Common Core Standards for Arts Education

There is a growing movement in K-12 education to have states adopt Common Core Standards across all subject areas. The intent is to assure the highest standards are met by schools regardless of location. As a consortium of art and design colleges, we are of course interested in seeing students across the country have access to quality arts education in their elementary, middle and high school years. We believe that this is a critical part of a comprehensive education, whether or not a student chooses a path that leads them to attend one of our colleges.

In support of these efforts, AICAD is helping to spread the word about the Common Core Standards for arts education. If you are at all concerned about what students studying art in high school in the US are learning (or being taught), this is your opportunity to engage.

Sept. 30 – Oct. 21 Public Review of the Draft High School Core Arts Standards
Please join the public review of drafts of the High School national core arts standards for Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts beginning September 30 and ending October 21, 2013. Draft high school music standards for secondary ensembles will be included in the September 30th release; standards for additional music course sequences (guitar/keyboard and composition/theory) will be released later. Watch for details and information at http://nccas.wikispaces.com or on Facebook.

A public review of the comprehensive draft PreK-12 standards, including model cornerstone assessments, will begin in January, 2014. The current project time line includes a release date of March, 2014, for complete and finished standards.