Illinois Creates values, advocates and will initiate policies to encourage quality, consistency and equity in arts education programs throughout the Illinois public education system. Toward this end, the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Creates coalition have developed reasonable policy priorities and recommendations.

On behalf of the deserving students of Illinois, we submit and urge action on the following recommendations:

  That the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois General Assembly continue their commitment to the arts as one of Illinois’ six fundamental learning areas and that this commitment be strengthened by enhancing incentives to ensure all schools implement a quality, standards-based arts education curriculum.
     
 

That the Illinois General Assembly, the Governor, the Illinois State Board of Education and other state agencies work individually and collectively to identify funding to ensure that all Illinois public schools can offer quality instruction in the arts.
     
  That every school district in the state of Illinois develops a strategic plan for comprehensive arts education to measure the effectiveness of its existing arts education programs, identify areas for improvement and establish a realistic timeline for improving arts education programs throughout their district.
     
 

That each public elementary, middle and high school employ at least one certified arts specialist to deliver standards-based arts curriculum, and that at least one unit of credit in the arts be required ofall high school students in order to graduate.

     
  That meaningful ways to measure student and school performance in arts education (such as assessment tools, arts report cards, etc.) be developed collaboratively by key stakeholders, and that the Illinois State Board of Education require schools to report certain arts education measurements annually.
     
 

That equitable, consistent, high-quality professional development opportunities in arts education are identified, encouraged and supported for K-12 arts specialists, as well as classroom teachers.


     
 

That the Illinois State Board of Education provide expert guidance and technical support to improve the capacity of school districts and/or individual schools to implement a comprehensive, standards-based, sequential arts education program.
     
 

That Illinois state colleges and universities include arts coursework in the high school GPA calculations used to determine eligibility for enrollment, and that at least one unit of credit in the arts be required for entrance in all Illinois institutions of higher learning.

A special thanks for the advice and guidance of the California Alliance for Arts Education, an organization leading the way in arts education advocacy.

 

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Illinois Arts Alliance/Foundation
203 North Wabash
Suite 1920
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: 312.855.3105   Fax: 312.855.1565
info@artsalliance.org