Cultural Initiatives


Goal: Identify and act upon opportunities to inform the education community about national, state, and local legislation and policies that influence arts and cultural education.

 









 

CALIFORNIA K-12 ARTS EDUCATION | TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS

1970

RYAN ACT: Eliminated arts methods courses from the multiple subject credential. This means that elementary school teachers were no longer trained to teach the arts to their students. Before the Ryan Act, elementary teachers took up to a year of both art and music.

1978 PROPOSITION 13: Property tax cut which decimated the amount of money the State could provide for arts teachers and programs. Elementary school arts programs were most impacted by this legislation. This means that most people who were elementary students after the 1970s received very little arts education in school. This also means that many new teachers did not have art in school or in their teacher education programs.
1980s ARTS PROVIDERS: Arts and cultural organizations such as museums and music schools begin to offer arts programs at elementary schools. In Santa Clara County, 52% of schools have a visiting artist-in-residence during the school year.
1999 COLLEGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: The University of California and California State University systems announce that they will require two semesters of arts in order to be admitted as a freshman starting in the fall of 2003. This means that students must take two courses in dance, music, theatre, or visual arts in order to be admitted to any UC or CSU school.
  Find Out: Is your local high school providing enough arts electives for students to meet the UC and CSU admission requirements in 2003?
2000 SB 1390: Governor Davis signs legislation that makes the arts “Core Subjects” in the State Education Code. This means that the arts must be included in the K-12 curriculum, but does not mean that the arts will be tested.
  AB 869: The State Assembly is currently considering a new law that would require the State to give money to schools for the purpose of arts education. The money could be used for art materials, musical instruments, teaching materials, and teacher training.
Now is the time to let the legislature know that this law is important to arts education.
Contact Your Assemblyperson: www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/default.asp
2001 VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STANDARDS: The State Board of Education adopted content standards in January 2001. This means that pre-K through 12th grade teachers now have comprehensive guidelines available to them for teaching the arts. However, the school board of each district must officially adopt the State standards.
Download the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California public schools: www.cde.ca.gov/shsd/arts/standards.htm
 

MULTIPLE SUBJECT CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing now requires accredited teacher education programs to provide training in visual and performing arts standards for preservice elementary teachers.
Visit their website: California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: www.ctc.ca.gov

2002 ARTS AS A CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECT: The President signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Authorization bill, recognizing the arts as a core academic subject. This authorization bill means school-based arts programs may now receive federal funding. The bill also supports Arts in Education grant programs and funding for professional development.

 

 

 
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© 2006 Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley

Updated: December 21, 2006