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FOR THEATRE EDUCATION
Theatre Arts Standards for the State of Washington
Theatre Standards for the State of Washington
Document layout and editing by Anthony Macias and Bryan R. Jackson, President Washington Alliance for Theatre Education
Contributing writers Cynthia Chesak Leslie VanLeishout
Table of Contents I. Introduction …………………………………3 II. Rationale for Theatre Education ……...…..4 III. National Standards…………………...……..5 IV. Professional Theatre Organizations …...….6 V. Student Honor Societies ……………………7 VI. OSPI Website of Arts Education ………….9 a. Introduction to the Arts………………………………………………..9 b. Arts Frameworks Introduction…………...………………………….10 c. Education Reform Terminology…………………..…………………11 d. Essential Academic Learning Requirements – Arts…………...……12 e. Frameworks……………………..…………………………………14-26 VII. Characteristics of a Comprehensive Theatre Arts Program…………………..…27 VIII. Copyrights and Royalties………………….28 IX. Resources………………………………...…29 X. OSPI Overview…………………………….29
I. Introduction
Theatre education is part of basic education according to the state of Washington. Theatre education should be taught with depth and insight K-12. Theatre education must have the encouragement and support from colleagues, administrators, parents, and community in order to be valued and respected for the skills and knowledge it teaches. The educational reform in the state of Washington has established the arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR’s) and their frameworks and Classroom Based Performance Assessments (CBPA) for theatre education. Theatre education must be given its rightful place in K-12 curriculum.
The purpose of this document is: 1. To assist the school administrators to develop and align theatre education with state and national standards 2. To help theatre educators understand the scope and depth of theatre education K-12 3. To provide an outline for development of theatre classes based on the arts EALR’s
II. Rationale for Theatre Education
Theatre education provides students with opportunities not only to learn and develop skills and knowledge of theatre, but also reinforce other skills that support all areas of learning and living. “There is also a relationship between mastery of the arts and the development of the broad academic competencies that students will need in all college subjects-reading, writing, speaking and listening, mathematics, reasoning, using computers, and observing. It is important to study the arts for their own sake; it is also important to recognize that they provide additional opportunities to enhance these basic skills.” (Academic Preparation in the Arts, The College Board)
Statement of Support from Dr. Terry Bergeson "The Arts are an essential part of public education. From dance and music to theatre and the visual arts, The Arts give children a unique means of expression, capturing their passions and emotions, and allowing them to explore new ideas, subject matter, and cultures. They bring us joy in every aspect of our lives. Arts education not only enhances students’ understanding of the world around them, but it also broadens their perspective on traditional academics. The Arts give us the creativity to express ourselves, while challenging our intellect. The Arts integrate life and learning for all students and are integral in the development of the whole person. The Arts communicate and speak to us in ways that teach literacy and enhance our lives. We must continue to find a place for arts programs and partnerships not only for what it teaches students about art, but for what it teaches us all about the world we live in." Dr. Terry Bergeson State Superintendent of Public Instruction November 2001
III. National Standards Summary Statement for The National Standards for the Arts: What Students Should Know And Be Able To Do in the Arts There are many routes to competence in the arts disciplines. Students may work in different arts at different times. Their study may take a variety of approaches. Their abilities may develop at different rates. Terms often used to describe these include creation, performance, production, history, culture, perception, analysis, criticism, aesthetics, technology, and appreciation. Competence means capabilities with these elements themselves and an understanding of their interdependence; it also means the ability to combine the content, perspectives, and techniques associated with the various elements to achieve specific artistic and analytical goals. Students work toward comprehensive competence from the very beginning, preparing in the lower grades for deeper and more rigorous work each succeeding year. As a result, the joy of experiencing the arts is enriched and matured by the discipline of learning and the pride of accomplishment. Essentially, the standards ask that the students should know and be able to do the following by the time they have completed secondary school:
As a result of developing these capabilities, students can arrive at their own knowledge, beliefs, and values for making personal and artistic decisions. In other words, they can arrive at a broad-based, well-grounded understanding of the nature, value and meaning of the arts as a part of their own humanity.
IV. Professional Theatre Associations
Washington Alliance for Theatre Education WATE is a theatre professional organization open to all theatre teachers in the state of Washington. WATE promotes the highest standards in the study, teaching, and production of theatre as part of a continuing educational and cultural process. WATE’s purpose is to:
WATE Activities:
V. Theatre Student Honor Societies
Washington State Thespians
Washington State Thespians and their troupe supervisors are affiliated with the International Thespian Society (ITS) and The Educational Theatre Association (EDTA)/ ITS has over 350,000 troupes worldwide and has been committed to helping educators (troupe sponsors) who employ theatre as an instrument for lifelong learning for over 75 years. EDTA is the professional organization for theatre educators and the parent organization that operates Thespians for students. Washington State Thespians and their sponsors believe that they are entrusted with the ITS motto: “Act well thy part; there all the honor lies.” Alexander Pope. Thespians’ purpose is to:
The Washington State Thespians Activities:
VI. OSPI Website of Arts Education Introduction to Arts The Arts Defined: The arts are creative expressions using sound, image, action, and movement. They are a means to satisfy the human need to communicate thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Purpose: The arts engage those capacities most characteristically human-imagination, creativity, the ability to conceptualize and solve problems-by stimulating thinking skills which are vital in this rapidly changing multi-media age. They facilitate and encourage the exchange of diverse views, reflecting and shaping cultures. As technology changes so do the tools and materials of the arts. Students are prepared through visual arts, music, drama, and dance to interact effectively in a dynamic world, with joy, confidence, and a sense of fulfillment. The Arts and Education: The arts represent one of the primary modes of thought used to do essential work in the world at large. Through the study and practice of the arts, students employ sound, image, action, and movement to learn to solve problems, and make decisions, think creatively and use imagination. Social Development: The arts represent a legacy of common achievement, a heritage of civilization that teaches us about ourselves and others. Arts education is essential to enable students to make sense of both historical and contemporary cultures. It also provides students with knowledge of past cultures and insight into roles and responsibilities regarding cultural change. Personal Development: Study of the arts also produces personal benefits, including self-motivation, self discipline, perseverance, willingness to take risks, cooperation and collaboration, productivity, craftsmanship, and thus, self-esteem. Aesthetic Development: The arts provide benefits not available through any other means. Through arts education, students learn how to express themselves through the arts, interpret world of arts with deeper understanding and more fully appreciate the natural design of the world. Study of the arts provides unique learning styles, personalities, and ability levels while challenging those students to develop their skills of perceiving, creating, reflecting, and critiquing. The arts engage students in a process of continuous refinement and growth with the goal of achieving the highest possible standard in their work. This process not only leads to deeper understanding of one’s own work and that of others in the arts but also develops skills which are highly sought after in the world of work. The Washington State Board of Education requires arts education for all students through the third benchmark level of the arts Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR’s). A sequential study of theatre should fulfill this requirement. The exception to this would be found in components 1.1 and 1.2 of the EALR’s document in which separate indicators are listed for each of the four arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual art). A few of these specific indicators for dance, music, and visual art can also be incorporated into the theatre classroom. However, this should not be construed as a rationale for the theatre classroom taking the place of instruction in the other arts or vice versa. When setting curriculum for theatre classes, educators should be familiar with the dance, music, and visual art indicators listed in components 1.1 and 1.2. Advanced high school performance and specialty classes should offer students who wish to pursue a career in theatre, or who plan continued involvement in theatre as an avocation, the chance to receive instruction past the their benchmark level. The 12th grade indicators have been developed with this student in mind. The arts EALR’s that follow were developed by a committee of arts educators under the direction of the Washington State OSPI Office. These EALR’s were completed in the spring of 2001. Arts Framework Introduction
The arts represent a universal expressive language which humans use to make sense of the world. Study in the arts demands and develops mental discipline, physical control, and freedom of spirit. Acquiring the language of an art form is a sequential process based on the acquisition of developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills necessary for creating, performing and responding to the arts. The intent of this framework is to support the Essential Academic Learning Requirements in the Arts. Designed to assist in planning and implementing arts curricula, the framework offers specific student learning targets at given grade levels. It attempts to ensure student progress in cumulative arts knowledge and skills. The framework:
Using the Framework: Indicators in EALR 1.1 and 1.2 are discipline specific with specific indicators written at each grade level. Indicators in EALR’s 1.3, 1.4, 2, 3, and are written across disciplines in all art forms. Note that:
Assessment
Education Reform Terminology Grade Level Expectations (GLE's) {formerly EALR's Essential Academic Learning Requirements): a statement of what students should know and be able to do. These statements are purposefully broad and are intended to serve as guideposts to school districts and to give teachers flexibility in designing curriculum, selecting teaching strategies, and planning instruction. Classroom Based Performance Assessment (CBPA): the assessment used to determine if students have achieved to the level of each benchmark. The assessments and rubrics to go with each can be found on the OSPI website at www.k12.wa.us under the Curriculum and Instruction tab. Component: intended to describe broad categories of student behaviors or actions related to the Essential Academic Learning Requirement. Benchmark: a particular point in which specific knowledge and skills could be assessed at a state level. In the arts, Benchmark is at the end of 5th grade, Benchmark 2 is at the end of 8th grade and Benchmark 3 is at the high school level. Indicator: describes assessable knowledge and skill at the end of a specific grade level; demonstrates the developmental, cumulative nature of learning. Framework: a scaffold with grade level indicators describing the knowledge and skills students are expected to master at a particular grade level; provides a focus for assessment helps document student progress over time. Essential Academic Learning Requirements —The Arts 1. The student understands and applies arts knowledge and skills. To meet this standard the student will: 1.1. Understand arts concepts and vocabulary. 1.2. Develop arts skills and techniques. 1.3. Understand and apply arts styles from various artist, cultures, and times. 1.4. Apply audience skills in a variety of arts settings and performances. 2. The student demonstrates thinking skills using artistic processes. To meet this standard the student will: 2.1. Apply a creative process in the arts: • Conceptualize the context or purpose. • Gather information from diverse sources. • Develop ideas and techniques. • Organize arts elements, forms, and/or principles into a creative work. • Reflect for the purpose of elaboration and self-evaluation. • Refine work based on feedback. • Present work to others. 2.2. Apply a performance process in the arts: • Identify audience and purpose. • Select artistic work (repertoire) to perform. • Analyze structure and background of work. • Interpret by developing a personal interpretation of the work. • Rehearse, adjust, and refine through evaluation and problem solving. • Present work for others. • Reflect and evaluate. 2.3 Apply a responding process to an arts presentation. • Engage actively and purposefully. • Describe what is seen and/or heard. • Analyze how the elements are arranged and organized. • Interpret based on descriptive properties. • Evaluate using supportive evidence and criteria.
Essential Academic Learning Requirements —The Arts (Cont.) 3. The student communicates through the arts. To meet this standard the student will: 3.1. Use the arts to express and present ideas and feelings. 3.2. Use the arts to communicate for a specific purpose. 3.3. Develop personal aesthetic criteria to communicate artistic choices. 4. The student makes connections within and across the arts to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work. To meet this standard the student will: 4.1. Demonstrate and analyze the connections among the arts disciplines. 4.2. Demonstrate and analyze the connections among the arts and other content areas. 4.3. Understand how the arts impact lifelong choices. 4.4. Understand that the arts shape and reflect culture and history. 4.5. Demonstrate the knowledge of arts careers and the knowledge of arts skills in the world of work
VII. The Characteristics of a Comprehensive Theatre Program NOTE: The theatre program that meets the standards outlined in this book must have intentional, focused classroom instruction as a primary design component. While that program may include an extracurricular component, the program cannot be solely extracurricular in design. An extracurricular program alone is not sufficient to meet the guidelines outlined in these standards. Elementary
Middle School
High School
VIII. Copyrights and Royalties Theatre budgets in the school should be sufficient so that copyright laws can be followed. Excerpts from plays and/or theatre books may be photocopied for classroom use if copyright law guidelines are followed. Most librarians have copyright law information. Copyright law can be found under Title 17 of the United States Code. Plays used for performance sake must be purchased from play service and royalties paid for each performance. Most play services require a minimum number of scripts purchased for each production before they will release the play for production. Some plays that are in public domain do not require royalties, such as Shakespeare's plays, but you do have to purchase the required number of published copies. If it is an adaptation of the play, then royalties are charged. Copyright laws also prohibit the video taping, still photography, and sound recording of performances. See copyright laws for exceptions. Theatre program archival recording must have permission from the publisher before they are made. Making copies of archival recordings for distribution/sale without specific publisher permission is a violation of copyright laws. The use of music is likewise covered in the copyright laws. Music that is "borrowed" from another source is subject to royalty. Music in the public domain or music that is composed specifically for a specific production may be used. See copyright law for exceptions and rules.
IX. Resources National Standards http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/standards.cfm www.education-world.com/standards/national/arts OSPI Complete Text of Arts EALR’s (Curriculum & Instruction tab) Copyright Laws (Title 17) http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/ Organizations http://washingtonthespians.org/
Theatre Arts Standards for the State of Washington
Copyright 2006 |
