07/31/2012

NC: Arts Integration Added to Teacher Prep

"Efforts to promote integration of the arts across the curriculum got a boost in North Carolina last month, when Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue signed legislation stipulating that those studying to become elementary teachers get some grounding in the concept.

The measure, contained in a broader education bill, says elementary education programs 'shall ensure' that teacher candidates 're prepared to integrate arts education across the curriculum...'

Karen Wells, the executive director of Arts North Carolina, acknowledged that it's not exactly clear yet what changes the state's measure may prompt, but she sees it as an important step.

'What it means is a hard question to answer,' she told [the author] recently. 'Knowing how to integrate the arts has always been a part of teacher standards, but it's never been required, and to me that is the big difference here.'

Wells said she also sees this as a move towards advancing further measures to enhance the arts in North Carolina schools.

'To me, we got the window open,' she said.

The legislature's action comes on the heels of an April report from the Arts Education Commission, a statewide panel appointed last year by the General Assembly.

The commission came up with several proposals for state legislation, including a call to require that all high school students earn at least one arts education credit to graduate."

Education Week Curriculum Matters blog 07/27/2012