We stay on top of the latest trends, opportunities and threats in our field. Our newsletter provides a digest of current arts education headlines; our Legislative Update tracks bills in the California Legislature that could impact arts programs in our schools; and, our blog offers an in depth view or opinion on current policy issues. Below are the latest news stories about our work.

Student Voices Video Finalists Announced!

published by CAAEStaff on April 13, 2016 - 1:06pm
What if you could create change by making a video? That was the question proposed to school students (grades 7-12) across California in the recent 3rd annual STUDENT VOICES CAMPAIGN, presented by the California Alliance for Arts Education. The campaign empowered students to make videos that communicate what matters to them and share them with their local school board. Hundreds of students representing 7 California counties participated by submitting their vision ranging from the need for arts education, updated computers, and bathrooms for trans and non-binary gendered students.
"This is a video that shows why we need gender-neutral restrooms at our schools for trans and non-binary students in our district. There are many trans and non-binary students in our district who do not feel comfortable in gendered restrooms. This means many of these students don’t go to the restroom during school even when they need to." Student, Lincoln High School, San Jose Unified School District



"Your case is compelling and I am impressed that you took the time to create a persuasive and professional video to make your case. I am going to look into our district's current restroom policy and see if we need to update it. I agree that every student should feel safe at school and the only concern should be learning. I will follow up with your group in a day or two so we can review together what exists and what should be." School Board Member, Susan Ellenberg, San Jose Unified School District

Student Voices Summit & Screening

published by CAAEStaff on March 14, 2016 - 10:38am

On Saturday, April 30, the California Alliance for Arts Education will host the Student Voices Summit & Screening at the San Francisco Art Institute. The Summit will bring together students from all over California for an afternoon of student-led advocacy workshops, master classes with celebrated artists Christopher Coppola, Isa Borgeson, and Delroy Lindo, and the chance to see student videos on the big screen.

Together with our event hosts, the California Arts Council, Oakland School for the Arts and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, we are pleased to offer this free event, open to all California public school students in grades 7-12, teachers, and parents. Space is limited and registration is required.

REGISTER and view the event page at StudentVoicesSummit2016.eventbrite.com

If you, your school or organization are interested in bringing a group of students to the event, please email us.

Free Webinar: How Teachers Can Support SB 916

published by CAAEStaff on March 11, 2016 - 5:33pm

Update 3/28/16: View an archived recording of the webinar.

Join us on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 5:30 PT for a webinar that will offer concrete strategies for supporting Senate Bill 916, including how to communicate with your union and your legislators, and how to spread the campaign to other teachers. Panelists will include leaders from the California Dance Education Association (CDEA) and the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA). These voices will give you the context and strategies to help you take action to get this bill noticed and passed.


SB 916, the Theatre and Dance Act (TADA!), introduced by Senator Ben Allen, would establish single-subject teaching credentials for dance and theatre. TADA is the third legislative attempt to correct this issue.

Currently, California is one of only two states in the country that does not have a teaching credential in dance or theatre. California's Education Code includes specific standards for dance and theatre, and yet the state does not provide discrete teaching credentials for those disciplines.

REGISTER

Theatre and Dance Act Introduced

published by CAAEStaff on February 11, 2016 - 3:30pm

On January 27, 2016, Senator Ben Allen held a press conference to announce the introduction of SB 916, the Theatre and Dance Act (TADA!), legislation that would establish dance and theatre credentials in California. California is one of only two states in the country without dance or theatre credentials. Read what the bill says here.

Annette Bening at the California Arts Council 40th Anniversary Celebration speaking on SB 916 (Allen), the Theatre and Dance Act

Arts Education Strategies in California LCAPs

published by CAAEStaff on February 11, 2016 - 3:30pm

Join us for the release of Arts Education Strategies in California LCAPs.

The California Alliance for Arts Education, Arts for LA and Arts for All have partnered to provide new resources that demonstrate the ways that the arts can contribute to the State’s new priorities and in particular to the success of low-income students and English Language Learners. Arts Education Strategies in LCAPs gathers concrete examples of how districts are increasing access to arts education and implementing arts strategies to improve student outcomes in their Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) and shows an exciting range of arts strategies and metrics.

In the coming weeks and months, districts will be updating their Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) to determine priorities and funding for the coming years. The California Alliance and Arts for LA are working to empower arts education advocates to contribute to these important conversations and ensure all students have equitable and robust access to the arts.

The webinar will offer an introduction to the Arts Education Strategies in LCAPs document, case studies by school leaders and practical advice on how to contribute to a robust arts program in your local district.

Register

The Making of the Animated Video: Interview with Nevada Lane

published by CAAEStaff on December 11, 2015 - 11:32am
The first installment of our Student Voices Visionary features Nevada Lane, whose drawing are featured in the animated Student Voices Intro video. We spoke to her by phone and asked about her vision for schools, what creativity means to her, and what it was like to draw with a camera recording her every move!
What is creativity? Can you give an example of creativity in someone you know? (It could be a friend, a relative, a public figure, or you)
Nevada: I’m going to take a different slant on it. We often think of creativity in the arts, and I think that’s beautiful and wonderful. But what’s under recognized is the creativity people have when working with other people and how they’re able to create something out of bringing people together around collaborating and achieving a common outcome.
For a practical example – young activists who can create networks of people and bring people together to have a conversation about and tackle issues like climate change, or gun control laws. It’s a beautiful form of creativity that we don’t often think about.

CTC Reviewing New Teaching Performance Expectations

published by CAAEStaff on October 15, 2015 - 1:52pm
By Joe Landon
Earlier this year, the California Alliance for Arts Education submitted a policy brief, authored by Dr. Merryl Goldberg of California State University, San Marcos, which highlighted the role and value of arts integration in student learning, to be considered by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in revising current Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). TPEs are the foundation of what all licensed teachers should know and be able to demonstrate, and they provide an important basis for teacher preparation program curriculum and fieldwork experiences.

Get the Student Voices Classroom Guide

published by CAAEStaff on July 24, 2015 - 12:01pm

The Student Voices Campaign (SVC) invites young people to create videos that show their creativity and passion for the arts and share them with elected officials.

California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) guarantees students a voice in planning and budgeting for their school district. SVC provides a pathway for students to realize the role envisioned for them in LCFF community engagement guidelines.
With support from the California Arts Council, this fall, the California Alliance for Arts Education will release the Student Voices Classroom Guide and we are looking for teachers grades 7–12 to use it in their classrooms during the 2015–16 school year. The lessons can be scaled to unfold over two weeks or to be pursued more deeply over several months.

The guide will equip teachers to use the campaign as project-based learning opportunity that offers students a real-world opportunity to author content, communicate creatively and practice civic engagement. The lessons will use California Social Studies Standards and National Core Media Arts Standards to structure the process, outcomes and assessment; other Arts and Common Core Standards will also be referenced as appropriate.
PILOT THE GUIDE IN YOUR CLASSROOM: Download our flyer with more details.
GET THE GUIDE: To get an electronic copy of the guide when it's ready, please click here.
QUESTIONS: contact us.

Launch of Online Guide Put Arts Integration within Reach of Title 1 Schools

published by CAAEStaff on February 4, 2015 - 11:01am

The California Alliance for Arts Education has launched a new online resource to support arts integration programs at low-income schools. The website guides Title I school leaders through a rigorous process to plan and evaluate arts strategies that can help achieve the goals of the Title I program.

“Arts programs can help schools achieve the aims of Title I by facilitating student engagement and learning, strengthening parent involvement, and improving school climate and school wide behavior,” according to the website live at http://www.title1arts.org.

Art in District LCAPs: Tools and Best Practices

published by CAAEStaff on February 4, 2015 - 10:14am

Each June, every school district in California is required to submit a three year Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) as part of the state's new school funding formula. New resources from the California Alliance, Arts for LA and Arts for All offer a look at trends in the ways that districts are investing in arts education and a closer look at a few strong examples from actual LCAPs and how advocacy played a role in these districts.

Arts for LA and LA County Arts Commission Arts for All have released findings from a research initiative analyzing all 81 school district LCAPs in LA County. The research provides baseline information on the number of districts that included the arts in their LCAPs, which state priority areas are linked to the arts, and the types of arts programs being funded at schools. The findings will also provide a broad sense of trends for how arts education strategies are being used by school districts.

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