COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCE ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Creative Leadership: The heART of Transformed School Culture
Michelle Mazan Burrows, Director, A+ Schools Program of the NC Arts Council
NC Department of Cultural Resources
michelle.burrows@ncdcr.gov
Christie Lynch Ebert, Section Chief, K-12 Program Areas
NC Department of Public Instruction
christie.lynchebert@dpi.nc.gov
In today's globally competitive world, innovative thinking and creativity are essential for all school
children. High quality, standards-based instruction in the arts develops these skills and effectively
engages, retains, and prepares future-ready students for graduation and success in an entrepreneurial
economy. Dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts, taught by licensed arts educators and integrated
throughout the curriculum, are critical to North Carolina's 21st century education.000
(Senate Bill 66: Comprehensive Arts Education Task Force, 2010)
Essential Questions to Consider
 What challenges are inherent in leading school transformation and building creative capacity
through the arts?
 What skills are needed to cultivate creative culture, manage competing priorities, and develop
collaborative processes?
 How can we plan for increasing school-wide creative capacity?
Statewide Snapshot of Principals Supporting Arts Integration:
Principal Preparation and Current Practices, August 2014
Research Questions:
 What are Principals doing to support arts integration in their schools?
 What are principal preparation programs doing to prepare pre-service principals to support arts
integration?
Findings
91% agree - arts integration is vital to a child’s education
82% agree – arts integration can increase test scores
YET Principals rarely or never:
 allow for targeted planning time for arts integration
 look for arts integration during teacher observations
 provide PD opportunities around arts integration
Principals’ Most Common
Barriers to Arts Integration
More than 80 percent of principals
cited “time constraints” as a barrier
to integrating the arts at their schools.
Similarly, 65 percent checked “higher
priorities take precedence.”
NC Work on Comprehensive Arts Education: Key Details
1985 Basic
2008 Joint
2009 S66 &
2010 S66
2011-12
Education
Select
H149
Arts Ed
H758 Arts Ed
TaskForce
Commission
Program
1985 Basic
Committee on
Arts
Education
Education
Program
The S66 Task Force recognizes a Comprehensive Arts Education as:
• Arts Education (arts as core, academic subjects)
• Arts Integration (arts as a catalyst for learning across the curriculum)
• Arts Exposure (exposure to arts experiences)
General Statute 115-C-296
In June 2012, Senate Bill 724: An Act to Implement Various Education Reforms (S724) was signed
into North Carolina law. This law requires teacher preparation programs to ensure that pre-service
elementary teachers are prepared to “integrate the arts across the curriculum.” This wide-scale
legislation directs the State Board of Education to work with the Board of Governors of the University
of North Carolina and the State Board of Community Colleges to ensure that programs of study for
pre-service and lateral entry teachers remain current and reflect a rigorous course of study that is
aligned to State and national standards. The law addresses teacher preparation across many areas,
including adequate coursework and requisite knowledge in scientifically based reading and
mathematics instruction, knowledge of formative and summative assessments and technology-based
assessment systems, and preparation to integrate the arts across all areas of learning. More recent
legislation, including House Bill 23 (which adds a digital literacy component) and Senate Bill 168
(which provides clarifying language) continue to reinforce the General Statute 115C-296 arts
integration legislation.
How familiar are you with the state law requiring teacher preparation
programs to provide pre-service elementary teachers with tools to integrate
the arts across the curriculum?
30%
20%
10%
0%
Very Unfamiliar
Somewhat
Unfamiliar
Neither familiar nor Somewhat Familiar
unfamiliar
Very Familiar
Principals’ Familiarity with Law Requiring Arts Integration in Teacher Preparation
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
The A+ Schools Program: The A+ Schools Program is the largest, longest running, most successful
arts-based whole-school reform effort in the nation. Since 1995, A+ Schools has been using the arts
as a catalyst for creating connections and making school engaging, meaningful and enjoyable places
to teach and learn.
A+ Website: http://aplus-schools.ncdcr.gov
A+ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/aplusnc
A+ on Twitter: @AplusSchoolsNC
Arts Education Wikispace at NC DPI: A resource for arts educators, administrators, institutions of
higher education, and other interested parties. It contains links to standards, instructional tools,
professional development, and other resources related to implementing the NC Arts Education
Essential Standards.
http://ances.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Comprehensive+Arts+Ed+Plan
Arts Education Partnership: AEP serves as a national hub for critical information and
communication about current and emerging arts education policies, issues, and activities at the
national, state, and local levels.
http://www.aep-arts.org/
Arts Ed Search: Arts Education Partnership’s online clearinghouse that collects and summarizes
high quality research studies on the impacts of arts education and analyzes their implications for
educational policy and practice.
ArtsEDSearch
Crayola’s Champion Creatively Alive Children: This series will help you implement arts-infused
education in your school. The complete program includes 7 videos and guides, along with a
supplemental introductory leadership guide, and additional resources to help you facilitate workshops
and arts-infused education advocacy meetings.
http://www.crayola.com/for-educators/ccac-landing/free-professional-resources.aspx
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21): A coalition created to bring together the business
community, education leaders, and policymakers to position 21st century readiness at the center of
US K-12 education and to kick-start a national conversation on the importance of 21st century skills
for all students.
http://www.p21.org
President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities: The President’s Committee believes that
the arts and humanities should be part of the education of every child in America. The power of the
arts and humanities to foster creativity in developing minds, to engage and motivate students in
school and to prepare all children for productive futures is essential for the future of nation’s cultural
and economic life. The PCAH release a landmark arts in education study in May, 2014.
Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America's Future Through Creative Schools