Given the necessary attention required to ensure that every K-12 learner has access to quality Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), equally important is the assurance that their teachers are effectively prepared to provide excellent art education experiences. Unfortunately, the literature indicates that many are unprepared in this area (Oreck, 2004;…

Influenced by film and television exposure, the student designer tends to be camera oriented and two-dimensional in creating theatrical sets. This paper outlines six visual projects designed to help students develop a selective visual sense for dealing with the three-dimensional aspects of the stage. The projects include the following activities:…

An arts festival at Helen J. Stewart School, Las Vegas, Nevada, a public school for students with all ranges of mental retardation, features participatory workshops, performances, and a variety of other "arts happenings." The festival is an outgrowth of a creative arts curriculum which promotes art, music, dance, and drama. Planning is extensive…

In his keynote address, "Art the Effective Language", Ernest L. Boyer argues that education in the arts is crucial for five essential reasons: (1) The arts express what words cannot convey; (2) The arts are essential for stirring creativity and extending the student's way of knowing; (3) The arts integrate learning and create connections…

A study examining the competencies, experiences, and skills desired of administrators and counselors of performing and visual arts schools is described in this paper. Survey questionnaires were mailed to administrators and counselors at 189 schools in the United States. A total of 64 surveys were returned. Findings indicate that administrators…

Responds to "Toward Civilization, A Report on Arts Education" by the National Endowment for the Arts, published in May, 1988. Examines implications of the report for drama education as part of the curriculum in elementary school, focusing on the purposes of understanding civilization and developing aesthetic literacy in drama. (MM)

Many educators concerned with the quality and quantity of arts education believe that collaboration among the disciplines is necessary to improve conditions. Current probable visions for the future of visual art education are cloudy because of ambiguity surrounding the concept of collaboration. In order to explore this concept, this paper is…

This paper makes six assertions concerning the artist as experimenter and the means by which artists progress from experiment to experiment. (1) The family resemblances typically cited between the arts and the sciences are trivial, tend to be wish-fulfilling analyses of the common logic of art and science, and promise more than they can deliver.…

A descriptive study investigated the use of an arts-based core curriculum as an alternate teaching model in all content areas with populations diverse in ability, disability and culture. Quantitative demographics and 52.6 hours of audio, video, still photo, and running record data were completed in 44 classrooms (n=545 students) from preschool…

This study compared the areas of talent and career aspirations of boys and girls in Year 7 (n=398) and Year 11 (n=240) samples in a middle class metropolitan area in Australia. Students nominated the high school subject in which they saw themselves as being most talented, and current perceptions of talent in relation to each of their high school…

Findings from a study that examined effective administrators of schools for the visual and performing arts with respect to personality characteristics, leadership style, and administrative context are presented in this paper. Questionnaires mailed to 36 administrators of schools for the visual and performing arts in the United States and Canada…

This document, part of a series of papers which describe the assessment of student learning in various school curriculum areas from prekindergarten through grade 12, focuses on the assessment of student learning in fine arts education. After an overview of current curriculum goals in fine arts education, subsequent sections describe…

This paper expresses the need for the federal government, specifically the U.S. Office of Education, to promote the cause of the arts in education. The Office of Education needs to declare that art is an essential part of the common core of education, particularly at this time, when there is growing skepticism concerning the effectiveness of…

The evaluation design and findings for nine demonstration school participating in the Indiana Comprehensive Plan for the Arts in Education are reviewed. Each school developed a quality arts education curriculum and shared their approaches with affiliated schools in their networks. The program evaluation design focused on program implementation and…

This investigation examined students attending U.S. and Canadian visual and performing arts secondary schools for distinguishing personality characteristics, locus of control, acceptance of talents, labeling, family dynamics, anxiety levels, perceived personal and school problems, and views of peers, artists/teachers, and counselors. One hundred…