BTSALGWHAT THE HECK IS THAT?

Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Grant

• Starting this fall, public and charter elementary schools throughout Utah are adding highly qualified arts specialists to the classroom. The additional instructors are part of a new education program, dubbed the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program (BTSALP) after the Utah philanthropist, arts activist, and founder of the arts education foundation, art works for kids!, of the same name. In a move unprecedented in Utah and across most of the nation, the 2008 Utah State Legislature funded four years of this cutting-edge program in response to public concern regarding the state of public education and the loss of the arts in elementary schools. In participating elementary school classrooms, highly qualified arts specialists and classroom teachers use innovative methods to collaborate on the development of grade-appropriate, effective lessons that not only teach dance, music, theatre, or the visual arts, but core curriculum subject matter as well.

GOALS FOR BTSLAG

• Professional Development (PD) Implementation Plan

• PD Goals for Year One• Implementation of Side-By-Side Model • Increased integration of arts in other core

subject matters• Additional skill/educational training in the art

form for the specialist

2008-2009• University partners will have the responsibility to collaborate with

BTS arts specialists, the school arts team, and the District Arts Coordinator (where available) to:

• Create an individual professional development portfolio for each BTS Arts Specialist and participating school. The portfolio will include:

– individual artistic goals for each BTS specialist – skill performance assessments (evaluation of student performance in

the art form)– samples of student work– weekly instructional plans – examples of integration of arts into academic learning• evidence of the side-by-side model implementation

WILSON’S GOALS• Implementation of Side-by-Side Teaching Model

schedule accommodating K-6th grade classes each (5 day) week.

• Implementation of a communication system between art specialist, teacher and community.

• Establish procedures for displaying students’ artwork on a regular basis – the goal being Woodrow Wilson Elementary is presented as a model school for the visual arts available for student gallery strolls.

• Successfully host a public spring evening of art celebrating visual arts and multimedia produced by Woodrow Wilson Students

SIDE-BY-SIDE TEACHING MODEL• Classroom teachers and arts specialists work together to design curriculum

that is rigorous in the art form and in other areas of the curriculum, i.e. science, math, and language arts.

• Arts specialists model teaching with best practices. • Classroom teacher participates and creates their own art alongside their

students. • With the assistance of the arts specialists, classroom teachers plan and

teach a section of the arts class. Arts specialists participate with students. • The side-by-side model includes weekly instruction and regular 15-30

minute conferences with grade level teams to determine arts integration into other subjects.

• The side-by-side model includes a final “INFORMANCE” or exhibit (visual art) where the entire school and parents observe the art form created by students.

• The principal, arts specialists, classroom teacher and students articulate what has taken place in the arts education classes to help their “audience” understand what they have been studying, learning, and creating.

SCHEDULE

• Candidates for every other week?• Schedule 2 grade levels for certain months at

a time?• No make ups?• Teacher suggestions & concerns about current

schedule***I am serving 30 classes per week – most other visual

arts specialists are serving between 13 & 16 MAX***

ARTS COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS

DISPLAYING WORK

• Need to finish photo wall• Need to frame as much student work as

possible• Use lockers when you can• Suggestion: Teacher name, student name on

back of everything – could I get the best 3 picks of each project from each teacher? I will display be concept/project.

STORING ARTWORK

• Portfolios stay in classroom?• Portfolios are brought to art room?• How are teachers saving work for school art

night?

TEACHER CONCERNS

• Portfolios?• Aprons?• Sketchbooks (not optional)• Schedule?

ART/LITERATURE PROJECT

• December tree (not seasonal)• Literature theme (celebrating an author or

literature source for each class)• To be unveiled…• Ideas?

WISH LIST

• FRAMES• CARDBOARD STATUES (for business partners)• See wish list on Art4Cast Wiki

ART NIGHT

• Needs to be on committee agenda• Date???• Theme???• # of matts needed and what size? Let me

know before winter break• Teachers are responsible for setting up class

display boards – be saving class art projects