Although California’s Education Code calls for all students to be offered a course of study in the four arts disciplines (dance, music, theater, and visual arts), findings from An Unfinished Canvas (initial study released in 2007) reveal a large gap between policy and practice. California’s State Board of Education adopted content standards for the visual and performing arts in 2001, but the Education Code neither requires schools to follow state arts content standards nor mandates any student assessment in the arts. Recent experience has shown that large-scale assessment used for the purpose of accountability can be effective as a force for implementing standards-based K-12 curriculum and instruction in mathematics, science, social studies, and English/language arts. It is not at all clear, however, whether large-scale assessment could or should be used to support the implementation of K-12 standards-based arts education. This paper provides a review of the status of large-scale arts assessments and current practice in statewide arts assessment for the purpose of K-12 education accountability.

Arts Education Policy Review discusses major policy issues concerning K-12 education in the various arts in the United States and the rest of the world. Addressing education in music, visual arts, theatre, and dance, the journal presents a variety of views and emphasizes analytical exploration. Its goal is to produce the most comprehensive and rigorous exchange of ideas available on arts education. The candid discussions from multiple viewpoints are a valuable resource not only for arts educators, but also for administrators, policy analysts, advocacy groups, parents, and audiences–all those involved in the arts and concerned about their role in education. Subscription ranges from $61-64 (individual) and $146-176 (institution), and discounts are available.

The Monterey County Office of Education launched the California Arts Advocacy Toolkit, a resource available for all California schools to advocate, rebuild and teach arts in education, in May 2008. The information was compiled partly as a result of the recent SRI International study called An Unfinished Canvas that reported that fully 89 percent of K-12 schools fail to offer a standards-based course of study in the four arts disciplines. The California Arts Advocacy Toolkit is a vehicle for all schools statewide to advocate for a comprehensive and standards-based arts education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for California students in kindergarten through high school. Complete with a public service announcement by Dina Ruiz Eastwood (Mrs. Clint Eastwood), background information on the importance of arts in education and sample templates to promote awareness and advocate for the arts, the California Arts Advocacy Toolkit can also be used by district leaders, county offices of education, parents, teachers, state-policy makers, and community members.

Parents and others may access the information through the main toolkit page, or find out more through the press release published in May 2008.

The learning of discrete subject matter will always have a primary role in the educational process, and that includes learning about the disciplines of the arts. The underlying reason for learning subjects, however, is where the revolution can begin. Engaging with the arts, especially under the guidance of trained teachers and specialists, provides the space for students to construct, push boundaries, and expand venues for understanding.