Iowa Fine Arts Standards

The state of Iowa recently passed standards for Fine Arts, including dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts.  While these standards are voluntary, they do provide a common framework across all of the arts for districts such as Southeast Polk who have teacher teams engaging in collaboration around teaching and learning in the fine arts area. 

Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards seek to establish rigorous expectations for excellence in teaching and learning in the arts. Process-based pedagogy empowers students with the knowledge and skills to engage their imaginations, ask authentic questions, and solve problems creatively in order to understand, serve, and innovate in their communities. Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards, derived from the National Core Arts Standards (2014), unite the arts disciplines–dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts–through a common language and framework of four artistic processes and eleven anchor standards. 

Below are some links with resources for using these standards:

Dance Standards

• Dance Standards, K-12

Media Standards

• Media Arts Standards, K-12

Music Standards

• General Music Standards, K-12 (revised from National Coalition for Core Arts Standards)
• Harmonizing Instruments Standards
• Music Composition and Theory Standards
• Music Technology, 9-12
• Traditional and Emerging Ensembles Standards

Theatre Standards

• Theatre Standards, K-12 (revised from National Coalition for Core Arts Standards)

Visual Arts Standards

• Visual Arts Standards, K-12

Early Childhood

Fine arts standards for early childhood are included in the Iowa Early Learning Standards - Area 6, Creative Arts for infants and toddlers, pages 72-77 and Area 13, Creative Arts for preschoolers, pages 134-139.

Resources

Unpacked Iowa Fine Arts Standards

The fine arts are an inclusive and natural vehicle for self-expression, understanding, critical thinking, and community-building. The arts can serve as a light that illuminates students’ understanding of themselves, their beliefs, their experiences, and their value in our world. Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards are the result of careful consideration of highly vetted and regarded national standards, as well as determinations about the diverse needs of students and educators of fine arts in our state. The standards are specific but flexible and allow for teachers to meet the needs of their students in unique, creative, and thoughtful ways. Additionally, for the first time, the new standards unite all fine arts disciplines with a common framework and language and highlight the importance of artistic processes inherent to all of the arts. The adoption of Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards will drive academic excellence, provide a rigorous framework for accomplished arts instruction, and furnish a context for evaluation that supports complex creative thinking and expression.

Upcoming Course for Science

We are pleased to offer a new science learning option for Southeast Polk teachers. This online course is for teachers and coaches who would like to learn more about our new state science standards.  This course is intended for teachers that have some knowledge of the NGSS framework but have not yet had the opportunity to dig deeper and learn more about the instructional shifts required by the standards.  This course is eligible for TQ funds if you haven't applied for funds this year.  The TQ application form may be found in this blog post. 

Topics include:

- Understanding Three Dimensional Learning

- Using the science EQuiP rubric to assess instructional materials

- Scientific Phenomena

- Unpacking of standards

- Developing unit Story Lines

This course will be offered on the Canvas learning management system and has enabled open enrollment. Students can self-enroll in the course once you share with them this URL:https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/7NFT93. Alternatively, they can sign up at https://canvas.instructure.com/register and use the following join code: 7NFT93

*******Register Now for this online course! (Our first meeting - Jan 9th is face-face, the remainder is online & self-paced)

1. To register for this course and paying with a credit card, either click on the activity number link below or if you have problems with the link, please go online to www.heartlandaea.org.  Click on Professional Development, and then click on Heartland AEA PD Catalog.

2. On the catalog search page, scroll down to Or Enter an Activity Number and enter the activity number:

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Activity Name: Iowa Science Standards Level 2- Designing Units

Activity #: DR450161011801

Dates: January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 2018.

Location:​ Southeast Polk Sr. High School

$35.00 - License renewal credit or $0 - No credit