CA State Visual Arts Standards: How We Are Aligned

Elementary schools are tasked with educating our youngest learners in math and English language skills. The guidance behind this education is in the California state standards. This sets learning goals for elementary teachers grades TK through 5th grade and desired learning outcomes. Few people realize there are similar standards set for visual and performing arts, as well. This is partially because basic art education is de-emphasized in elementary school classrooms and teachers are expected to be generalists. Fortunately, the Davis Arts Center art kit is closely aligned with the state visual arts standards.

“The standards are grounded in the NCAS vision of artistic literacy—the knowledge and understanding required to participate authentically in the arts...[f]luency in the language(s) of the arts is the ability to create, perform/produce/present, respond, and connect through symbolic and metaphoric forms that are unique to the arts. An artistically literate person is able to transfer arts knowledge, skills, and capacities to other subjects, settings, and contexts (NCCAS 2014, 17),” according to the California state arts framework.

Let’s break down how the art kit addresses the standards for visual arts by each area of the framework. The Arts as Communication - students write observations regarding art works, students interpret artistic expression of famous artists and their own artistic process, “the arts are ways of knowing” and the kit guides this. The Arts as Creative Personal Realization - students explore their memories and important events through a culminating project / self portrait, this project “enables students to develop their own creative capacity”. The Arts as Culture, History, and Connectors - as previously mentioned, students interpret artistic expression, “understanding artwork provides insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies”. The Arts as Means to Well-Being - the art kit is trauma-informed and has been evaluated for social emotional learning, the overwhelming message of the art kit is to embrace the ‘oops’, “artistically literate citizens find joy...and other life-enhancing qualities through participation in...the arts”. The Arts as Community Engagement - the art kit curriculum is accessible to all students regardless of ability or background, “the arts provide means for individuals to collaborate and connect with others”. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, The Arts as Profession - students will explore the artist inside and express their own story.

This alignment with art standards is one of the many strengths of the Davis Arts Center art kit. In addition, this can be used cross-curricularly to support English language arts standards, and even math and science.