Presented by Christine Fisher
For ArtsErie Arts in Education Learning Lab
 What
is it?
 What
tools are there?
 Why
does it matter?
Dance, drama, music, visual arts and creative
writing: each one is literacy. Literacy includes
how we see the world, interpret it, and
communicate about it. The arts are a way of
communicating perceptions, ideas, feelings,
culture, and our imaginations. The arts are an
arena for human expression, interaction, and
creativity that reflects our commonality and
diversity, including our shared perceptions and
realities, and our conflicting ones. This makes
arts infusion powerful!
"Everybody is a genius.
But if you judge a fish by
its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life
believing that it is stupid."
The ABC blueprint is founded on the premise
that the arts are an indispensable part of a
complete education because quality
education in the arts significantly adds to
the learning potential of our students. Arts
education complements learning in other
disciplines and establishes a foundation for
success in school and lifelong learning. The
ABC blueprint also provides a forum for the
development of strategic arts initiatives, and
serves as the foundation for a broad
advocacy coalition for arts education reform
in South Carolina.
The ABC Project was established to
promote high quality arts instruction
and integration efforts across schools
and districts in South Carolina. The
Office of Program Evaluation at the
University of South Carolina (USC) has
been evaluating portions of the ABC
Project for numerous years.
Evaluation efforts have gone from a ground breaking
ten - year evaluation of ABC Sites and closely
matched schools, to field testing arts infusion
instruments designed by the ABC Arts Infusion task
force.
Evaluation and Research: Ten-Year Evaluation (19891999) Comparison Schools & Longitudinal Studies
(1999-2004)
Higher student attendance
Higher parent approval, parent support &
involvement
Fewer discipline referrals & teachers reported fewer
student disruptions
Higher test scores
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Schools and districts needed more
clarity, a deeper understanding, and
structure
The Last Straw, or was it a turkey in the
straw?????
Arts Centered
Arts Integrated
Arts Infused
The arts are used as a focal point for the
identity and image of a school. An arts
focused school stresses competencies in
all the arts (dance, music, theatre, visual
arts and creative writing) and ensures that
the arts are aligned with the general
education core of the school. The arts are
a hub of the main activities within a
school and provide in-depth exposure of
the arts for all students.
(A comprehensive, sequential arts program)
The arts are incorporated into the
general education curriculum and are
used to enhance the understanding of
areas of study outside of the arts
disciplines themselves, as well as indepth learning in the arts (dance,
music, theatre, visual arts and creative
writing).
Teaching-tool integration: One discipline
serves the other by providing a vehicle
through which knowledge can be efficiently
learned and remembered
Topical integration: Specific topic from one
discipline is determined where connective
and interactive relationships among
disciplines are explored
Thematic integration: A theme is chosen and
then knowledge and skills that support this
theme from different disciplines are sought.
The arts enhance the education of every
student and improve the general curriculum,
as well as in-depth learning in the arts
(dance, music, theatre, visual arts and
creative writing). An arts infused school
disseminates and permeates the arts into the
traditions and experiences that are at the
core of every program within the school. Arts
and non-arts disciplines mutually support
and enhance each other through constant
planning and collaboration.
 Using
the definitions,
determine where you are
and what you need to do
to move to the next level?
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ABC Arts Infusion Task Force of 21 Members
◦ Steering Committee members, arts teachers, classroom teachers,
principals, higher education faculty, researcher
◦ Read books, studied articles and papers prior to first meeting
◦ Worked in groups outside of regular task force meetings
Second Task Force of 50 Members
◦ Studied and Reviewed Work
◦ Probed and Questioned Work
◦ Endeavored to Implement Work
◦ Reported back to Infusion Task Force
ABC Arts Infusion Task Force Reviewed Recommendations and
Made Adjustments
USC Office of Program Evaluation Researched the Tools for
Validity and Reliability
Tools Produced for Arts Infusion:
◦ Arts Infusion Continuum
◦ Essential Elements
◦ Arts Infusion Teacher Survey
A
clear, concise definition that is
acceptable to everyone in the field
has not found
 The concept has been a part of
education for many years
 Transfer of Learning and
Constructivism relate to the issue
 For
successful programs there
must be appropriate:
◦Organizational support
◦Arts education expertise
◦High standards
 The arts disciplines must be
taught as such!!!!!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A Random Collection of Information
Concerning Arts Integration
Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design &
Implementation
University of Minnesota Center for Applied
Research and Educational Improvement
(CAREI), Arts for Academic Achievement: The
Annenberg Challenge, Varieties of Arts
Integration (VAI) Chart and Project Description
Creating Islands of Excellence: Arts Education
as a Partner in School Reform
California Arts Education Program Toolkit
Complementary
Disciplines
Discipline
Interdisciplinary
Based
Parallel
Units/Courses
Disciplines
Integration-Infusion
Integrated
Day
Complete
Program
Instruction:
 Concepts Taught
 Methods Utilized
 Student Experiences
 Student Products
 Arts
Basic (Serendipitous)
 Arts Enhanced (Planned
Exposure)
 Initial Arts Integration
 Developed Arts Integration
 Arts Infused
Arts Basic: Knowledge is discipline specific.
Arts Enhanced: Some superficial connections are
made between arts and non-arts disciplines.
Initial Arts Integration: Knowledge is disciplinespecific however, some meaningful connections
between arts and other subjects are evident.
Developed Arts Integration: Knowledge is a
synthesis of arts and other disciplines.
Arts Infused: Knowledge is a tool for identifying
issues, solving problems, and making decisions in
an environment that encourages inquiry.
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Each table look at the Arts Infusion
Continuum and select under “Concepts
Taught” infusion level:
Arts Enhanced
Initial Integration
Developed Integration
Infusion
As a group, demonstrate what your topic
would look like using dance, music, drama,
visual arts or creative writing. (Share with
another table)
 Task
Force developed this chart
 Assumes use of Opportunity to
Learn Standards (OTLS) first
 Based on OTL Standards model
 Includes categories (elements)
from California Toolkit
 Formatted by Dr. Ching Ching Yap
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Addresses Seven Categories
◦ Curriculum & Instruction
◦ Collaboration & Partnerships
◦ Evaluation
◦ Facilities
◦ Professional Development
◦ Planning & Scheduling
◦ Resources & Materials
Provides rubric for measuring
degree reached for each
descriptor:
◦ Not Evident
◦ Seldom Evident
◦ Frequently Evident
◦ Always Evident
Categories
Level
Descriptors
Not
Evident
Seldom
Evident
Frequently Always
Evident
Evident
Categories
Resources
&
Materials
Level
Descriptors
School
An annual budget funds staffing for the five arts areas and arts
infusion.
RM
School
RM
School
RM
School
CI
CP
EV
FC
PD
PS
RM
Funds are allocated to insure that every teacher has access to a
variety of appropriate resources, consumable materials, and
equipment to support the implementation of arts infusion.
A library of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, and other reference
materials is established, updated, and maintained for the
implementation of arts infusion.
All teachers are provided copies of the SC Visual and
Performing Arts Curriculum Standards and the South Carolina
English/Language Arts Curriculum Standards (Creative Writing)
6
7
4
3
2
7
4
Curriculum & Instruction
Collaboration & Partnership
Evaluation
Facilities
Professional Development
Planning & Scheduling
Resources & Materials
Not
Evident
Seldom
Evident
Frequently
Evident
Always
Evident
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Examined the validity and usability of the
three instruments designed to gauge
schools’ level of integration
Three standardized self- assessment
instruments were developed to
consistently and accurately denote the
level of arts integration occurring at ABC
schools. ….to determine their usefulness
in gaining information for teacher, grade
level and school wide growth…
“The ABC Arts Infusion Continuum, the
Essential Elements Rubric and the Infusion
Questionnaire showed high reliability
indices for each component or area as well
as the overall instrument.”
“These instruments function well. They
have the ability to serve as on-going tools
to examine the progress of schools in
meeting their arts infusion goals.”
"Everybody is a genius. But if you
judge a fish by its ability to climb a
tree, it will live its whole life
believing that it is stupid."
Arts Infusion is the way to go and
these tools can get you there!