NEA Selects Ohio as Key Partner in National School Leadership Initiative
by Jami Goldstein
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has selected Ohio as the key state partner in a national school leadership initiative. In partnership with the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the NEA will sponsor the Summer Institute for School Leaders August 16-18, 2004 at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton, Ohio. Ohio will develop a replicable model to be used around the nation for leadership institutes that focus on the challenge of comprehensive arts education for all K-12 grade students.
Thirteen school districts and two educational service centers have accepted the invitation from Ohio Governor Bob Taft to send teams of four to six people including the district superintendent, a curriculum coordinator, a school board member and principal(s). The arts education programs in the participating schools exhibit a range of strengths and accomplishments and are in various stages of building comprehensive arts education programs.
The districts participating include: Botkins Local Schools, Cincinnati City Schools, Clark County Educational Service Center, Cleveland Municipal Schools, Columbus City Schools, Dayton City Schools, Hamilton City Schools, Lakota Local Schools, Lima City Schools, Mississinawa Valley Local Schools, Stark County Education Service Center, Steubenville City Schools, Toledo City Schools, Yellow Springs Exempted Village Schools and Youngstown City Schools.
National leaders from the NEA, the U.S. Department of Education and legislators also will attend. State leaders will include representatives from the Governor's Office, state arts and education leaders, members of the OAC Board and the State Board of Education.
The Institute will focus on the emergence of school leaders who will understand, value and support a comprehensive K-12 academic program, one that includes learning in the fine arts for all students which leads to: 1) high levels of learning and achievement in the arts; 2) richer understanding of other subject areas; and 3) more thoughtful, creative, and fulfilling encounters with the arts throughout life.
During the Institute, active learning and discussion will be committed to instructional leadership and school improvement. This will enable participants to establish priorities, develop strategies and build a base of support for effective academic programs in partnership with local cultural resources, that includes arts organizations and artists.
The NEA 2004 Summer Institute for School Leaders is an opportunity for leadership teams to begin broadening their vision and strengthening the knowledge, skills, partnerships and resources that will move districts and Educational Service Centers (ESC) forward in their pursuit of excellent and complete educational programs. Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA, will be the keynote speaker at the kickoff event on the evening of August 16. The first full day will begin with opening remarks by Dr. Susan T. Zelman, ODE Superintendent of Public Instruction and Dr. Susan Sclafani, Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Education, and later there will be remarks by Dr. Wayne Lawson, OAC Executive Director.
The Institute will feature all-day sessions on August 17-18 and will include presentations by national arts and education leaders, scholars and practitioners, as well as whole- and small-group dialogue and collaborative work by the 17 teams. The Institute also will feature a live interactive videoconference with Howard Gardner, the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor in Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, whose 18 books include the groundbreaking theory of multiple intelligences.
Quality arts education programs are a hallmark of a superior school system and a source of pride for citizens, parents and students. The presence of the arts in school buildings conveys the message that the students' total well-being matters. The arts make learning inviting, stimulating and personalized. The arts nourish and uphold students' love of learning and enrich a school's climate and professional culture. (Champions of Change: The Impact of Arts on Learning, published by Arts Education Partnership, 1999)
Research is also beginning to establish that learning in and through the arts strengthens student engagement with schools and improves achievement in all subject areas. (The Schooled Mind: Do the Arts Make a Difference? An Empirical Evaluation of the Hamilton Fairfield SPECTRA+ Program, 1992-93, Richard L Luftig, Ph.D., 1994)
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
The Ohio Department of Education supports high achievement for all students every year by setting clear and high expectations for all students; by making sure that educators have the skills, knowledge and resources to help students improve; by fostering the ability of families and communities to help students succeed; and by measuring, publicizing and rewarding achievement results.
# # # For information specific to your school district, speaker bios or to schedule an interview with a keynote speaker please contact Kathy Burgan in the Public Information Office at the Ohio Arts Council, 614/466-2613 or kathy.burgan@oac.state.oh.us.
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