Fine Arts Department Strategic Focus

Beliefs

We believe that education and engagement in the arts:

• Prepares students to communicate in written and spoken word as well as multi-sensory expression the key issues, concepts, and ideas embodied in the human experience by examining local, cultural, and global environments and interpreting their meaning through performance and product.
• Develops students’ ability to formulate and utilize effective decision-making, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills through unique learning settings incorporating individual and group products.
• Strengthens individual learning across all curriculum disciplines by providing practical application and creative synthesis application of reading, writing, science, social studies, and mathematics.
• Provides an effective venue for multiple leadership skills development as students work cooperatively, independently, and interdependently in performance and product development, design, and execution within a positive work environment utilizing a broad knowledge base in a diverse array of applications.
• Maximizes student learning through performance and exhibition by promoting a greater sense of individual responsibility and pride, as well as a greater awareness and knowledge of varied cultural contributions to the global community.
• Teaches and promotes effective and productive participation in today’s society through self-discipline and respect for others.
• Partners the individual and community in an experience which produces creative and disciplined thinking, practices goal setting to enhance productivity, and continually evaluates individual and group contribution in the development and vitality of our community.

Practices/Guiding Principles:

• Objective-based curriculum and delivery strategies provide the basic framework in which performance and product evidence the true learning skills and deep understanding of knowledge of each student.
• A positive classroom learning experience for each student is the main focus, therefore instructional delivery strategies are based upon research of quality lesson models, “master” teacher strategies, and collaborative sharing of ideas among teaching staff in each arts discipline.
• Competitive performances and products are not the teaching objective, but are only an evidence of day-to-day classroom learning.

Non-Negotiable / Framework:

• Quality arts education reflects no cultural, language, ethnic, economic, or learning ability barriers; it is inclusive of all students and therefore classroom instruction incorporates multiple leveling, modifications, pacing, and strategy variations to insure appropriate student development in their learning of knowledge and evidence of skills.
• Arts education instruction must be delivered by qualified, certified arts instructors who must be provided the appropriate instructional time, space, and resources to be effective (K-12).
• Arts education must comply with state law in that all students are to be instructed in TEKS-based curriculum, assessed, and provided varied performance/product display opportunities to evidence their learning.