The ArtStart Program

ArtStart is a program designed to support teachers (classroom and arts) and teaching artists in improving student academic achievement by utilizing arts integration within a targeted grade level and curriculum area. It was created as the result of a direct request from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), for additional tools and resources for teaching literacy. In 2006, ArtsTeach was awarded a grant to support ArtStart from the U.S. Department of Education, which has the potential to be a four-year grant, contributing to the field of arts education program models. In 2007, ArtsTeach was awarded a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, also in support of ArtStart.

PROGRAM EMPHASIS
 ArtsTeach engages in ongoing discussions with CMS Senior Staff and Administrators to ensure that ArtStart continues to meet the needs of the school system. With that in mind, the program will address literacy in 3rd and 4th grades in the 2008-09 school year. That means that participating schools (and specific grade levels within those schools) may choose whether they wish to use the program to address reading or writing goals in the classroom. Our hope is that this will encourage schools to use the program in a way that best meets varied school needs, particularly complementing individual school improvement plans.

ELIGIBLE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

• 3rd grade classroom teachers
• 4th grade classroom teachers
• Arts Teachers (visual arts, music, drama and dance)
• Literacy Facilitators
• PE Teachers (who teach dance as movement with their curriculum)
  

WHAT’S NEW IN 2008-09? 

• The program emphasis will be literacy—meaning that school teams may choose to focus on reading or writing goals, based on the school’s individual needs.
• The Summer Workshop has been expanded to four days. This will provide school teams more time for writing lesson plans and the opportunity to receive more immediate feedback from program administrators and facilitators during the lesson plan design. More importantly, it will allow us to make the Artist Fair and Showcase a part of the Summer Workshop.
• That’s right! The Artist Showcase and Fair will take place during the Summer Workshop. School teams will submit their artist residency request at the Summer Workshop. By doing so, matching can take place over the summer and school teams (and artists) can receive assignments upon returning to school in August.
• Literacy facilitators may choose to participate in the program, particularly as a support person for the classroom and arts teachers participating. Literacy facilitators can serve as a great resource and collaborator in the design of your school’s arts-integrated curriculum.
• PE Teachers who teach dance as movement as part of their curriculum may choose to participate in the program. Dance naturally aligns to the process of reading and writing and can encourage more collaborative planning among your school team.
• Grade levels may request different artists. If schools have at least 3 participating teachers in each grade level (classroom and/or arts teachers), each grade level may request a different artists/arts organization from the Artist Roster. If fewer than 3 teachers are participating in any one grade level, the school team must request the same artist/organization.
• A minimum of three teachers (classroom and/or arts teachers) from any one school must register to participate in the program. In order to make the best use of the teaching artist/organization’s time, a minimum of three teachers must register from any school wishing to participate in the program.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

• Annual Summer Workshop
• Artist Roster & Showcase
• Arts-Integrated Curriculum
• Additional Professional Development Workshops (for both teachers and artists)
• Artist Residency* +

Annual Summer Workshop
July 14 – 17, 2008, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (click here to view flyer)
(including Artist Showcase and Fair, July 16, 12:30 – 3:30 PM)
Each year of ArtStart begins with the Annual Summer Workshop. Teachers and teaching artists engage in hands-on, participatory workshops that expose them to each of the core arts disciplines (i.e. dance, music, theatre, visual arts), exploring how each supports reading and writing goals in the classroom. Participating teacher receive CEU’s as well as a stipend, based on full participation.

New this year:  This year’s workshop will be extended to four days, in large part because the Artist Showcase and Fair will now be a part of the Summer Workshop. There, school teams will have the opportunity to see presentations of and talk one-on-one with ArtStart Teaching Artists, looking to match their artist (residency) request with the curriculum they are writing.

* ONLY TEACHERS WHO ATTEND THE SUMMER WORKSHOP OR APPROPRIATE MAKE-UP EVENTS (I.E. FALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS) WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A RESIDENCY IN HIS OR HER CLASSROOM.

+ RESIDENCY HOURS VARY BY SCHOOL, AND ARE DETERMINED BY THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING CLASSROOMS.

Artist Roster/Artist Showcase and Fair
School teams will receive a copy of the Teaching Artist Roster (at the Summer Workshop), which lists all our qualified, participating teaching artists and arts organizations. In addition, school teams will attend the Artist Showcase and Fair on Wednesday, July 16 (as part of the Summer Workshop), to identify appropriate artists who can support the lessons plans designed. Teachers will submit artist requests prior to the conclusion of the Summer Workshop. By doing so, residency matches can take place over the course of the summer and assignments delivered to you when you return to school in August. Residencies can then begin at any point after that, pending appropriate planning and discussion, via the Residency Planning Meeting and subsequent discussions with your assigned artist.

Arts-Integrated Curriculum
School teams work together to create arts-integrated lessons that can be used in the classroom to support the artist residency. School teams (and even grade level teams) can choose to write lessons to meet either reading or writing goals. The lessons are reviewed and edited by Peer Jurors who provide guidance and specific feedback for teachers. Lesson plans are made available online and are expected to be implemented by all participating teachers. Classroom teachers must implement a minimum of two lessons, while arts teachers are required to implement at least one lesson. Teachers can access lesson plans created in prior years as well. Lessons must be implemented by the conclusion of the artist residency, and teachers should report their implementation by submitting a Lesson Plan Implementation Form.

Additional Professional Development Opportunities
In order for a school to be eligible for program participation (i.e. residencies), a minimum of three teachers must attend the Summer Workshop. We recognize that sometimes teachers are unable to attend the Summer Workshop, either due to required attendance at other workshops or other prior commitments. Teachers who were unable to attend the Summer Workshop but whose school participated by having at least three teachers who did attend may join the program by attending two of four Mini-Professional Development (PD) Opportunities held in the fall (date TBD). It is important to note that, in order to be eligible, your school must have participated in the Summer Workshop. The Mini-PDs are held after school; however, no stipends are available and only minimal CEU credit is earned.  Additional professional development opportunities may be available throughout the year, focusing on specific art forms, and topics such as Advanced Arts Integration Strategies or Performance-Based Assessments.

These sessions provide opportunities for teachers, arts educators and artists to further explore ideas and activities for incorporating the arts into literacy. Sessions may include a presentation of team activities by teaching artists and educators, brainstorming of arts-integrated themes and ideas or further peer-coaching for fostering artistic collaborations.

Artist Residency
Each teacher who participates in either the Summer Workshop or two of the four Mini-PDs will be eligible to receive an artist residency in the classroom. Note: In order to be eligible to host a residency in your classroom, you must have attended either the Summer Workshop or two Mini-PDs. This requirement is important as research indicates that the residency experience is most effective when the teacher understands the model concepts and methodology as introduced in the professional development. It is also important to recognize and honor those teachers who have given their time and expertise through these essential professional development workshops.

Residency hours are calculated at an average of six (6) hours per classrooms and a classroom is defined as a distinct class of students. Residency hours are determined (per school, per grade level) by the total number of participating classrooms and the sum of residency hours includes instructional time with a visiting artist/arts organization, with a distinct class of students in any combination of work in the classroom or in ‘specials’ (i.e. art, music, media center or PE time).

Ex.:     4 participating (3rd grade) classrooms x 6 hours each = 24 hour residency
            4 participating (4th grade) classrooms x 6 hours each = 24 hour residency

Important Dates for 2008-09 School Year
2008 Summer Workshop:  July 14 – 17, 2008, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM daily
ArtStart Teaching Artist Showcase:  July 16, 2007, 12:30 – 3:30 PM
3rd Grade Residency Implementation: October 2007 – May 2008
4th Grade Residency Implementation: October 2007 – February 2008

Click here to register for ArtStart  

ArtStart Program Requirements and Expectations

Requirements for Teachers or School Administrators
Requirements for Teaching Artists

For Teachers or School Administrators

In order to be eligible to receive full program benefits, participating schools must send a minimum of three teachers to the Summer Workshop. There, teachers are expected to fully participate in professional development, including designing and submitting a lesson or unit plan by the conclusion of the Workshop. Teachers must also implement arts-integrated lessons (minimum two for classroom teachers, one for specialists).

Registration forms will be mailed to every school administrator in by the end of March and are also available online. If you are an interested teacher, please check with your school administrator or contact ArtStart Coordinator Dena Paulding for more information.

As teacher participants, you are expected to fully participate in the professional development, including working with your team to design and submit an arts-integrated lesson by the conclusion of the Summer Workshop. You are also expected to participate in the planning of your residency with your assigned artist and participate in the residency experience by supporting the artist during lesson delivery and implementing the minimum amount of arts-integrated lessons.

For Teaching Artists

The ArtStart program is limited to selected artists who demonstrate high-quality artistry and professionalism, and an ability to design age-appropriate lessons that most aptly connect their art form to literacy learning goal. Teaching artists must maintain professionalism at all times, in residency planning and implementation, including maintaining communication as necessary between assigned schools and ArtsTeach staff and Teaching Artist Coaches. Teaching artists must participate in professional development and coaching sessions throughout the year. If you are interested in becoming an ArtStart Teaching Artist, please view our online application (click here for word version - pdf version) to see additional criteria, information and materials required. Applications should be submitted to ArtStart Coordinator Dena Paulding, electronically or mailed to 345 N. College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.

All applications go through a screening process and there is no guarantee of acceptance into the program or annual work. Applicants are considered based on artistic merit and perceived ability to design arts-integrated experiences for the classroom. New artists may be asked to participate in an audition, where they will be asked to demonstrate an original lesson plan.

For more information about the ArtStart program, please contact ArtStart Coordinator Dena Paulding, at 704.333.1059, ext. 5726, or dpaulding@artsteach.org.

Lesson Plans Available for Download

2007-2008 Lesson Plans

2006-2007 Lesson Plans

2005-2006 Lesson Plans