SEADAE Responds to ESEA Reauthorization

State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education

www.seadae.org

Good Afternoon:

My name is Dale Schmid.  I’m the Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator for the New Jersey State Department of Education, and I am here today representing my colleagues in the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education, known as SEADAE.

SEADAE is a non-profit association comprised of the State Department of Education arts education coordinators serving the 50 states, the US territories, and Department of Defense schools.  Within our respective states, SEADAE members are directly responsible for oversight of state arts education policy and are the key drivers of state-level teacher professional development initiatives in arts education.  On behalf of SEADAE, I’d like to thank you for this opportunity to present our recommendations regarding this critically important legislation.

We in state government rely heavily on federal legislation and, in particular, on the inclusion of the arts as core subject matter for all children, to leverage parallel state policy and practice, and to promote equity, excellence, and access to a balanced curriculum for every child.  Therefore, we strongly urge you to retain the language in Title IX, Part A, Section 9101 – Definitions, which names the arts among the core disciplines required of all students.

We also urge the language defining ‘core academic subjects’ be amended regarding arts instruction to read: the visual and performing arts (including dance, music, theatre, and visual arts). All references to “Music and the Arts” should be struck in favor of this more definitive terminology.  For example: Title IV, Part B, Section 4205(a)(3) refers to arts and music education activities. Modified language that reads – [visual and performing] arts education activities, including those in dance, music, theatre, and visual art would better serve the spirit and intent of the legislation and diminish the marginalization of dance and theatre education in our schools.

We strongly urge that the existing language in Title V, Part A, Subpart 15, Section 5551. ASSISTANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION be retained as it currently exists, supporting systemic education reform by 1) strengthening arts education as an integral part of the school curriculum; 2) ensuring that all students meet challenging State academic content and achievement standards in the arts; and 3) supporting national efforts to enable all students to demonstrate competence in the arts.

In Section 6132 Purpose; we urge consideration of more inclusive language regarding the intent  “to improve teacher quality and subject matter mastery in all content areas,” modifying the existing language, which purports as its purpose “to improve teacher quality… with an emphasis on mathematics, reading, and science.” We ask this, again, in the name of providing a fully balanced curriculum for the nation’s children.

Title I, Part A, Subpart 1, Section 1111(b)(1)(C) Subjects currently stipulates State(s) shall have academic standards…in subjects determined by the State, but including at least mathematics, reading or language arts, and science.  While acknowledging the importance of foundational literacy in these areas, the unintended consequence of singling them out has been the narrowing of the curriculum.  We advise language inclusive of all core academic subjects as defined in Title IX.

Finally, sections of legislation such as Title I Part A, Subpart 1, Section 1111(a) (3) ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS - that place emphasis on testing of limited subjects for use as the primary means of determining yearly performance of the State and local educational agencies should be revised.  Greater parity in measures used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress that span a balanced curriculum is in the best interest of students.  What we highly recommend is a fair and balanced system of assessment for learning that reaches across all domains.

On behalf of my SEADAE colleagues and their states’ students and arts educators, thank you.