OLYMPIA—MARCH 22, 2017—Compose a song using Dorian mode. Create an advertising campaign for a product for sale. Draw a scene from a movie that show a character’s actions or emotions.
All are suggested activities for students to demonstrate their understanding of the state’s new arts standards.
The standards were formally adopted today by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal in a ceremony at Elk Plain School of Choice (Bethel School District) in Spanaway. Deb Merle, Governor Jay Inslee’s Senior Policy Advisor, was in attendance.
“Education involves the whole child,” Reykdal said. “The arts are a part of that. They engage all learning styles, and they lead to powerful and life-long habits, such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. The arts provide our students with keys to understanding the world around them and strategies for learning, interpreting, and expressing their thoughts. I’m excited to see the kinds of artists our students may become.”
The standards include five disciplines: dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts.
For each discipline, the standards are arranged under four artistic processes: creating, performing/presenting/producing, responding, and connecting. Each standard also contains suggestions and examples of tasks students can perform to demonstrate proficiency.
The standards incorporate the National Core Arts Standards with added content developed by K–12 educators. The educators developed suggestions for students and examples to accompany the standards, which provide more specificity and practical ideas for demonstrating the knowledge and skills indicated.
The adoption process for the standards followed that of other learning standards. After a panel of statewide experts created a draft, the public was invited to comment. Finally, a bias and sensitivity review ensured that the standards are culturally sensitive and relevant.
The first set of Washington standards in the arts were published in 2011 and last updated in 2014.
About OSPI
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington state. Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200.