Schools and districts have long grappled with race- and disability-based exclusionary discipline inequities. Research on the topic has uncovered a variety of systems that maintain such disparities, including school policies and practices that exacerbate the problem. Researchers and practitioners have increasingly considered school context and…

Like many school systems in economically stressed parts of the country, the Everett, Mass., school district had cut back on arts instruction over the years, to the point where most students were getting only a single art class per week. But since 2013, and thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Everett has designed and…

This case study is one of twenty cases derived from Anderson and Risner's international study of teaching artists in dance, and theatre, which investigated participants' (n=172) artistic and academic preparation in dance, and theatre, initial entry into the teaching artist field, rewards, challenges, and obstacles in participants' work, artists'…

The following dramatized classroom scenario depicts a teacher struggling with the nature of an inclusive learning environment, with instructional leadership and supervision of instruction as the theoretical and practical backdrop. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the use of a TAR (theatre as representation) case study can be used…

The challenges and joys of presenting high school and middle school musicals are myriad--and, due to the many variables involved, often unlike those of choral concerts, band concerts, or just about anything else that one may encounter as a teacher. With so many moving parts, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if one is new to the game. In…

To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…

This article examines relationships among process, product, and playmaking in a southeastern playwriting and performance program for teen girls, Playmaking for Girls (PFG). The authors have chosen to focus on tensions between process and product. Such tensions are present in the challenges teachers experience when privileging student-centered…

In this article, the author describes a collaboration between The Actors' Fund of America and 12 schools in the South Bronx. The true purpose of the STARRR (Substitute Teachers for the Arts and 3Rs) program was to establish relationships between artists and schools. Three years later, the author sees the results of those relationships: so many…

Relates a middle school teacher's experiences at an ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association) conference in Budapest, including viewing or participating in short performances, small ensemble work, and workshops. Describes her activities in the movement workshop. (PA)

Divides choral teaching into four steps: analysis, lesson-plan derivation, rehearsal, and evaluation. Reveals that moving from the evaluation step back to the lesson-plan step is a continual process which leads to the culminating experience of performance. States that effective instruction derives from thoughtful preparation, execution, and…

Describes a yearlong project at 12 Catholic middle schools in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, to incorporate the plays of William Shakespeare into the curriculum. Teachers attended university lectures and directed students in performances of the plays. Concludes that Shakespeare can be understood and enjoyed by middle school students. (BCY)

Describes a seminar for middle school and junior high school teachers held in March 1989 subtitled "Education through Drama, the Dorothy Heathcote Way" in which the ideas and methods of well-known British drama educator Dorothy Heathcote were presented. (SR)

Offers an edited version of an online dialog between two theatre educators: one a middle school math teacher who was asked to take over his school's elective theatre class on five days notice; and the other a long-time middle school theatre teacher. (SR)

Relates how a professor, for a Theater in Education project in British Columbia, produced and directed "No More Secrets," focusing on preventing child sexual abuse. States that grades five through eight were targeted to transfer learning about sexual abuse, and to tap the emotional experiences of the child to encourage disclosure. (PA)

Proposes a "scene festival" to get students interested in doing Shakespeare. Suggests that middle school students are best suited for such a project. Discusses the different types of festivals, how to get ready, how to choose a play and scenes, how to prepare and cast scenes, how to proceed with staging, and how to create promptbooks.…