Dance, music, theater, and visual arts are everywhere in life, adding depth and dimension to the environment and shaping people's experiences, often deeply and subtly. This Arizona standards guide is based on the premise that all students will achieve the essentials level in the four arts disciplines (the aforementioned music, visual arts, theater, and dance) and attain the proficiency level in at least one form on or before graduation from high school. All levels are built upon previous levels, and since students will achieve the proficiency level at different ages or rates, schools will provide curriculum to allow students who go beyond proficiency to study at the distinction level. The guide is divided into the following sections: (1) "Rationale Statement for the Arts"; (2)"Research Supporting the Value of the Arts as Core Subjects"; (3) "Music"; (4) "Visual Arts"; (5) "Theatre"; (6) "Dance"; and (7) "Arts Glossary." Each arts discipline in the guide presents several standards to be achieved by students in levels from kindergarten, grades 1-3, grades 4-8, and grades 9-12. (BT)