi Antoni, Amy Rasmussen, Joan Katz Napoli, and others.

Closing the Achievement gap with Arts Programming, Ramon Gonzalez.

What Does a Wired-In United States Department of Education Grant Application Look Like?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:23:54 -0500

Talk about jumping off the page. Not to mention jumping out of your seat.

But rapidly, one realizes what is being circulated here as an "opportunity" is not quite what it seems to be. Read the guidelines.

Last week, the USDOE issued an RFP, for a nation-wide arts education project. One grant will be made and there is a month to turn around the application. The grant award: $6 million plus.

Now this is what is known as a wired-in project. As long as we're using the vernacular, let me close by saying this is one bad larry!!

Wired-in? For who, you might ask.

Anyone want to guess?

Arts in Education National Program
Deadline
August 15, 2011
Ages Served
Any
Maximum Award
$6,654,000
Sponsoring Organization
U.S. Department of Education
URL
www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/07/14/2011-17756/applications-for-new-awards-arts-in-education-national-program#p-8
Short Description

The Arts in Education National Program supports national level high-quality arts education projects and programs for children and youth, with special emphasis on serving students from low-income families and students with disabilities.

Eligible applicants are national non-profit arts education organizations supported by staff or affiliates at the state and local levels. Organizations must have a demonstrated history of advancing high-quality arts education and arts integration for arts educators, education leaders, artists, and students through professional development, partnerships, educational programming, and systemic school reform.

One $6,654,000 grant is available; applicant must demonstrate that the project for which it seeks funding will provide services and develop initiatives in multiple schools, school districts, and communities throughout the country.

Geographic Eligibility
National

Waiting for Godot. If you test it they will come. (updated)

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:14:56 -0500

With today's NY Daily News article about the New York City Department of Education's arts assessment program, I thought I would update and repost this entry from a few month's back.

Let me start with some new thoughts and then segue right into the original entry.

I was a member of the NYS Regents Task Force that helped to develop the assessment program for principal and teacher effectiveness in New York State, a program mandated by New York State law and paid for by the Feds, through Race to the Top funding. What we are talking about here is using measurements, including test scores, to evaluate educators for tenure, potential performance bonuses, and for potential firing. In essence, its the new super fuel that for the high stakes accountability torture chamber.

The assessment program has been moved forward by the NYS Board of Regents. But, if you would like to read from the dissenting opinion of Regent Roger Tilles, click here. You won't be sorry.

A task force created by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards stated in their report: "Much of what is tested does count, but much of what counts cannot be tested."

There was a point in one of the Task Force subgroup meetings where Task Force members started to reveal their discomfort with much of what was developing. My take is that the discomfort was always there, but unspoken early on, for people did not want to appear as contrarians to the task at hand. In other words, the initial conversations about the work focused on the basic role of evaluation in teaching and learning and omitted the political role of evaluation. Let me try one more time!: the role of the Task Force was to develop something that could be used as a formal tool to get rid of "bad" educators.

Little by little questions started to emerge about how the Task Force's work was developing, including practicality, need for pilot testing, timelines that were shortened mid-stream, and more. At one point, a consultant for the Task Force express some frustration, essentially stating that she didn't understand the misgivings of certain members, for after all, assessment is a basic part of teaching and learning. At least one response to that statement was: look at the newspapers and what is being said about the role of these teacher evaluations. It is political, not educational.

So, there you have a greater backdrop to the creation of assessment tools in this decade. There are two realms in which student and teacher assessment live: the realm of the educational and the realm of the political. Imagine a Venn diagram. One circle is educational and the other is political. In a Venn diagram, you are always looking for what resides in the shared space between the two circles. And for this diagram, what is in the shared space?

Have you heard of Campbell's law?

Campbell's law stipulates that "the more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it was intended to monitor. Campbell warned us of the inevitable problems associated with undue weight and emphasis on a single indicator for monitoring complex social phenomena. In effect, he warned us about the high-stakes testing program that is part and parcel of No Child Left Behind.

Have you heard about the cheating scandals in Atlanta, which brought down Dr. Beverly Hall, 2009 Superintendent of the Year.

This from the Huffington Post:

The 178 educators implicated in the Atlanta Public Schools' cheating investigation received letters in their mailboxes Friday from interim Superintendent Erroll Davis. The message: Resign by Wednesday, or get fired.
The announcement comes after Davis replaced four area superintendents and two principals as a result of the investigation into alleged cheating by teachers, revealed early this month. APS Human Resources Chief Millicent Few resigned Monday. Investigators accused Few of illegally ordering the destruction or altering of important documents that evidenced the cheating.
The report determined that teachers in at least 44 of the 56 schools had participated in various forms of cheating, including erasing and correcting wrong answers on students' answer sheets for mandated standardized tests.

And, finally, I would like to add this bit of disturbing news: The UK is on the verge of jettisoning music as a core subject. Click here to read more. And dig this: the UK has one of the finest programs for assessing music learning int the world. If you test it they will come? Let's get real about that particular silver bullet theory.

Okay, I am not against assessment. The fact is that it is indeed a fundamental part of teaching and learning. The fact is also that many arts teachers are and have been assessing student learning for a long time. Read further and you will see that there are state-wide assessment regimes already in place for the arts. What I am saying is that we need to be on solid ground about the rightful role of testing as a fundamental part of teaching and learning and also recognize the political context that has hijacked the real value of assessment in teaching and learning. I think this is particularly important for the arts education field, we need to keep in mind the larger backdrop to our work.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot): "But that is not the question. Why are we here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come."

Margaret Spellings: "We measure what we treasure."

Diane Ravitch: "How do you measure friendship, character, integrity?" "...you do some things not for economic reward, and not because they are utilitarian, but because they are right."

More and more, I am hearing that since we teach what we test, the solution to equitable distribution of arts education, particularly at the urban school district level where the equity issue is most pronounced, is to create arts tests. No, not bubble-type standardized tests, but rather performance-based assessments that include a broad range of measures, comparable from school-to-school, from student-to-student.

If you want to see what this could look like, there is at least one state that has put much of this in place and you can click here to access the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's Arts Performance Assessments.

The Evergreen State's approach is an example of what the tests might look like in a regime that is relatively common across a state, and standards-based. That's one key component of what I might call the arts accountability movement. Actually, that's two components of the Arts Accountability Movement, in that it is both assessment and standards.

What if all the components were in place? Would it be an answer to those district leaders who have said they could not make the arts central unless there were measurable outcomes?

Let's look at the other pieces of the arts accountability puzzle.

Another component is a common curriculum, or at least a common curriculum framework. Let's take New York City's Blueprint in the Arts as a very good example of a curriculum framework for the arts. The Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Arts is yet another very fine example.

And that's not all, let's add a special diploma endorsement that would signify having taken a prescribed number of advance courses in the arts and having passed a special performance exam. Again, New York City has a good example here: The Chancellor's Endorsed Diploma. Last year, 857 high school students garnered the special endorsement, taking a test reputed to be tough even for those graduating arts colleges.

So, what would the ideal look like, if we one was to go the accountability route to ensuring the arts. And, do we really believe that such a program would flip the switch for ensuring that every child has access to a quality education that includes the arts.

In New York State there have been discussions about putting together the following pieces:

1. A common statewide curriculum, that could be modeled after the New York City blueprints or developed by notable organizations that would come together to create it.

2. A statewide Regents exam for the arts.

In New York State, there is a group of high school exams required to receive a High School Diploma. The Board of Regents are the governance body for education in New York State. To receive a regular high school diploma, students in New York State must pass, with a score of 65 or higher, five Regents Exams: Integrated Algebra (or Math A), Global History and Geography, U.S. History and Government, Comprehensive English, and any one science regents. To receive an Advanced Regents Diploma, students must also pass an additional Regents science exam, (Earth Science, Chemistry, or Physics), an additional math exam (Geometry, Algebra 2/ Trigonometry, or Math B), and a foreign language exam.

The Regents Exam for the Arts would be designed as a replacement exam, for example, you could replace the Global History exam with one of the arts exams, presuming that there would be an exam developed in all four of the official art forms (music, visual arts, dance and theater). N.B., the strategy is to implement the exam as a replacement exam, rather than as a test required of all students.

3. New Standards in the Arts. The new arts standards would be developed in a manner that was coordinated closely with the statewide curriculum, and the Arts Regents Exams.

4. State issued common assessments at key grades, most likely 4 and 8.

5. Requisite Professional Development. After all, you can't roll out such a test without support for teachers and administrators.

So, what do you think? Will this move the dial?

In New York City, you have most, if not all of the pieces in place. What's missing? Essentially, the only thing missing is a common set of assessments, which is being developed by the Department of Education as I type. Moreover, you've got an additional piece here: a citywide accountability report, ArtsCount, which seeks to inventory the provision of arts education across the system.

I recently had a conversation with some policy leaders about this approach. They had argued that in an age of accountability that the arts would only advance by becoming part of the accountability movement. In other words, if you test, it will be taught. To bolster the argument,, it was also offered that any number of suburban superintendents were now asking for the state to develop such tools to help blunt the pressure to reduce the arts as state funding declines. The idea here is that in high performing districts, such pathways supported through increased testing would help protect the arts. Another way to look at it is that state testing legitimizes a subject. A special endorsement on the Regent's Diploma would give higher profile to the arts, recognize the serious of the subject area, and provide increased ammunition for superintendents to protect the arts from those who might advocate for cuts, including their school boards.

I posed this question to my colleagues: do you believe that such an approach would make a difference for the kids who currently receive little? I didn't get much of an answer to that question, but another scenario was proposed: that unless teaching and learning in the arts became something highly measurable, that arts education would decline. And that we shouldn't fear accountability.

For my money, while further development of formal arts assessments, endorsed diplomas, new curriculum frameworks, etc., would offer incremental benefits in both quality and equity, the real missing ingredient is leadership.

We don't offer ELA and math as optional subjects, do we?

Unless steps are taken that are based upon real leadership, meaning district, government, and civic leaders that are willing to stand-up for the arts, requiring the arts be taught, all the replacement exams in the world be be but another Waiting for Godot.

What would such leadership look like? Look no further than Boston, where Carol Johnson makes sure that all school leaders know that the arts are no longer optional.

Here, leadership includes the area of instruction. The most impressive of the district leaders are not solely CEO's but instructional leaders as well. And, the leadership, a good friend of mine likes to say, is linked to action, not just exhortation from the bully pulpit.

Providing a sound and basic education, that includes the arts for all of our students will require leaders that are willing to take a stand, in other words, lead, instead of offering poor substitutes such as: "if we do it for the arts, we will have to do it for every subject."

Steve Reich's New CD Cover: Is It An Outrage or Not?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:54:12 -0500

Last night a small thread emerged on Facebook about the cover for Steve Reich's new CD on Nonesuch Records.

The cover is a graphic photo of 9/11, due to the fact the recording features Reich's work WTC 9/11.

What do you think? An outrage of something else??

Quickly, the FB consensus is that it is "repulsive." Me, I am not so sure about that.

I felt very strongly that in the months and years after 9/11, an industry emerged around it. It was to be found on refrigerator magnets, T-shirts, and all sorts of tschotske. Even worse, were the politicians who wrapped themselves in 9/11 rhetoric, to advance their careers (surprise), and even worse, get us into highly questionable wars. There was the media exploiting the events of 9/11 to sell copies. There were the Blackrock, Halliburtons, and more, who made innumerable amounts of money from the exploitation into commerce, of the events related to 9/11.

Is this, all that?

Along comes an artist, with a work directly related to 9/11, and the use of this particular image, one of terrible meaning and power, is used to represent the music. Is it for sales sake? I doubt it, for in reality, Steve's recordings are never go to sell all that much, unfortunately.

So, while there may be a debate about the use of this image, that has the remote potential to garner controversy and press beyond that of your average Nonesuch recording, in the end, the arts educator in me thinks that this is a learning opportunity/teachable moment. What does the piece of music say and why was this cover chosen? Are there images that should not be used in connection with art and commerce? Should artists seek to provoke? What is the responsibility of a corporation like Warner Music Group, which owns Nonesuch?

What do we want from our artists in terms of providing meaning to the world we live in?

And finally, for all those who feel that classical music lacks relevance, well, this one certainly is an exception, don't you think?

http://www.nonesuch.com/journal/steve-reich-wtc-911-album-cover-revealed-2011-07-20

Programs for the Untalented and Ungifted

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:18:58 -0500

Many, many times, I have been part of formal conversations that made their way around to the question of how we are identifying and supporting the talented and gifted children in the school systems.

My response to the question in its many variations has been unwavering: all children are talented. Are all children gifted? Well, define gifted, and for that matter define talented. The definitions are arbitrary and often are less about talent and gift, and more about class and the motivation level of parents.

Let's think a moment about the truly gifted. First of all, for those in the truly gifted category, let's make a small sample list: Einstein, Midori, Paul McCartney, Eugene O'Neill, Larry David, and Miles Davis. How's that sound? Gifted? You bet.

And, if and when such talents are identified, there is often a pathway for these talents. Which, by the way, are the sorts of talents that certain schools take credit for, but anyone that really believes these truly gifted were either created or significantly developed by formal schooling, well, I have a bridge that you might want to buy, cheap.

What is more, let's underscore the big question: how many are sitting in schools today with the most extraordinary gifts and talent, but are in fact, going unnoticed and unserved because the schools are too busy testing or being closed or are handcuffed to think that grade level in ELA and math is all there is.

It is also interesting to me, how many great talents don't fall along traditional/formal tracks associated with identification of gift and talent. Shall I name a few? Tom Waits. Steve Reich. The Kronos Quartet. Bjork. Jackson Pollack. I know, it arguable...

So, if the ability of educators to identify talented and gifted in the arts (and other subjects, I might add), is fairly limited, where does this leave us? Do you think this is all a bit of sophistry aimed towards a sort of deleveling?

It's not, really. But those of you who know me, probably can predict that I am heading to a statement about equity of access (and quality).

First, it's no secret that the younger the student, the more open they are to their imagination and a dynamic, natural creativity that schools and society tends to quash, year-by-year as the kids get older and progress in the schooling. Most people I know believe that schools are designed this way. What is more, the accountability movement has made matters worse, by squeezing play out of early childhood. It's a bit like stealing the ball in a baseball game. So, even where kids are most naturally dynamic in the way they think, express, and process, little by little, even early childhood is giving way to high stakes testing and drilling.

With schools designed to quash creativity and imagination, as kids get older and the grades rise, combined with a lack of access for many students and flat and antiquated notions of what talent and gift are, well, it doesn't leave us much choice but to ensure that every child, not some and not a few more, have access to a sound and basic education that includes quality arts at all grades. There should and must be a minimum level, for all kids, that recognizes the natural role the arts play in human development and the fact that we should be encouraging the imagination, creativity, and the internal and external agency that each child needs to develop in order to be healthy and ultimately productive.

So, let's keep the programs for the Talented and Gifted, which don't always include much in the way of the arts, while making sure that there is more than enough for all the students, even if someone feels they don't quite make the cut for Talented and Gifted programs.

A Salute to Sarah Cunningham and Odds and Ends

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:46:00 -0500

Okay, I've been pretty quiet over the past few weeks. Many have interpreted this to reflect a winding down of Dewey21C as a result of my departure from The Center for Arts Education at the end of this month.

Well, that's not the case. There will be no winding down. I am going to continue Dewey21C and expand its focus to life-long learning, including of course, K-12 and higher education.

So, why have I been so quiet lately, even missing the three-year anniversary of Dewey21C?

Well, there's the transition from CAE to Mannes College The New School for Music, which created the feeling one usually has during a transition of being pushed and pulled in different directions at the same time. I am not complaining, mind you, just offering it as a reason why the space in my head and heart is just a bit less than usual.

Then, there is my Mom and Stepdad. One has nursing needs, the other dementia. That's been another factor which is one heck of a primer on American healthcare and culture.

And, there's more, but I won't bore you.

Now, before I get to Sarah Cunningham, let me list a few blogs that are on the way. And, while I am at it, I can also tell you that the next time I post, you will see a spiffy new design that Doug McClennan has put in place.

The Grand Illusion: The Promise and Perils of Technology in Education
The Key The Arts Learning Holds for Student Assessment
K-12 To Higher Ed: The Vital P-16 Sequence
UT&UG: Programs for Untalented and UnGifted
I am still working on an interview with Bob Morrison (hint, hint, Bob!), and am going to reconnect with Steve Tennen on an interview with him.

Today, I believe, is Sarah Cunningham's last day at the National Endowment for the Arts. Okay, I completely biased, for Sarah is my friend. And guess, what, CAE hasn't always gotten grants approved by the NEA, and she is still my friend! That tells you something, don't you think?

In so many ways Sarah was a very unlikely candidate for this position at the NEA. She wasn't an arts educator or arts administrator, in a strict sense. She also hadn't come out of a cultural organization. For the most part, these were the hallmarks of her predecessors and certainly what most people suppose would be the core of any such hire.

Sarah brought an openness and fresh point of view to the work that was initially suprising and ultimately refreshing. While I would imagine that there are some who would have preferred a more cut and dried administrator type, her training as a philosopher led to the sort of epistemological questions that this field needs to pursue.

While she has a strong background in visual arts (it doesn't hurt to have a father who is an artist), she often exhibited an ingenuous enthusiasm and interest in things both new and old that led me to question my own openness, and commitment to personal learning and renewal.

She's not going far, gladly, and it is certainly exciting to see her in a research role at The Virgina Commonwealth University's School of the Arts in Richmond. I am eager to see what she cooks up over there.

So, as my own current tenure hurtles towards conclusion and transition, I want to take the moment to thank Sarah for the fine work she has done, for being such a thoughtful and kind colleague, and for being someone who refused to become jaded or agency-like in her daily duties and overall way of being. I think this field has been fortunate to have Sarah Cunningham at the NEA.

Please join me in wishing her the best of luck and good fortune in her new position.

Click here to read Rocco Landesman's statement about Sarah's tenure.

Okay, out we go today with Sam and Dave's super swell song I Thank You:

Arts + Education = Butts in the Seats = ?!?

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:12:32 -0500

Advocate: It is essential that students experience Shakespeare.
School Leader: I never really liked Shakespeare.
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Anne Midgette is always a good read. First, she's a cracker jack writer. Second, she isn't shy about her opinions. Third, you should hear her talk about food!!

When she was writing for The New York Times, she had more than a few very pissed off performers complaining about her tough customer reviews.It was an extremely entertaining time for arts journalism in New York City.

Anne posted a particularly interesting piece earlier this week in The Washington Post: Back to School: On Orchestras and Outreach.

The conventional wisdom these days is that music education in the schools has declined, and therefore we've lost audiences, and therefore we have to put lots of energy into school music programs so that we can build up our audiences again. A lot of the emphasis is on teaching instruments. Some 74% of the orchestra audience, according to a Knight Foundation study based on six selected orchestras, has experience playing a musical instrument; therefore, let's get instruments in the hands of schoolkids who will grow up to be the audience of the future.

As far as conventional wisdom goes, it's not exactly right. There are plenty of kids, in high performing schools, in wealthy districts, in private schools, in enlightened districts, who are receiving music (and arts) instruction. Precisely how much of it is sequential, how much is quality, and how many are given opportunities for advanced programs in high school is hard to say. It varies dramatically.

But, if you're a kid in an urban district, particularly in a low performing school, well, you have more than a fair chance of getting a very raw deal indeed.

Now, I've written on this topic before, and I am quite sure it won't be the last time.

Okay, I understand well the impetus to create education programs for reasons of audience development. Let's say you're at x orchestra, or x theater company, or x opera company. All concerned are looking at the audience data and hear about the declines in arts education, and well, voila, you have an instant demand for arts education programs.

What is it that they say? Let's try this: "Where will the audiences of the future come from?"

And, let's just say this: I've heard that phrase from people who should know better, including some people on my board of directors.

So, you're probably wondering why I take issue with creating education programs to help support the future of x orchestra, etc. Some might find such a position perverse.

I've spent a lot of time over the past few years looking at K-12 issues from the outside. What I mean by that is that arts education is really on the outside looking in. And inside, believe me, the matter of whether or not a future graduate will attend opera performances is near the last thing you will hear on very big list of concerns.

It's not that educators and policy makers are opposed to such thinking, but ultimately the conversation is about something much more fundamental: what is college and career ready, for instance.

And, I am sorry to say, that while many arts educators see the connection between arts education and proficiency in ELA and math, as well as what it means to be college and career ready, in the main, the K-12 public education policy makers don't get it, at all.

If they don't get the connection between arts education and core, fundamental issues related to why school in the first place, then does anyone really think that the butts in the seats intent is anything but discrediting?

And of course, there's not only the butts in the seats propellant, but the matter of the heart. When you realize that the kids who get the arts the least in the home, also get it the least in the schools, well, it's something deeply troubling. And you want to do something about it.

So, what is the answer? Do you invest in such programming because you hope that it will help build your audience one day, some how, some way, even if when you really, really think about the issue, you realize that a connecting of those two dots is unlikely to happen? To be clear, the two dots are providing a music/arts education program that leads to ticket sales sometime in the reasonable future. It's the arts + education = butts in the seats equation.

For me, kids need the arts. They need the arts in order to be healthy. The arts are built into our DNA and power the imagination, self expression, and all sorts of other capacities from cognition to emotion. The kids have it in them and it's our job to provide pathways to explore what is theirs by right, and if their parents cannot afford it, then the public schools must supply it, for the kids will never be whole without it. Student achievement is more than just test scores in ELA and math.

Will providing the arts lead to butts in the seats? At best, its a head-scratcher, but I really don't think we have any real data to prove the equation, whatever might be done to correlate audience data with the provision of arts education.

Moreover, viewing children as a commodity through the lens of education is really not really very cool.

To the contrary, the question that really needs to be addressed, on the most fundamental level, is how can we help ensure that all children have a quality arts education, whether or not it leads to butts in the seats, because it is what is right for our children and ultimately our society.

Is the arts field willing to educate through the arts, whether or not it has any measurable impact on audience development?

It is the answer to that question that will reveal quite a lot about the role the arts field can really play in education.

Is A Liberal Arts Education Dead Meat?

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:56:18 -0500

There are a lot of folks who are taking aim at the liberal arts. Lately, there's been quite a lot of attention paid to a recent speech by Bill Gates at the National Governors Association, where he questioned funding liberal arts programs because the area did not produce enough jobs.

For me, this is just a stone's throw form the sort of thinking that relegates the arts to the periphery for many K-12 students.

It's always a relief to see a more broad-based viewpoint emerge, in this case stemming from a bipartisan call from members of the US Senate and House of Representative, which asked the following question:

"What are the top ten actions that Congress, state governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors, and others should take now to maintain national excellence in Humanities and social scientific scholarship and education, and to achieve long-term national goals for our intellectual and economic well-being; for a stronger, more vibrant civil society; and for the success of cultural diplomacy in the 21st century?"

To help answer the question, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences formed a Commission on The Humanities and Social Sciences.

And, while it's just a press release at this point, it was refreshing to see the contents of the release, and its all the more reason to be eager for their work to emerge:

Press Releases

Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences
Established by American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Responds to Congressional Mandate

The President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Leslie Berlowitz, today announced the creation of a national commission to bolster teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences, fields that are critical to culture, education, and to America's economic competitiveness. The Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences will be chaired by Richard H. Brodhead, President of Duke University, and John W. Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exelon Corporation, and includes prominent Americans from the humanities, the social sciences, the physical and life sciences, business, law, philanthropy, the arts, and the media.

The Commission was formed in response to a bipartisan request from United States Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Representatives Tom Petri (R-Wisconsin) and David Price (D-North Carolina).

Congress asked the Academy to respond to the following charge:

What are the top ten actions that Congress, state governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors, and others should take now to maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education, and to achieve long-term national goals for our intellectual and economic well-being; for a stronger, more vibrant civil society; and for the success of cultural diplomacy in the 21^st century?

"The humanities and social sciences provide the intellectual framework for the nation's economic, political, and governing institutions," said Commission Co-chair Richard H. Brodhead. "They enrich our lives and our understanding. Americans already appreciate the importance of math and science to our future; this Commission will remind Americans of the long-term importance of the liberal arts as well."

Commission Co-chair John W. Rowe added: "Knowledge of history, an understanding of civic institutions, the ability to use evidence and to think creatively, an aptitude for cross-cultural communication--these are all vital attributes of a 21st century citizen."

"The American Academy, with its long record of stewardship and support for the humanities and social sciences, is well-suited to lead this effort," said Academy President Berlowitz. "Scholarship and education in these disciplines enable our citizens and our government to adapt to evolving circumstances at home and abroad. They are critical to our ability to compete in a global economy."

The findings of the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences will serve as a companion to a forthcoming report of the National Academies on the future of the research university and ways to strengthen the American scientific enterprise.

"Our nation's long tradition of research and scholarship in humanities and social science has been the basis for an informed citizenry that comes from many countries, races, religions and cultures, but shares a common set of ideals, such as liberty, equal opportunity, and the rule of law," said Senator Lamar Alexander, who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Education and President of the University of Tennessee. "I am pleased that the American Academy is creating this Commission to provide recommendations on the best ways to maintain our nation's excellence in humanities and social science education, from grade-school history classes to graduate-level economic research."

"As our world becomes more interconnected, building a solid foundation in the humanities is of vital national importance," Rep. David Price said. "It is the humanities which ground, inform, and shape our civic, cultural, and intellectual lives. Maintaining a robust capacity for teaching and research in these fields will help provide a context and a framework for the most current and urgent policy debates. I look forward to receiving the commission's recommendations."

"To preserve and build on America's traditions and principles, we must have a firm understanding of our unique history, culture and heritage," said Rep. Tom Petri. "Our humanities and social science institutions help to foster that understanding, and the results of this report will guide us as we work to strengthen those institutions."

"I look forward to learning more about how we can further strengthen the arts, humanities, and social sciences throughout the country," said Senator Mark Warner. "Understanding where we are, where we have been, and where we need to go is so important, and I am pleased that the Academy is tackling this challenge."

"I look forward to learning more about how we can further strengthen the arts, humanities, and social sciences throughout the country," said Senator Mark Warner. "Understanding where we are, where we have been, and where we need to go is so important, and I am pleased that the Academy is tackling this challenge."

The American Academy Commission will draw on past research efforts, data from its www.humanitiesIndicators.org, and the experience and expertise of a multidisciplinary group of national leaders to recommend specific, actionable steps to maintain the nation's excellence in the humanities and the social sciences. The Commission will focus on education, research, and the institutions critical to advancing the humanities and social sciences in the nation.

The work of the Commission is being funded initially by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Commission expects to complete its work over the next 18 to 24 months. Further information about the initiative can be found at www.amacad.org.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. Current Academy research focuses on science and technology policy; global security; social policy; the humanities and culture; and education. With headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Academy's work is advanced by its 4,300 elected members, who are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business and public affairs from around the world.

Two New Key Resources for Arts Education

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:56:29 -0500

In the past month two new resources have been issued that are worth a good look:

The National Guild for Community Arts Education has released a sorely needed guide for youth development programs: Engaging Adolescents: Building Youth Participation in the Arts.

Engaging Adolescents: Building Youth Participation in the Arts, the result of the National Guild's research on effective practices, outlines a holistic approach that integrates arts learning with principles of youth development. It is designed to help staff and faculty develop new programs and services for teens or to rethink and strengthen programs they already offer. Profiles of organizations in varying stages of implementing this approach illustrate the concepts this guide describes.

The Arts Education Partnership has released a nifty guide for school leaders: What School Leaders Can Do To Increase Arts Education.

School principals and other leaders interested in increasing arts education in America's schools can adopt any of these actions and strategies one at a time or implement several at once. When taken together as part of an overall approach, however, their effects are more likely to be cumulative, mutually reinforcing, and more sustainable over time.

The National Guild for Community Arts Education

The Arts Education Partnership

The Mannes College The New School for Music Appoints New Dean

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:21:07 -0500

Today, The New School announced the appointment of three deans, including deans for The Mannes College The New School for Music and The New School for Drama.

Click here to read the full release.

NEW YORK (June 15, 2011)--The New School today announced the appointment of Stephanie Browner as dean of Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts; Richard Kessler as dean of Mannes College The New School for Music; and Pippin Parker, director of The New School for Drama. The New School is comprised of seven distinct schools focusing on social sciences, liberal arts, administration and management, design and performing arts.
"The New School's diverse elements are united by a common goal of positively changing society," said President David Van Zandt. "Provost Tim Marshall and I are confident that Stephanie Browner, Richard Kessler, and Pippin Parker reflect the vision, leadership, and commitment to social progress that have distinguished The New School for nearly a century."

Register for Grantmakers in Arts Webinar on The Common Core Standards

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:26:26 -0500

Arts Education: Common Core
What Are the Possibilities for the Arts?

Tuesday, June 21, 2:00 EDT/ 11:00 PDT
Julie Fry, Program Officer, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Richard Kessler, Executive Director, The Center for Arts Education

More than two-thirds of the states have adopted the Common Core Standards in English language arts, and math, establishing clear guidelines for what students need to know and be able to do in order to graduate from high school prepared for college and/or a career. Now that leaders are beginning to ask for shared curriculum guidelines across states, the Common Core standards are poised to change the character of schools (and of instruction well beyond ELA and math) and will be accompanied by new a new curriculum featuring common assessments.

But what will the Common Core mean for the arts?

Join Julie Fry and Richard Kessler for an overview of the standards and a frank discussion of their potential impact on arts instruction.

A Pretty Good Primer on Arts Education Advocacy

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:15:41 -0500

GothamSchools is a sort of Artsjournal for education issues. Historically, it has been focused on New York City, but has expanded its coverage in the past couple of years.

GS published a through report on yesterday's press conference, protest, and report release concerning proposed budget cuts that will lead to a reduction in certified arts teachers of 20 percent over two years. The report goes further to look at some policy and advocacy issues over the past four years.

I think it's a good read, and while it clearly wasn't intended to be a primer of any sort, it ends up fitting that bill pretty darn well.

So, you take one part solid report with specific goals, one part strong coalition of partners, including elected officials, parents, students, organized labor, one part press conference/rally, one part terrific media coverage, then shake and bake.

Click here to read Bloomberg's Proposed Layoffs Would Slash Arts Education, by Sarah Deville, GothamSchools

"I think it's realistic, it's possible, if the parties are willing to be flexible," Jackson said. "The game plan is to continue the press conferences, the rallies, the phone calls, all the things necessary to communicate how important this is."

Arts Education in New York City Schools: Doing More with Much Less????

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:43:16 -0500

From today's City Room, by Anna Phillips: Even Before Layoffs, Schools Lost 135 Arts Teachers

And, before that, there was successive years of steep declines in funding for arts supplies and cultural partnerships.

New York City spends $2 per student on arts supplies. I know suburban districts on Long Island and Westchester that spend about $18.

Click here to read the report.

Reading and math teachers are expected to be cut at a much lower rate.

Worth The Price of Admission: Today's Google Home Page

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:37:41 -0500

Click on this, snap!:

And then don't forget to strum the string, really!!

Hot Off The Press: Getting the Best High School Arts Education

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:35:28 -0500

It's the last in a series of Arts Education Guides for Parents, making the set complete. With this new edition for high school, we now have guides for: Pre-K through Second Grade; Third through Fifth Grade; Six through Eighth Grade; and now Ninth through Twelfth Grade. In English and Spanish, and for the earlier grade, a number of other languages.

Next up? Adapting these local guides for use nationally...

(Of course, we will have to think a bit about whether or not to include the tear off card for parents to send to the schools chancellor voicing their support for arts education. That little bit of soft advocacy was all it took for the local school district to decline to promote the parent guides!)

Getting the Best High School Arts Education:

A Guide for Parents and Students in New York City

The last in the series of parent guides, Getting the Best High School Arts Education: A Guide for Parents and Students in New York City is directed to parents of middle and high school students to help empower them to become powerful advocates for arts learning in their child's educational experience.

The guide answers questions like:

Why arts education matters, especially in high school
What are the New York State graduation requirements for the arts
How to find the right high school arts program
What parents can do to protect their teen's right to a quality arts education.

Here are the download links for all the Parent Guides, plus a very good parent toolkit from our partner school, PS203.

My Child, The Arts, and Learning: A Guide for Parents, PreK to Second Grade

Your Child, Your School and the Arts: A Guide for Parents with Children in Grades 3 to 5

Your Child, Your School and the Arts: A Guide for Parents with Children in Grades 6 to

Getting the Best High School Arts Education: A Guide for Parents and Students in New York City

Involving Parents and Schools in Arts Education: A Parent Advocacy Toolkit

High School Parent Guide English Arts Education