ArtsAcademic Excellence : Minnesota Department of Education

Arts

Arts

The Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts focus on student achievement in six distinct arts areas: dance, literary arts, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts.  Students in arts education often integrate other subject areas with the arts to creatively express themselves and demonstrate their learning through projects or performance.

School districts may adopt the state-developed standards available below or they may develop their own. Districts interested in developing local standards may contact the specialists listed at the bottom of this page. The graduating class of 2008 will be the first students to graduate under the 2003 arts standards.

Engaging Students in the Arts is a curriculum framework and guide designed to assist teachers with classroom activities in each of the arts areas. The content corresponds to the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts. This framework is available below, separated by chapter.

The Minnesota Department of Education's Arts Specialists are located at the Perpich Center for Arts Education (PCAE), a state agency dedicated to improving K-12 arts education for all Minnesota students and educators through innovative programs and partnerships centered in the arts. See PCAE Website under related links for current information about arts education in Minnesota.

Contact:  Michael Hiatt, Director of Professional Development and Research, at 763-591-4700.

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.

Arts Standards Revision-Draft One (Nov 2007)  176Kb (11/1/07)  302Kb (11/1/07)
     The Arts Standards Revision Committee has developed this first draft revision of the arts standards for public review and comment. (November 1, 2007)
Arts Standards Revision Committee: Assumptions  28Kb (8/2/07)
     Read this document before applying for a seat on the Arts Standards Revision Committee. Outlines what is expected of committee members during the standards revision process.
Arts Standards Revision Committee: Member List  683Kb (9/17/07)
     List of committee members, including contact information, arts experience and designation for co-chairs and technical writing team members.
Arts Standards Revision Committee: Process Timeline  33Kb (2/8/08)
     Timeline of the Arts standards revision process including meeting dates and public and expert review periods.
Internet Resources for Arts Education  6Kb (8/31/05)
    
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts (2003)  586Kb (8/17/05)  146Kb (8/17/05)
     Current (2003 version) of the Minnesota Arts Standards in narrative/outline format (May 19, 2003)

Engaging Activities in the Arts

Appendix PDF Version 731Kb (7/15/05)
     The arts processes—create, perform and respond—ask students to engage in a variety of activities from generating ideas to presenting works of art. Some terms associated with these processes have generally agreed upon
Dance PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     The goal of dance education is to engage students in artistic experiences that develop intellectual and kinesthetic skills
Key Student Understandings PDF Version 659Kb (7/15/05)
     The Key Student Understandings were developed to provide an overview of the learning goals for a K-12 arts program
Literary Arts PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     The ability to cross time and cultures; and, most importantly, the capacity to evoke emotional response
Media Arts PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     The study and practice of human communication through photography, film or video, audio, computer or digital arts, and interactive media
Music PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     Tonal-rhythmic sound moving through time and space
Standards PDF Version 998Kb (7/15/05)
     The Minnesota standards require students to work in the arts from the early grades through high school
Theater PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     Collaborative, artistic expression encompassing the elements of plot, theme, character, language, sound and spectacle
Visual Arts PDF Version 1Mb (7/15/05)
     Drawing, painting and sculpture, images, weaving, ceramics, architecture, graphic design, fashion design, industrial design etc