In this commentary, Alice Wexler notes that as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) become reality, teachers have reason for concern. She contends that this reform to public education has consequently marginalized the arts and exacerbated the inequities of people in poverty and those with disabilities. Teachers, principals and, ultimately,…

When the members of Arts Education Partnership (AEP) first started thinking of how they might disseminate information about the AEP Winter Forum in New Orleans, they knew they wanted to shake up the format of a traditional Forum report. At this stage in the evolution of the Partnership, and of the arts education field as a whole, they felt they…

This article is written by three faculty mentors involved in Transforming Education through the Arts (TETAC), a 5-year effort to help reform five public schools in Ohio by integrating the arts into the curriculum. In this article, the authors discuss how art education can play a significant role in the PK-12 curriculum; create more demanding…

The curricula for preparing music specialists has remained largely unchanged for decades. In this time, most professions have moved toward preparing specialists while the music education profession has moved toward preparing generalists. The author examines how this is unrealistic and out of touch with the times and the future. Furthermore, the…

Education is never a passive, autonomous, or static activity. It manipulates, as much as it is manipulated, and reflects specific contexts. Education histories document continuities and changes over time, and are able to throw light on and inform contemporary practice. Prompted by perspectives on curriculum as a social and cultural construction,…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has changed the face of education in America. Now that the law is coming up for renewal, it is time to deal with the problems and inequities it has created. In this article, the author discusses the two factors at work that NCLB has failed to address: the student and the parent. She also discusses how art can help in…

The authors of this article contend that most doctoral students in the arts do not fully appreciate the meaning of their PhD, and that the current system of graduate education perpetuates this phenomenon, with each generation of professors passing down their understanding of the doctorate to succeeding generations. The authors argue that what is…

Considers the impact of testing on art education if it is conducted as a means to legitimate art studies. Concludes that some new art programs may be buying into a system that has produced an educational structure which alienates young people. Concludes that testing will contribute to lower levels of cognition. (GEA)

This article describes how recent changes in public support for art have diversified and expanded the role of art in everyday life. Maintains that this new presence of art in society has created the need for revitalizing art education. (JDH)

This article examines why both the individual-centered and discipline-centered approaches to art education lack social relevance. Maintains that the lack of a social orientation in these two approaches is due to our social context and our capitalistic system. Proposes that democratic principles serve as the basis of a socially relevant,…

Studio art education is being affected by dramatic changes in the art world, including the development of a postmodern aesthetic, the use of video cameras as artistic tools, the availability of better and cheaper computers for generating graphic images, and the development of alternative galleries. (IS)

The author looks back at the way she learned about art as a fourth grader in the 1930s and compares it to the sophisticated art programs of today. She concludes that she may have learned as much about art from just casual observation as art students do today. (RM)

Suggestions for reforming K-12 art education are made. The arts must be seen as basic, not as extracurricular activities. Arts in the general education curriculum should teach content, concepts, and critical appreciation skills. An interdisciplinary approach to the arts should be used. (RM)

An art class for future elementary teachers was asked to select art activities for classroom demonstration. Eighty percent selected how-to-do-it, single shot, fun-therapy, manipulations with short-term success orientations. This emphasis on the superficial and frivolous aspects of art shows the need for reexamining elementary art education…

The College Board's report "Academic Preparation for College" (APC) claims that study and performance in the arts are essential for success in college. Discussed are the APC report and its development, the APC arts statement and its evolution, and problems and prospects for implementation of the arts competencies. (RM)