College Board research for NCCAS Reston, VA August 30, 2011

College Board staff are involved in four research projects for NCCAS: Research Overview International Standards and Benchmarks 21 st Century Skills and the Standards College-level Standards Child Development research and related Best Practices

International Arts Education Standards Standards of fifteen countries/regions were analyzed: What are the standards and benchmarks of each country individually? What are the trends and commonalities among the group as a whole? Ireland Canada Finland New Zealand Australia Singapore United States United Kingdom Japan China Austria Netherlands Scotland Sweden Venezuela

International Arts Education Standards Trend or Theme # Countries Which ones Generating 14 All except Venezuela Expressing/Realizing 14 All except Venezuela Responding/Appreciating 14 All except Venezuela Awareness of Cultural Institutions 6 Australia, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden Cross-curricular Connections 9 Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, U.K., U.S. ICT/Media Arts 9 Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, U.S. Visual Culture 7 Austria, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, U.S. Social Skills 10 All except Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, Venezuela National Cultural Heritage/ Cross-cultural knowledge 10 All except Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, Venezuela Environmental Awareness 6 Austria, Canada, China, Finland, Sweden, U.K., U.S. Awareness of Prof. Opportunities 3 Australia, Ireland, U.S. Connections to Communities 6 Australia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, U.S.

International Arts Education Standards Standards built around framework of: Generating Realizing Responding Australia: Finland: Each grade band has specific and related: Objectives Core Contents Assessment guidelines

To what extent do the current U.S. National Standards for Arts Education align with the 21 st Century Skills Map in the Arts? Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills

Flexibility and Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Social and Cross-cultural skills Productivity and Accountability Leadership and Responsibility Information Literacy Media Literacy Information, Communication, & Technology literacy Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Creativity Innovation

Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills

21 st Century Skills MapNational Standards: Visual Art Alignment SkillOutcomeGradeContent Standards Does it align? Comments Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Exercising sound reasoning in understanding Making complex choices and decisions Understanding the interconnections among systems Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions Framing, analyzing, and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions. K-4Content Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes Yes The National Standards for this grade level indicate that students are to: Describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner These goals relate to the P21 outcomes of making complex choices and decisions, understanding the interconnections among systems, and framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions.

21 st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Creativity Innovation Information Literacy Media Literacy Information, Communication, & Technology Literacy Flexibility and Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Social and Cross-cultural Skills Productivity and Accountability Leadership and Responsibility Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills: Key Findings

21 st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Creativity Innovation Information Literacy Media Literacy Information, Communication, & Technology Literacy Flexibility and Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Social and Cross-cultural Skills Productivity and Accountability Leadership and Responsibility Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills: Key Findings The P21 skills with the highest instances of alignment with the standards were Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication, and Creativity.

21 st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Creativity Innovation Information Literacy Media Literacy Information, Communication, & Technology Literacy Flexibility and Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Social and Cross-cultural Skills Productivity and Accountability Leadership and Responsibility Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills: Key Findings The P21 that were least aligned with the standards were Collaboration, Information, Communication, & Technology Literacy, and Productivity and Accountability. The P21 skills with the highest instances of alignment with the standards were Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication, and Creativity.

Consider areas of overlap between P21 skills: Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills Creativity Innovation Media Literacy Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy Information Literacy

Consider skills related to work habits/work ethic: Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills Productivity and Accountability Leadership and Responsibility Initiative and Self-direction The current standards cover what is to be learned and, often, how it is to be learned, but don’t often reference these skills – the qualities and characteristics students should exhibit while getting there.

Consider the role of technology-oriented skills in the revised standards: Arts Standards and 21 st Century Skills Information, Communication, and Technology literacy Media Literacy Information Literacy

College-level Standards in the Arts The research on college level standards involves the following components: Textbook analysis College course analysis Analysis and summary of accreditation standards Reviews of standards/guidelines of professional organizations

What are the hallmarks of college-level work, in terms of course content and expectations of students? College-level Standards in the Arts History Theory Technique Analysis/criticism How are these areas handled individually, and what is the level of overlap between them in the different disciplines?

What are best practices in Arts Education as they relate to the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children from the pre-K to college levels? Child Development and Arts Education

Find College Board/NCCAS research online The College Board: Arts at the Core National Coalition for Core Arts Standards