Questions

By: Hannah Tricamo

Visual Art education in the United States and

Chicago

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Questions

History

Benefits of Art

Education

Art Education

in Chicago

Today

How Art is Being Taught

Museums and Community

Organizations

Questions• What is the history of arts education in the United

States?• What are the benefits of art education?• What is the state of art education in Chicago?• How is visual art taught in schools?• How are elementary school teachers accommodating

after recent changes in art education?• What roles do museums and community

organizations in Chicago play in art education?

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How I conducted my inquiry

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• I observed art classes at South Loop Elementary with two art teachers• I observed art classes at Blaine Elementary (an arts

magnet school)• I researched the history of art education, benefits

of art education, and museums/community organizations through internet websites, books, news articles, and publications from local and national organizations

How does this apply to FND 510?

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•This project examines how art education relates to:• “Key turning points in American educational history”• “The process of change and the political, economic, and

ideological underpinnings of reform in American schools over time”• “No Child Left Behind: Politics, assumptions, advantages

and controversies”• “Pedagogical practices of imagination and arts”

History of Art Education in the US

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Art education in the United States has had both advancements and setbacks from the Late 19th Century to the present

History of Art Education in the US, continued

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National Standards for Visual Arts Education• 1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes• 2. Using knowledge of structures and functions• 3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols,

and ideas• 4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures• 5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of

their work and the work of others• 6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines *These goals are expanded upon for each grade level

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Examples of multicultural art

projects

Illinois State Goals for Visual Arts Education

• 25. Know the language of the arts. • 26. Through creating and performing,

understand how works of art are produced.• 27. Understand the role of the arts in

civilizations past and present. *These goals are expanded upon for each

grade level

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Lessons the Arts teach

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• The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail.

• The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.

• The arts celebrate multiple perspectives, teaching students that there are many ways to see the world.

• The arts teach children complex forms of problem solving and require the ability to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds

• The arts teach children that words and numbers do not define the limits of our cognition

• The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said through emotional feelings• The arts position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults

believe is important

From Ten Lessons the Arts Teach By Elliot Eisner (2002)

Benefits of Art Education to At-Risk Youth

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• “The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth” study by the National Endowment for the Arts found: – Socially and economically disadvantaged children and

teenagers who have high levels of arts engagement or arts learning show more positive outcomes in a variety of areas (grades, test scores, high school graduation, college enrollment and achievement) than their low-arts-engaged peers

– At-risk teenagers or young adults with a history of intensive arts experiences show achievement levels closer to, and in some cases exceeding, the levels shown by the general population studied.

The state of art education in Chicago

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The art teachers I spoke with said that

not all principals value art education highly.

CPS Art Education Plan• Recent news “CPS gets $1 million for Arts Education Plan”

– Strategies for increased art education to begin 2013-2014– Goal: Dedicated weekly arts instructional time of 120 minutes for

elementary students and increased art credit options for high school students

– Goal: Significant increase in professional development and training for teachers, principals, and arts partners

– Goal: Increased community partnerships for schools– Goal: Increased funding assistance and strategies to ensure arts

instruction in every school, including diversifying the types of arts offerings in schools and increasing dedicated supplies and resources

– More info on the CPS Arts Education Plan can be found HERE• CPS published the

Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Arts as a resource to teachers to enhance their curriculum

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Art and No Child Left Behind• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) holds states accountable for English and

math. Art is listed as part of the core curriculum, but states are not required to report on instruction time or assessment data

• In “What is Measured is Treasured: The Impact of NCLB on Non-assessed Subjects,” Patricia Pederson found a reduction in resources and time for non-tested subject areas (like the arts)

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From the No Child Left Behind Act

Art and No Child Left Behind• In “Public School Teachers Describe a Narrowing Curriculum” the Farkas

Duffett Research Group found:

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Art and No Child Left Behind• In “Public School Teachers Describe a Narrowing Curriculum” the Farkas

Duffett Research Group found:

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How is art taught? DBAE• Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) is a

comprehensive art education approach that has four components:– Production: Creating works of art– History: Encountering the historical and cultural

background of works of art – Aesthetics: Discovering the nature and philosophy of art– Criticism: making informed judgments about art

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• A goal of DBAE is to integrate the arts into other subjects and to create a standardized evaluation process

• DBAE attempts to develop student’s ability to understand and appreciate art using knowledge of theories and contexts of art, and to respond to and create art

How is art taught? DBAE

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Mrs. R at Blaine Elementary was teaching her 6th grade class

about movement in art. She starts each lesson with a

presentation to give students a historical background. The

Degas painting to the right was used as an example of

movement.

6th grade student’s artwork. Mrs. R had students do

multiple projects related to movement, including a

collage, a wire sculpture, and a sketchbook of drawings they did of

students on the playground.

How is art taught? TAB• Teaching for Artistic Behaviors (TAB) is a choice-based art education approach• Students are given a variety of materials and ample time and space

to respond to their own ideas and interests through their artwork– TAB art teachers often create “Centers” in the classroom for different

types of art. Ex. painting, drawing, printmaking, etc.– TAB teachers usually instruct students in each of the types of materials so

they have basic knowledge of how to use them. In TAB, teachers act as guides to student’s education

• TAB regards students as artists and encourages independent thinking

• Students are assessed on their perseverance, planning, experimenting, studio habits, and progress

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How is art taught? TAB

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One of three “centers” in Ms. C’s art class at South Loop

Elementary. Students could choose between painting,

drawing, and weaving.

A 2nd grade student’s WOW piece. Ms. C had students

choose two pieces per quarter that they were

proud of. They were required to describe their artwork, how they made

it , and where they got the idea

Today, some Chicago school’s art programs are flourishing

• I visited a fine arts magnet school to compare art programs in Chicago. Although this school as classified as a fine arts magnet school, the music teacher lost his classroom last year and teaches on a cart. This school is at 140% capacity.

• Students at Blaine Elementary get two one-hour art classes per week for 3 quarters.

• Art teachers in Chicago administer a standardized art performance test (REACH) to evaluate student growth and teacher effectiveness. A middle school level test requires students to “create a sketch that promotes safety with images and text and utilize 1 element and 1 principal of art.” They must also explain their idea and sketch.

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Blaine Elementary has 1 full time art teacher who has her own art classroom. She has a

Promethean Board, a kiln, multiple drying racks, a sink,

and plenty of storage space for supplies

How are schools accommodating?• Many schools in Chicago have limited

art programs. Teachers have lost classrooms and have been cut to part-time.

• Some art teachers bring their materials to student’s general education classrooms on a cart.

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South Loop Elementary has 1 full time art teacher and 1

part- time art teacher. Both teach “Art on a Cart” and operate out of the library

storage room.

• A few negative aspects of “Art on a Cart” that I observed:– Students were sitting at their usual desks and were often distracted by the

things around them– Teachers must be highly organized and must prepare materials on the cart

for their classes for the entire day– General education classes often do not have sinks. One teacher avoided

using paint and other messy art materials in her classes.– There is very little space to store art supplies when not in use – Students do not have the resources or space to work in every medium. For

example, ceramics and types of printmaking

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How are schools accommodating?

How are schools accommodating?

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A makeshift place for students to turn in their art assignments, since

there is no art classroom at South Loop Elementary

The art storage room and office for art teachers at South Loop Elementary.

Space for additional supplies is limited.

How are general education teachers accommodating?

• 8% of Chicago schools do not receive funded positions for music or arts teachers

• General education teachers integrate art lessons into math, science, social studies, and language arts lessons

• The Kennedy Center’s “Education Through the Arts” program offers resources for general education teachers to integrate arts education into their everyday lessons – Free lesson plans to integrate the arts into other subjects are

available on their website– Students construct and demonstrate understanding of a

subject through an art form

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Art Integration

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This poster integrates the arts into a

Language Arts lesson. Each picture

represents a type of figurative language.

Often art teachers are expected to integrate other subjects (math,

language arts, science) into their lessons to reinforce the core subjects. I believe that teaching other subjects through the arts gets students more

excited about learning. But, we need to be careful not to downplay the importance of the arts in and of

themselves.

Museums and Community Organizations

• There are many museums and community organizations in the Chicago area that work to supplement the lack of art education in some schools

• These organizations provide resources to teachers, school, and families

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Museum: Art Institute of Chicago• Student tours of the museum (Docent-led

and teacher-led) • Professional development programs for

teachers– Annual Curriculum Fair– Workshops and Seminars

• Online educator resources– Database of museum collection with

information on each piece– Multimedia- Audio and video of lectures, panel

discussions, behind the scenes at the museum, etc.

– Artwork resource packets, teacher manuals, and interactive websites

• Hosts 2,000 school groups from Chicago and Illinois, with ¼ from CPS

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This teaching guide from the Art Institute includes

a lesson on art vocabulary and multiple

projects for students that relate to artwork in

the museum

Museum: Chicago Children’s Museum

• Founded in 1982 in response to program cutbacks in CPS• Mission: to improve children’s lives by creating a

community where play an learning connect• Field trips available for a fee• Kraft Artabounds Studio is the museum’s arts and crafts

studio that offers a variety of workshops throughout the week for pre-K and elementary school children

• Online Educator Resources:– Home and classroom activity guides– Lesson plans for educators

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Kraft Artabounds Studio offers around 44 workshops per

week. One example: “Examine the many properties of natural

materials as you build a sculpture with twigs, rocks, and

shells

Museums• Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art

– Artist-led workshops for teachers to help integrate contemporary art in their classrooms

– Field trips: free tours for Illinois schools, grades 1-12. Hands-on art making workshops and in-gallery writing/ drawing exercises are also available

– Free lesson plans– Online database of museum collection

• Museums across the country, and even the world, offer resources for teaching visual art on their websites. Most have databases of their collections and many offer free lesson plans and activities

• Check out the Lourve’s educational site HERE

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Community Programs• Programs throughout Chicago offer after-school, weekend, and summer

learning opportunities in the arts. Some learning opportunities are free and some are for a fee

• CPS has partnered with over 300 arts organizations and teaching artists to enhance art education in schools

• Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE)– Mission: To bring artists and educators together to provide art education in an

integrated curriculum– Provides professional development for current teachers– CAPE reaches 5,000 students K-12 in 49 Chicago Public Schools

• Urban Gateways – Mission: To deliver high quality arts programs led by trained and experienced

professional artists. Programs include touring performances, family and community workshops, and professional development for educators

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Community Programs• Community Art Centers (Hyde Park, Beverley, South Chicago, etc)

– The South Chicago Art Center’s mission is to provide youth with an accessible, safe place to participate in quality visual arts programs.

– Provides in-school programs for local public schools through artist residencies

– Provides after-school programs at the art center and in libraries/ community centers in other under-served neighborhoods. These include both structured classes and open studio time

– Provides adult workshops as a way for parents to learn visual arts techniques that can be shared with their children

– Teacher Professional Development Workshops to help teachers incorporate art into their academic curriculum

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Websites• Teaching for Artistic Behaviors Website• Discipline-Based Art Education Website • Chicago Public Schools Arts Education Plan 2012• Illinois Goals for Visual Arts

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Publications• The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve by the Chicago Teachers Union• Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement by NASAA• The Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Arts• Arts Education Navigator: Facts and Figures by Americans for the Arts• National Standards for Visual Arts Education• The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth by the National Endowment fo

r the Arts• Public School Teachers Describe a Narrowing Curriculum

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Crayola. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.crayola.com/about-us/crayon-chronology.aspx

Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind, In Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). Yale University Press.

Goals 2000: Educate America Act.1994. P.L. 103-227. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/GOALS2000/TheAct/sec102.html

Greenough, S. (2000). Modern art and america: Alfred stieglitz and his new york galleries. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art.

Heilig, J. V., Cole, H., & Angelica, A. (2010). From dewey to no child left behind: The evolution and devolution of public arts education. Arts Education Policy Review, 111, 136-145.

National art education association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.arteducators.org/about-us

Pederson, P. V. (2007). What is measured is treasured the impact of the no child left behind act on nonassessed subjects. The Clearing House, 80(6), 287-291.

Smith, P. (1996). The history of American art education. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Press.

References for Timeline