The
New York State Alliance for Arts Education (NYSAAE)
is providing the following information on discussion
items currently under consideration by New York State
Education Department (NYSED) Board of Regents. The
information provided here is for informational purposes
only.
NYSAAE
would like to recognize and support the Board of Regents
interest in and attention to the issues of arts education
and to ensuring that all students in New York State
have adequate and equitable access to high quality
arts education at all levels.
There
are two items of interest to the arts education community:
Amending
Regulations to Provide for Early Childhood Teachers
to Qualify for an Annotation to Teach Visual and Performing
Arts
and
Amending
Middle School Regulations to Include Dance and Theatre
Instruction
A
meeting at the NYS Department of Education in Albany
was held on May 3rd where representatives from each
of the four arts disciplines were invited to provide
feedback on these proposals. These items were discussed
briefly at the May 17th Regents meeting, and were
deferred for further discussion at the June 21st &
22nd meeting. Further updates will be provided as
they become available.
Providing
this information is made possible by the generous
support of our members. If you value receiving these
updated, please consider becoming a NYSAAE supporter
- click here to join.
UPDATE
- 6/30/2010
As
part of the June 21&22 Regents meeting, the dicussion
item regarding middle school instruction was reported
on by the Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing
Education (EMSC) Committee.
"Middle
Level Arts Requirements – Senior Deputy Commissioner
John King provided on update on the proposed changes
to the Middle Level Arts Requirements. The New York
City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is preparing
to submit a request for a variance to Commissioner’s
Regulations to allow students in Grades 7 and 8 to
fulfill the visual arts and music study requirements
in any two of the four Arts disciplines (dance, music,
theater, and visual arts). Staff will review the variance
request and if granted by the Commissioner, the variance
would allow a three-year pilot program of study in
New York City schools that choose to participate.
The Committee requested additional information on
variances, including a clear definition on the differences
between a variance and a waiver. Staff will come back
in July and present this information for discussion
at the Full Board meeting. [EMSC (D) 2]"
To
view the EMSC commitee report - click here.
The
discussion item regarding an Early Elementary Arts
Education Annotation was not addressed.
The
next Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for July
19 & 20.
Check this page for further updates.
Amending
Regulations to Provide for Early Childhood Teachers
to Qualify for an Annotation to Teach Visual and Performing
Arts
From
the official NYSED Memo:
“Issue
for Discussion
Should
the Board of Regents consider amending regulations
to provide for the ability of Early Childhood teachers
to qualify for an extension to teach the visual and
performing arts? The New York City Department of Education
has requested that we examine this option.
Procedural
History
Part 80-1.1 of the Commissioner’s Regulations defines
common branch subjects as meaning any or all of the
subjects usually included in the daily program of
an elementary school classroom such as arithmetic,
civics, visual arts, elementary science, English language,
geography, history, hygiene, physical activities,
practical arts, reading, music, writing, and such
other similar subjects. Part 100 of the Regulations
specifies that elementary school instruction in the
arts can be offered by the classroom teacher. Part
52.21(b) of the Regulations currently requires that
all teachers must complete study in a general education
core that includes study in artistic expression but
no additional pre-service preparation is required
for arts instruction in programs leading to NYS early
childhood teacher certification.
Background
Information
Thirty-nine (39) percent of New York City Department
of Education elementary schools report providing arts
instruction in all four arts disciplines (dance, music,
theater and visual arts) to all grades served K-5.
This creates a situation where arts instruction may
be delivered by teachers who have had no training
in the arts and the quality of the arts instruction
is adversely impacted.
One solution would be to allow for teachers in early
childhood grades to complete substantial arts teaching
preparation that could lead to an early elementary
(grades PreK-2) arts annotation. Based on similar
models for Teaching Languages Other than English in
the elementary school and Gifted and Talented extensions,
the coursework of 12 to 15 credits would focus on
age and developmentally appropriate content and integrated
arts instruction in dance, music, theater and visual
arts that would attend to the New York State Learning
Standards for students. Appendix A contains an overview
of the elementary expectations as identified in the
Learning Standards for students in the Arts. Persons
seeking this annotation could also be required to
pass a New York State Teacher Certification Examination
of knowledge and skills in this area.
Limiting these extension certificates to early elementary
grades teaching is suggested so as not to undercut
the instruction delivered by certified dance, music,
theater and visual arts teachers in upper elementary
grades. The Department would request early childhood
teacher preparation program providers to develop an
arts preparation component that would enable those
prospective teachers, wishing to receive a teaching
art in early childhood grades extension, to take a
sequence of courses developed to improve their preparation
in teaching visual and performing arts to their students.
This coursework would align with the expectations
of the New York State Learning Standards for elementary
level dance, music, theater and visual arts.”
The
complete memo is available online - click here.
What
It Means:
The
NYS Board of Regents is considering offering a new
optional annotation in the arts to those pursuing
a degree in Early Elementary Education (Grades Per-K
– 2) requiring 12 to 15 credits of advanced study.
Clarifications:
-
Under current NYS Education Regulations schools are
NOT required to have a certified
arts specialist teacher to provide arts instruction
in grades K-5. It is permissible for all of the arts
curriculum required to be delivered by common branch
general classroom teachers. (This proposal does not
decrease, nor increase, any requirements for the schools
in terms of need for certified arts teachers.)
- This proposed annotation would be OPTIONAL
for those pursuing their degree in Early Elementary
Education; it would NOT be a requirement for all new
teachers.
- An annotation as defined by NYSED is simply a “Certificate
attached to a regular base certificate, recognizing
that the holder has additional knowledge and/skills
beyond the base certificate. Annotations are not required
and are not-free standing.” Complete details can be
found on the SED website - click here.
Points of Interest:
- The current proposal calls for a single designation
‘Annotation in the Arts’ calling for only 12 to 15
credits to cover all four disciplines. All discipline
based professional arts education groups agree that
this is insufficient training to allow an educator
to adequately be prepared to teach the arts in a manner
comparable to someone holding a specialized degree.
- The intention of this proposal is to provide teachers
with some background in the arts to students in schools
where no specialized arts teachers exist. (And makes
no changes to the current requirements for certification
to teach the arts in grades K-5.) Schools would NOT
be required to hire early elementary teachers with
this annotation.
-
Certified early elementary education teachers (certified
to teach grades Pre-K – 2) will have – according to
NYS certification requirements – the same level of
education as a certified arts teacher specialist.
Because most teacher employment contracts compensate
teachers based on level of education and longevity,
there is no financial incentive to hire teachers with
this early elementary annotation over arts specialists.
Comment:
In
its current form the draft proposal requires further
discussion and investigation before any concrete position
on the item could be issued.
Based
on the statement: “…the coursework of 12 to 15 credits
would focus on age and developmentally appropriate
content and integrated arts instruction in dance,
music, theater and visual arts that would attend to
the New York State Learning Standards for students”
the proposed annotation holds the potential to be
used to support and promote the use of the arts across
the curriculum. As the proposed level of course work
is inadequate to prepare educators to teach any of
the arts disciplines, the emphasis should be placed
on providing instruction on how the arts can be used
as an integrated teaching tool. An arts integration
annotation could promote and foster the use of arts
specialists and artists in the schools (arts in education)
as well as integration of arts in the curriculum.
Caution
should be used to ensure that if the proposed annotation
is developed, it is done in such a way as to not provide
the perception among school districts that teachers
holding the annotation are in any way certified or
qualified to provide complete or adequate instruction
in any of the arts disciplines.
Amending
Middle School Regulations to Include Dance and Theatre
Instruction
From
the official NYSED Memo:
“Issue
for Discussion
Does
the Board of Regents wish to examine changes to the
middle level arts instructional requirements in consideration
of expanding arts education opportunities for all
NYS students?
Purpose
for discussion
The
item is being presented to the Board of Regents based
on a request from the New York City Department of
Education (NYCDOE) for consideration of changes to
the current requirements that all public school students
be provided one-half unit of study in visual arts
and one-half unit of study in music during grades
seven and eight [section 100.4(c)(1)(ix) of the Regulations
of the Commissioner of Education].
Background
Information/Current Structure
The current middle level arts requirements state that
all students shall be provided instruction designed
to facilitate their attainment of the State intermediate
learning standards in the arts.
-
In grades five and six, all students are expected
to receive instruction in visual arts, music, dance
and theatre, although the regulations do not specify
a minimum amount of instructional time that must be
met.
- Over grades seven and eight all students are expected
to receive one-half unit of study in visual arts and
one-half unit of study in music.
To meet these instructional requirements, school districts
use a variety of scheduling configurations, one of
which is a daily instruction period of approximately
forty minutes, five days a week for one quarter of
the school year in both grades seven and eight for
both visual arts and music.
Instruction
is to be provided by certified teachers, which in
grades five and six include teachers certified in
the special subject areas (visual arts, music, dance
or theatre) and teachers certified in the common branches.
In grades seven and eight required instruction is
provided by teachers certified in the visual arts
and music.
NYCDOE
has requested that consideration be given to adding
the arts education disciplines of dance and theatre
to the grade seven and eight arts instructional requirements.
This could provide students the opportunity to pursue
in-depth, sequential learning in more arts disciplines
than currently available.”
The
complete memo is available online - click here.
What it means:
The
NYS Board of Regents is considering revising the current
regulations to allow students in grades 7 & 8
to fulfill their arts instructional requirements by
taking dance or theatre courses. The current version
of the proposal requires that schools offer at least
two arts disciplines in grades 7 & 8 and that
students must participate in at least two disciplines.
Current regulations allow for only music and visual
arts to be used to meet the instructional requirement
in the arts for grades 7 & 8.
Example
If a student in a school which offers dance and theatre
in grades 7 & 8 wishes to participate in those
classes, he/she would be required to take music and
visual arts in addition to those classes. (This is
difficult given the time constraints of the school
day.)
Clarifications:
-
Schools would NOT be required to
offer dance or theatre.
- Schools that do offer dance and theater in grades
7 & 8 will continue to be required to have a certified
dance or theatre teacher for those classes. (To add
dance and theatre to the offerings would require new
hires in most schools.)
Points of Interest:
-
Changes in curriculum offerings would be made at the
local level and would depend upon approval of local
Boards of Education, administrators and parents, especially
important to low-performing and high needs schools.
- The proposed changes would add flexibility for schools
to meet the needs of the school community as it sees
fit and would put decision-making at the local level.
- As many schools have begun to add dance and theatre
to the curriculum at other levels (elementary, high
school), it has not been an option at grades 7&8
under current regulations because there is not enough
time in the middle school schedule to provide three
arts areas.
- As all 7 & 8 grade students are required to
complete one unit of study in the arts, the number
of certified teachers (FTEs) required to deliver that
content would remain the same (based on the number
of student to be served) while the discipline of those
teachers may be adjusted. (i.e. A FTE visual arts
teacher might be reduced to .5 FTE to ‘make room’
for a new hire .5 FTE dance instructor.)
Background:
In
1996, the Regents approved Learning Standards for
the Arts, including Art, Music, Dance and Theatre.
Subsequently, regulations were amended to include
dance and theatre in the Part 100 Regulations for:
Pre-K-4 100.3(a)(3)iii
Grades 5 and 6 100.4(b)(1)v
Graduations Requirements 100.5(a)(3)v
However,
Middle School Regulations for the Arts for Grades
7 & 8, 100.4(c)(1) ix, require 1/unit of study
in art or music. This regulation was never amended
to include all of the Arts Standards areas.
Comment:
The
professionals currently delivering the established
high quality music and visual arts programming to
students in grades 7 & 8 are to be commended for
their work.
With the understanding that this proposal
does not require any schools to modify their current
program offerings, and that all arts programming provided
in grades 7 & 8 is required to be taught by a
certified specialist teacher:
In
order to provide parity in programming and equity
in access to all arts disciplines Pre-K through 12,
as well as to allow local school districts flexibility
in meeting the instruction needs and interests of
their students, it is suggested that middle school
regulations be amended to include dance and theatre
while maintaining current regulations for a certified
instructor and the completion of .5 units of study
in at least two arts disciplines.
Should
you have any questions about this information, please
contact Jeremy Johannesen at NYSAAE (518-473-0823;
director@nyssae.org)
