Community Arts Education

Professional Development in Arts Integration

A new partnership among Columbus Public Schools, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, BalletMet Columbus, Opera Columbus, and the Jazz Arts Group will provide a program that includes professional development support for over 200 Columbus Public Schools teachers and local professional teaching artists over a three-year period. It is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $724,038. This federal grant is to cover 100% of the project budget.

The program offers CPS arts and classroom teachers and local teaching artists the opportunity to learn and utilize methods for integrating performing and visual arts throughout the curriculum while adhering to district and state academic content standards. Participating teachers are required to take part in a total of eight full days of professional development, for a total of 52 hours of instruction and hands-on activities, over the course of 12 months (one school year and one summer.) Participants also agree to create and implement a series of arts integrated lesson plans as a result of this professional development opportunity. Extended hours pay and graduate credit and/or CEUs are offered to eligible participants. Participating teaching artists take part in two full days of a separate professional development course.

The program is based on a model developed through collaboration between GCAC, CPS, and the arts education staff at BalletMet, Jazz Arts Group, Opera Columbus, and other arts organizations over the past five years as the "Summer Teacher Arts Institute."

In 2005/06, 35 CPS teachers from nine schools are participating in the program. The nine participating schools are: Avalon Elementary, Avondale Elementary, Beck Elementary, Highland Elementary, Parkmoor Elementary, Barrett Middle, Medina Middle, South High and Walnut Ridge High. The CPS arts curriculum coordinators are involved in curriculum design and implementation of all workshops.

The project began on October 1, 2005, and concludes on September 30, 2008. GCAC will provide general project coordination services, including logistics, communications, data management, production of training materials, and project promotion and documentation.