The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) has released the final version of its voluntary national standards in dance, media arts, music, theater and visual arts.
The pre-K-12 standards emphasize four artistic processes in each arts discipline: creating, performing, responding and connecting. The grade-by-grade standards are intended to guide educators seeking to provide quality arts education for America’s students, define artistic literacy and support 21st century skills and college and career readiness.
The new NCCASstandards are designed to complement the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics and present an exciting approach to arts teaching and learning as schools plan for future instructional goals and move toward a proficiency-based diploma.
The arts standards will be housed on the NCCAS website along with interactive tools for educators to create customized standards handbooks aligned with their curriculum and students’ learning needs. For each arts discipline, there are pages for standards at a glance, anchor standards and model cornerstone assessments with sample lessons.
For more information on the NCCAS standards, please contact Maine DOE’s Visual and Performing Arts Specialist Kevin Facer at kevin.facer@maine.gov or 207-624-6826.