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Arts Archived
“Walk to School Annual Writing Contest”
October 2007
The NYS Partnership for Walk Our Children to School sponsors an annual writing contest to promote walkable communities that can create safer and healthier children and adults. Each year students in elementary grades 1-5 are invited to participate in the contest. Finalists will receive a prize package, which includes a “Certificate of Achievement.”
The NYS Partnership members are: New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee New York State Department of Transportation Be Active New York State
To find out more about this program, go to: www.nyswalks.org or www.walktoschool.org
HIGH SCHOOL MEDIA CONTEST TO PROMOTE JURY SERVICE
(September 2007)
The New York State Unified Court System is planning a statewide expansion of its Annual High School Media Contest to Promote Jury Service. The contest involves high school students in creatively learning about the jury system while developing various components of a media campaign for raising public awareness about the importance of serving as a juror. With teacher's guidance, students can create posters, public service announcements, juror orientation videos, Internet banners, or redesign a jury summons.
High School teachers are invited to review the current academic (2006-07) year's categories and guidelines at http://www.nyjuror.gov/contest, although the deadline to participate has past. On the website teachers may sign up to receive next academic (2007-08) year's information for student participation.
SUMMARY OF ARTS
PROVISIONS
IN PART 100 OF COMMISSIONER’S REGULATIONS
(November 2005)
A revised "Summary of the Arts (Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts) Provisions in the Part 100 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education" has been produced. The Summary provides an overview of the Arts requirements in the Commissioner’s Regulations with related policies, recommendations, guidelines, procedures, and charts. This version incorporates changes that have taken place over the last five years, including the new Middle Level requirements (CR 100.3 & 100.4) and technical changes to CR 100.5(d)(2). The Summary is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/arts/artsummary.html
Middle Level Indicators of
Achievement Checklists
for the Non-Tested Content Areas
(August 2005)
The Middle Level Indicators of Achievement Checklists for the Non-Tested Content Areas are now available. You may access an introductory memorandum and the checklists in HTML format at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/rss/mle/clmemo.htm. The checklists are also available in Word and PDF format at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/rss/mle/mlehome.html.
In February 2005, the Board of Regents approved a three-model (Models A, B and C) strategy to implement the Regents Policy Statement on Middle Level Education. To support school districts and their schools with middle grades, regardless of which model they implement, the Department developed the Middle Level Indicators of Achievement Checklists. Local school administrators and instructional staff can use the checklists to determine strengths and opportunities for improvement in the content areas of Family and Consumer Sciences-Home and Career Skills, Health Education, Library Media, Music Education, Physical Education, Technology Education and Visual Arts Education, and to facilitate student achievement of the New York State Learning Standards.
THEATRE: A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR
STANDARDS-BASED INSTRUCTION
(November 2004)
The Department, in collaboration with the New York State Theatre Education Association (NYSTEA), has produced a new publication entitled: Theatre: A Resource Guide for Standards-Based Instruction. The guide’s purpose is to assist educators in implementing the State’s Learning Standards for the Arts in Theatre. The document’s main body contains the Theatre Performance Indicators with listings of student knowledge/skills, encapsulated instructional ideas, and suggested assessments. These materials are presented in grade level groupings of PreK-2; 3-4; 5-6; 7-8; Commencement General Education; and Commencement Major Sequence (9-12). The guide contains additional materials for developing and delivering an effective instructional program.
ARTS ARE
A CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECT UNDER
THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT (NCLB)
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige recently reinforced the value of arts education in the schools. His July 2004 letter acknowledged the arts as core subjects under NCLB, spoke to the importance of arts education programs, and provided resources for arts education. You may access his letter at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/040701.html.
TECHNICAL CHANGES TO CR 100.5(d)(2) APPROVED
At its November 13-14, 2003 meeting the Board of Regents approved technical changes to section 100.5(d)(2)(i) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. The action clarifies requirements in the visual arts and/or music, dance or theatre to provide students who enter grade 9 after 2001 with course options, such as participating in a school’s major performing group or in an advanced out-of–school activity. These alternatives have been used by previous students and are now available to current and future students for satisfying the one unit of credit high school diploma requirement in the Arts (visual arts, music, dance and theatre).
View the revised regulatory language and related policy statements
ARTS ASSESSMENTS UPDATE
May 21, 2003
The New York State High School (Grade 9) Arts Assessments in dance, music, theatre and visual arts have been developed, field-tested, and scored. Currently, the Office of State Assessment is statistically analyzing the results. Pending positive results the assessments will undergo standard setting and finalization of forms. When completed the assessments will be available for voluntary implementation by local school districts.
Arts Assessments—Frequently Asked Questions
The purpose of the New York State High School (Grade 9) Arts Assessments in dance, music, theatre and visual arts is to determine the extent to which individual students achieve the knowledge and skills specified in the Learning Standards for the Arts at the Commencement General Education Level. There is a separate assessment form for each of the four disciplines.
There is no plan to make the Arts Assessment a State required examination. The tests when finalized are for voluntary use by local school districts.
Each assessment contains a range of items including multiple choice, constructed response, performance event and performance/portfolio tasks related to dance, music, theatre or visual arts. Sample items, scoring guides and proposed contents (e.g. draft structure, assessment standards percentages, etc.) can be found in the High School (Grade 9) Arts Assessment Test Sample Draft April 2001.
The dance, music, theatre and visual arts assessment field-test results are being statistically analyzed. Pending positive results, the assessments will undergo standard setting and be readied for voluntary implementation.