A Coach in Every Corner:
Developing Leadership
in Arts Education Planning

The California Alliance for Arts Education has an unprecedented opportunity to further its mission to ensure that every student in California has access to a quality education in the arts as part of a complete and comprehensive curriculum. Recognized for its expertise in assisting schools and school districts assess needs and develop arts education plans, CAAE is establishing a cadre of Arts Education Planning Coaches to provide customized technical assistance to districts throughout the state to guide each district toward the adoption and implementation of a district-wide, long-range budgeted plan for arts education. In 2006-07, 10 new coaches will be identified and trained, utilizing a combination of intensive training workshops (40 hours), monthly conference calls (20 hours), at-the-elbow ongoing technical assistance with a Coach Mentor (10 hours), and job shadowing with experienced coaches (10 hours). The training in facilitation methodology and strategic planning is customized for the arts education field.

Intended Outcomes:

• A cadre of well-trained coaches will be established as a planning resource for school districts
• The project and subsequent long-range plans will provide models for other school districts, both locally and nationally.

The Need for Arts Education Planning Coaches in the State of California

Research into the impact of arts education on student learning and development has yielded key findings and policies that substantiate the importance of high quality school arts programs for all students. While there is a compelling rationale for substantive and sequential arts instruction, there is a lack of any systematic arts education planning in the state of California. To our knowledge, there are approximately 40 districts, out of a possible 1,000, that have recently adopted long range budgeted arts education plans and policies. CAAE has been instrumental in guiding 15 of those districts in developing their plans.

Now, with the opportunity for statewide funding for arts education in the California state budget and increased interest in counties such as San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, Sacramento and others, CAAE seeks to field well-trained planning coaches who have the ability to assist district leadership in systematic, community-based planning in districts throughout the state. Building on a successful coaching model the CAAE developed in collaboration with the LA County Arts for All initiative, A Coach In Every Corner will position CAAE to meet an increased demand for arts education planning, given the new state funding.

The Impact of the Arts Education Planning Project on Arts Education

Specifically, the CAAE Arts Education Planning Project will further the progress of arts education by providing trained coaches to guide:

• Participating districts to develop long-range budgeted plans for implementation of a sequential, standards-based curriculum in the arts

The long-term benefits projected for education in the State of California and nationally are:

• Capacity-building of school district leadership in their efforts to develop high quality, standards-based arts education informed by broad-based engagement of stakeholders;
• Capacity-building of community organizations to understand and support school districts’ goals in implementing standards-based arts education;
• Ultimately, as plans are implemented, students will gain knowledge, experience, and appreciation of the visual and performing arts that will benefit them throughout their academic and personal lives;
• An ongoing resource for other counties and their districts in the future; and
• A model available to the other Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network’s 33 state alliances for national dissemination.

[updated 1.25.07] [top of page]