Meeting of the Board of Regents | April 2010

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

TO:	Higher Education Committee
FROM:	Joseph P. Frey
SUBJECT:	Endorsement for Elementary Level Teachers to Teach Visual and Performing Arts
DATE:	April 19, 2010
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Discussion

Should the Board of Regents consider amending regulations to provide for the ability of Early Childhood teachers to qualify for an extension to teach the visual and performing arts?  The New York City Department of Education has requested that we examine this option.

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Review of Regulation and Policy. 

Proposed Handling

This item will come before the Higher Education Committee for discussion at its April 2010 meeting.  The Department will, based on feedback from the Regents, present the Committee with proposed regulatory amendments to create one or more annotations in the area of arts education.

Procedural History

              Part 80-1.1 of the Commissioner’s Regulations defines common branch subjects as meaning any or all of the subjects usually included in the daily program of an elementary school classroom such as arithmetic, civics, visual arts, elementary science, English language, geography, history, hygiene, physical activities, practical arts, reading, music, writing, and such other similar subjects.  Part 100 of the Regulations specifies that elementary school instruction in the arts can be offered by the classroom teacher.  Part 52.21(b) of the Regulations currently requires that all teachers must complete study in a general education core that includes study in artistic expression but no additional pre-service preparation is required for arts instruction in programs leading to NYS early childhood teacher certification.  

Background Information

              Thirty-nine (39) percent of New York City Department of Education elementary schools report providing arts instruction in all four arts disciplines (dance, music, theater and visual arts) to all grades served K-5.  This creates a situation where arts instruction may be delivered by teachers who have had no training in the arts and the quality of the arts instruction is adversely impacted.

              One solution would be to allow for teachers in early childhood grades to complete substantial arts teaching preparation that could lead to an early elementary (grades PreK-2) arts annotation.  Based on similar models for Teaching Languages Other than English in the elementary school and Gifted and Talented extensions, the coursework of 12 to 15 credits would focus on age and developmentally appropriate content and integrated arts instruction in dance, music, theater and visual arts that would attend to the New York State Learning Standards for students.  Appendix A contains an overview of the elementary expectations as identified in the Learning Standards for students in the Arts.  Persons seeking this annotation could also be required to pass a New York State Teacher Certification Examination of knowledge and skills in this area. 

Limiting these extension certificates to early elementary grades teaching is suggested so as not to undercut the instruction delivered by certified dance, music, theater and visual arts teachers in upper elementary grades.  The Department would request early childhood teacher preparation program providers to develop an arts preparation component that would enable those prospective teachers, wishing to receive a teaching art in early childhood grades extension, to take a sequence of courses developed to improve their preparation in teaching visual and performing arts to their students.  This coursework would align with the expectations of the New York State Learning Standards for elementary level dance, music, theater and visual arts.   

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents endorse the policy direction on a possible annotation in the arts, or in specific visual and performing arts areas, in the area of early childhood arts.

Timetable for Implementation

If the Regents endorse annotations for early childhood teachers, the Department will draft needed regulations for discussion and action for consideration at a future meeting.

Appendix A: New York State Learning Standards for the Arts

Standard 1 - Creating, Performing, and Participating in The Arts

Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts.

Elementary - Dance

Students will:

• identify and demonstrate movement elements and skills (such as bend, twist, slide, skip, hop)
• demonstrate ways of moving in relation to people, objects, and environments in set dance forms
• create and perform simple dances based on their own movement ideas

Elementary - Music

Students will:

• create short pieces consisting of sounds from a variety of traditional, electronic, and nontraditional sound sources
• sing songs and play instruments, maintaining tone quality, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and dynamics; perform the music expressively; and sing or play simple repeated patterns (ostinatos) with familiar songs, rounds, partner songs, and harmonizing parts
• read simple standard notation in performance, and follow vocal or keyboard scores in listening
• in performing ensembles, read very easy/easy music (New York State School Music Association [NYSSMA] level I-II) and respond appropriately to the gestures of the conductor
• identify and use, in individual and group experiences, some of the roles, processes, and actions used in performing and composing music of their own and others

Elementary - Theater

Students will:

• use creative drama to communicate ideas and feelings
• imitate experiences through pantomime, play making, dramatic play, story dramatization, story telling, and role playing
• use language, voice, gesture, movement, and observation to express their experiences and communicate ideas and feelings
• use basic props, simple set pieces, and costume pieces to establish place, time, and character for the participants
• identify and use in individual and group experiences some of the roles, processes, and actions for performing and creating theatre pieces and improvisational drama

 

 

Elementary - Visual Arts

Students will:

• experiment and create art works, in a variety of mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, video, and computer graphics), based on a range of individual and collective experiences
• develop their own ideas and images through the exploration and creation of art works based on themes, symbols, and events
• understand and use the elements and principles of art (line, color, texture, shape) in order to communicate their ideas
• reveal through their own art work understanding of how art mediums and techniques influence their creative decisions
• identify and use, in individual and group experiences, some of the roles and means for designing, producing, and exhibiting art works

 

 

Standard 2 - Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in arts in various roles.

 

Elementary – Dance

Students will:

• demonstrate knowledge of dance resources in video, photography, print, and live performance
• understand the concept of live performance and appropriate conduct
• demonstrate a knowledge of dance-related careers (e.g., dancer, choreographer, composer, lighting designer, historian, teacher)

Elementary - Music

Students will:

• use classroom and nontraditional instruments in performing and creating music
• construct instruments out of material not commonly used for musical instruments
• use current technology to manipulate sound
• identify the various settings in which they hear music and the various resources that are used to produce music during a typical week; explain why the particular type of music was used
• demonstrate appropriate audience behavior, including attentive listening, in a variety of musical settings in and out of school
• discuss ways that music is used by various members of the community

Elementary - Theatre

Students will:

• visit theatres, theatre-related facilities, and/or touring companies to observe aspects of theatrical production
• use the library/media center of their school or community to find story dramatization material or other theatre-related materials and to view videotapes of performances
• attend theatrical performances in their school and demonstrate appropriate audience behavior
• speak with theatre professionals about how they prepare for and perform their jobs

Elementary - Visual Arts

Students will:

• understand the characteristics of various mediums (two-dimensional, three-dimensional, electronic images) in order to select those that are appropriate for their purposes and intent
• develop skills with electronic media as a means of expressing visual ideas
• know about some cultural institutions (museums and galleries) and community opportunities (art festivals) for looking at original art and talking to visiting artists, to increase their understanding of art
• give examples of adults who make their living in the arts professions

 

Standard 3 - Responding To and Analyzing Works of Art

Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Elementary - Dance

Students will:

• demonstrate knowledge of words and symbols (kinetic, visual, tactile, aural and olfactory) that describe movement
• express to others their understanding of specific dance performances, using appropriate language to describe what they have seen and heard

Elementary - Music

Students will:

• through listening, identify the strengths and weaknesses of specific musical works and performances, including their own and others’
• describe the music in terms related to basic elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, form, style, etc.
• discuss the basic means by which the voice and instruments can alter pitch, loudness, duration, and timbre
• describe the music’s context in terms related to its social and psychological functions and settings (e.g., roles of participants, effects of music, uses of music with other events or objects, etc.)
• describe their understandings of particular pieces of music and how they relate to their surroundings

Elementary - Theatre

Students will:

• discuss their understanding, interpretation, and evaluation of a theatrical performance, using basic theatre terminology
• identify the use of other art forms in theatre productions
• explain the relationship of theatre to film and video

Elementary - Visual Arts

Students will:

• explain their reflections about the meanings, purposes, and sources of works of art; describe their responses to the works and the reasons for those responses
• explain the visual and other sensory qualities (surfaces, colors, textures, shape, sizes, volumes) found in a wide variety of art works
• explain the themes that are found in works of visual art and how the art works are related to other forms of art (dance, music, theatre, etc.)
• explain how ideas, themes, or concepts in the visual arts are expressed in other disciplines (e.g., mathematics, science, literature, social studies, etc.)

 

Standard 4 - Understanding The Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of The Arts

Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

Elementary - Dance

Students will:

• identify basic dance movements that are typical of the major world cultures
• explain the settings and circumstances in which dance is found in their lives and those of others, both past and present

Elementary - Music

Students will:

• identify when listening, and perform from memory, a basic repertoire of folk songs/dances and composed songs from the basic cultures that represent the peoples of the world
• identify the titles and composers of well-known examples of classical concert music and blues/jazz selections
• identify the primary cultural, geographical, and historical settings for the music they listen to and perform

Elementary - Theatre

Students will:

• dramatize stories and folk tales from various cultures
• engage in drama/theatre activities including music, dance, and games which reflect other cultures and ethnic groups
• discuss how classroom theatre activities relate to their lives

Elementary - Visual Arts

Students will:

• look at and discuss a variety of art works and artifacts from world cultures to discover some important ideas, issues, and events of those cultures
• look at a variety of art works and artifacts from diverse cultures of the United States and identify some distinguishing characteristics
• create art works that show the influence of a particular culture