California’s draft Arts Education Framework is open for public comment. Five reasons why you should read it.

by Mary Beth Barber, reposted from Create CA

California public school students have learned visual and performing arts under a series of standards and a framework that is 20 years old. That’s about to change. The State Board of Education adopted a new series of California Arts Standards for dance, media arts, theatre, music and visual arts in January 2019, and is poised to pair that up with a new Arts Framework as well.
Professional education writers worked diligently with a team of 20 arts education advisors for months from January to August this year. The draft Arts Framework is available for a first round of public review until December 1. Here are excerpts from the five reasons why you should read the draft Arts Framework and comment before the deadline. To read the whole article, go here.

The Arts Framework will likely be in place past 2030. . The Arts Framework will be the leading guide for dance, media arts, music, theater and visual arts in California public schools… CDE published the last arts framework in 2004. This one will likely be in place for at least a decade, likely more. This is the time to have input.
How schools teach the arts shifts with the new Arts Standards. The previous Visual and Performing Arts standards had a focus on content. The newly adopted Arts Standards are grounded in arts processes with anchor standards based on these processes. This represents a significant shift…
Media Arts now stands alone. Media arts was not considered its own VAPA discipline previously…. That has changed…
Prevent unintended consequences. While instructional frameworks are advisory, most schools abide by frameworks to the letter, and the language in a framework can have far-reaching consequences….
Advocate for more arts education. The Arts Framework is not just for those who teach the arts in the classroom…The document directly addresses how to implement robust arts education in schools to further educational goals and positive school climate.

To read the various chapters, download the chapters from the California Arts Framework page from the Department of Education. Send comments to the Instructional Quality Commission through the Arts Framework Online Survey or by email to vapa@cde.ca.gov. When providing direct editorial edits or recommendations, utilize the line numbering as much as possible for straightforward consideration by the Commission.