NEA Fine Arts Task Force Final Recommendations 2/22/2011

MEMO

TO:              Dennis Van Roekel, President

                        National Education Association

FROM:           Princess Moss, NEA Executive Committee

                        Fine Arts Task Force Co-Chair

                        Greg Johnson, NEA Executive Committee

                        Fine Arts Task Force Co-Chair

DATE:         February 22, 2011

RE:             Fine Arts Task Force Proposed Recommendations—New Business Item 2010-86

The NEA president established a Fine Arts Task Force in response to NBI 2010-86—adopted by the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly (RA)—which provides as follows:

NEA Fine Arts Task Force Meeting Minutes—Webcast –February 9, 2011

NEA Fine Arts Task Force Meeting—Webcast –February 9, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. ET

Meeting Participants: (2-Absences: Andrew Corbin, Derrick Johnson)

·         Princess Moss (Co-Chair)- NEA Exec. Committee, elementary school music teacher

·         Greg Johnson  (Co-Chair)- NEA Exec. Committee, high school choir director

·         Tom McLaughlin- a high school drama teacher

·         Jennifer Roberts- a high school art teacher

·         Christopher Thomas, NEA Staff Liaison

·         Aaron Muhammad- Manager, Governance and Policy

NEA Fine Arts Task Force Meeting—Webcast –December 8, 2010

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. ET

Meeting Participants: (1-Absence Andrew Corbin)

• Princess Moss (Co-Chair)- NEA Exec. Committee, elementary school music teacher
• Greg Johnson (Co-Chair)- NEA Exec. Committee, high school choir director
• Tom McLaughlin- a high school drama teacher
• Jennifer Roberts- a high school art teacher
• Christopher Thomas, NEA Staff Liaison
• Derrick Johnson, NEA Staff Liaison

Arts Education Advocacy Groups--NEA Fine Arts Task Force

Below is a list of organizations that actively participate in AEP's Forums.
(**Indicates NEA’s current partners)

Afterschool Alliance: The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. Alliance vision of ensuring that all children have access to afterschool programs by 2010.

Calendar of National Art Events/Touchpoints

September 12-18, 2010 – National Arts in Education Week was created by resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives in July. And this opportunity for advocacy is heightened by the fact that the week coincides with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's "Courage in the Classroom" Back to School tour, which is broadly themed around education as a civil right. (retrieved from MENC’s site)

Current NEA Programs, Initiatives and Resources for the Task Force

Please find listed current NEA Programs and Initiatives that the Task Force could possibly "partner" with to elevate Arts Advocacy.

• NEA’s Priority Schools Strategic Goal and Campaign – Advocacy Campaign
• NEA’s Advocacy Core Service and Campaigns and Elections Department – Advocacy Campaign Activities
• NEA’s Student Learning Core Service – Achievement Gaps Advocacy
• NEA’s Partnership Core Service – Minority Community Outreach Partnership Advocacy Activities
• NEA Academy – Promotional Purposes
• NEA’s 21st Century Skills Initiative – Advocacy Campaign Activities
• NEA’s ESEA Campaign – Advocacy Campaign Activities Development
• NEA’s Interactive Media Department – Advertising in NEA Publication/Website
• NEA Research Department – Research Support
• NEA’s Family School Community and Public Engagement Project – Advocacy Campaign Activities
• NEA’s Quality School Programs and Resources – Advocacy Campaign Activities

New Business Item #52, An Analysis from the NEA Fine Arts Task Force

NBI 52

NEA, through UniServ and local presidents and state and national professional fine arts education associations, will contact and conduct an e-survey of its fine arts teachers. The purpose of this e-survey will be to identify changes in staffing, work conditions, and budgetary considerations for fine arts programs in districts over the past three years. NEA will report the results of the e-survey through standard means available to the NEA.

In response to NBI 52, an e-survey was sent to 6,000 teachers identified as fine arts teachers. The survey was open for 10 days and 3 reminders were sent. The final number of eligible completes was 382. Of the eligible completed surveys 206 identified themselves as music teachers and 168 identified themselves as arts teachers, while 8 indicated some other form of fine arts. The demographics of the respondents were 80% female and 20% male; 56% were over the age of 45; 87% were Caucasian; median number years of teaching was 19.6; 54% taught in elementary schools, 27% taught in middle or junior high schools; and 19% in high schools; 44% of the respondents hold Bachelor’s Degrees, 53% hold a Master’s Degree or higher, and 3% have some other form of education.

Respondents noted that there has been a decrease in staffing and funding for fine arts education over the past three years. 36% reported a drop in staffing in their district over the past three years, while a majority reported that the level of staffing has remained the same. While the amount of staffing has remained fairly constant, the amount of funding for the fine arts programs in schools has dropped. The area that has seen the most noticeable decrease has been in after-school programs. Almost all (93%) of fine arts teachers reported that they either needed to start or continue fundraising programs in order to help offset the costs of additional programs.

Despite the decrease in staffing and funding, the respondents are, overall, satisfied with their working conditions. Eighty-one percent (81%) of respondents said that they will remain a teacher until they are either eligible for retirement or are forced to retire. A majority (63%) of teachers say that if they could do it over again, they would still become a teacher. Almost all teachers (95%) believe that they are making a difference in their students’ lives.

While it seems there is high morale for the teaching aspect of their jobs, when it comes to the administration, there is some animosity. Seventy-two percent (72%) of respondents feel that there is no feeling of mutual respects between teachers and administrators in their school; while 68% feel that administrators don’t support teachers when they are having problems with their teaching. Teachers would like to see more formal recognition or receive the recognition that they deserve with 87% responding that there is little to no formal recognition for a job well done or that they receive the recognition that they deserve.
The following table shows the number of members identified as active professionals and whose subject code was identified as Art (ARTS), Music (MUSI) or Band/Orchestra (BDOR) in the NEA Interactive Membership System listed by state association for the 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 school years.

An excerpt of “Cultural Responsiveness, Racial Identity, and Academic Success”, Mary Stone Hanley and George W. Noblit (pgs. 65-71)

Although the larger study focused primarily on African Americans the prevailing themes have broader implications. Specifically in the aforementioned excerpts the study demonstrates the power the arts have to frame cultural and self-identity and how this ultimately leads to academic achievement. The findings are based on the belief that America’s urban schools must employ a child’s culture so that the child might be motivated to learn in the face of significant adversity (i.e. conditions surrounding Priority Schools).

The Transformative Power of Arts in Closing the Achievement Gap

“The Transformative Power of the Arts in Closing the Achievement Gap” by Fred Dobb (as part of the California County Superintendents Educational Service Association Arts Initiative) http://www.ccsesaarts.org/CCSESA_FILES//The%20Transformative%20Power%20of%20the%20Arts%20in%20Closing%20the%20Achievement%20Gap(2).pdf
This study focused on the transformative power of the visual and performing arts to spark and maintain student engagement and academic achievement, and promote 21st century success (21st century skills) in and out of school. The study provides evidence that the power of the arts is most striking in the lives of youth who have been marginalized in society because of poverty, crime, immigrant status, special education placement, limited English skills, and racial discrimination (conditions mostly associated with Priority Schools), and in schools by traditional curriculum and instructional practices, narrowly focused standardized assessments (perhaps an argument in support of ESEA reauthorization), and institutional biases.

Access to Arts Education.

General Accountability Office, February 2009. The study researched the difference in arts education between school years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09286.pdf

About 90% of teachers reported no difference in the amount of instruction time for arts education between the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 school years. There was no reporting difference based on a range of school characteristics. The 90% of teachers reporting no difference in the amount of instruction time for arts education is different than the 30% of school officials reporting that instruction time for arts education in elementary schools has decreased since NCLB was enacted.

No Child Left Behind: A Study of Its Impact on Arts Education

Data collected at the end of 2008. Sponsored by the National Art Education Foundation.
http://www.arteducators.org/research/NCLB_Proj_Report_2-10.pdf

This study focused on the visual arts and did not include music educators.

Effective Advocacy: Guidelines for the NEA Fine Arts Task Force

1. Conducting Advocacy Research
A. Gather initial information about a social problem or issue. This includes beginning research to understand the problem. (A Declining Focus on the Arts in our schools)

B. Define the problem. Three step process: 1) Become aware of the issue, 2) Refine the problem within the small group/organizational context, 3) Determine problem priorities.

2. Design the Advocacy Campaign

A. Recognizing the campaign’s outlet (How will the campaign be disseminated?)—Via NEA Today and affiliates

B. Determining the systemic changes (i.e., new or modified programs, policies, and practices) the group hopes to bring about. [Include the specific changes (e.g., arts-infused curriculums) sought by the Advocacy Campaign].

C. The action steps required (Who will do what by when to bring about the specific changes to be sought)

3. Identify Resources and Assets

A. The number and kind of people who are available and committed (Identifying partners; groups or individuals w/ a shared vision)

B. The financial resources available

C. The communication technologies, facilities, and other material resources available

D. The information and ideas that could be helpful

E. Other assets that can be used to support the effort

4. Indicate Potential Allies and Opponents

A. Identify likely allies and how they will support the effort

B. Identify likely opponents and how they might resist or oppose the effort
(1) State the likely purposes of the opposition
(2) Outline tactics that may be used by the opposition
(3) Indicate how the opposition can be countered

5. Identify Targets and Agents of Change

A. Describe the targets of change in light of anticipated allies and opponents (i.e., those whose behavior should change). Indicate how conditions should be changed to affect their behavior.

B. Describe agents of change (i.e., those who can contribute). Indicate how conditions should be changed to support their engagement in the effort.

6. State the Strategies and Tactics of the Campaign

A. Identify those strategies that will be used. Based on the particular situation

B. State the specific strategic goals and tactics that will be used.

C. Review the effectiveness of the planned strategies/tactics
(1) Are available resources and allies being optimized (i.e., Does it take advantage of the group's strengths? Engage its allies? Deter opponents?)
(2) Is the campaign flexible (i.e., Does it permit adjustments with changing situations)
(3) Is it likely to work (i.e., Does it bring about the desired effect with the issue and with opponents?)

7. Describe the evaluation of the Advocacy Campaign

A. Clearly state what indicators will signify "success" (e.g., in bringing about systemic changes in school curriculums).

B. Describe how measures of success can be obtained (e.g., commissioning new studies/research and comparing with existing data).

C. Indicate how the initiative will make sense of the results (e.g., how data will be analyzed; how those affected will be involved in interpreting the information).

D. Describe how the information will be used to improve the effort (e.g., feedback will be provided to leadership and membership)

8. Implement the Advocacy Campaign!