The State Department of Education and the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education has sponsored the first ever Iowa Fine Arts Education Summit. This meeting is a result of new standards for fine arts education in the state including dance, media arts, music, visual arts, and theater. The standards focus on artistic processes rather than academic testing. The processes include creating, responding, presenting, and connecting, according to the Iowa Department of Education. 

The Summit featured break-out sessions on applying standards to the various disciplines, and discussions on using popular music to engage young students with music they already like, and how educators can focus on creating, and presenting the arts.

At the Summit, Sarah Backstrom of Hubbard Ratcliffe Schools said, "I'm really hoping to learn more about how to apply those standards within my classroom. I'm hoping to connect with other teachers and find out what they're doing, what things have been succesful, and what things haven't been." 

These new standards are voluntary, but it is hoped to give educators a better way to measure student progress in artistic classes.