2014-322 Arts - Noel James for Spring 2014 Arts Grant Agreement $1,500

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Page 3 of 3 designed to help prepare students to see a School Show at The ArtsCenter (art form and content), while simultaneously teaching curriculum through the arts. All School Shows connect to specific elements of the curriculum, and an ABLE residency allows students to study this related curriculum with professional teaching artists in their classrooms. During residencies, students are given opportunities to look at ideas from different angles, and they often times grasp concepts they have not previously understood. This builds students' self confidence, allows them to analyze and understand their personal learning styles, and fosters academic growth. In addition, students who have limited opportunities to experience the arts are able to work closely with professional teaching artists in their classrooms and see a live show at a local theater, which offers them new avenues to explore creativity and diversity. For example, it was powerful to see the 5th graders at Efland Cheeks with their written personal journals, then perform a scene (singing and dancing) from the "Junie B Jones" production. The focus was on improving the students' literacy skills by journaling and reading several "Junie B. Moon" books. Family involvement is also an integral part of our Arts In Education program because this allows for deeper discussions and learning to take place outside of school. As a result, family nights and/or family sharings are planned in accordance with residencies whenever possible. In addition, many district-wide events, such as Orange County Schools' Cultural Explosion, often times feature students, classes and schools who showcase their work from residencies for their families and other families in the district. Residencies that will take place in the 2014-2015 school year at each focus school will be planned at the beginning of the year. Each grade level at each elementary school will choose a School Show to see at The ArtsCenter during the year. The ArtsCenter's Arts In Education Coordinator will then work closely with each grade level team to plan their respective residencies (both art form and content). Prior to the start of the residencies, classroom teachers from that particular grade level, the teaching artist and The ArtsCenter's Arts In Education Coordinator will meet for a planning session to review goals and discuss residency logistics. Following the residency, they will all meet again for an evaluation meeting, where participants can talk candidly about their experiences and discuss key strengths and weaknesses of the residency. In addition to this evaluation tool, several other strategies will be put in place to ensure all aspects of the residency are carefully analyzed and assessed. Following the conclusion of all residencies. The ArtsCenter will distribute student and teacher evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the experience, as well as communicate regularly with teachers and administrators during and following residencies to guide further sessions and determine the effectiveness of the program. Additionally, curriculum assessments are administered following all residencies to measure academic growth on the material covered during residencies. The assessments are created with collaboration from classroom teachers, teaching artists and The ArtsCenter's Arts In Education Coordinator. The ArtsCenter has successfully implemented 66 residencies in area schools over the last several years through the Arts In Education program, 52 of which have been ABLE residencies. Furthermore, as mentioned above, The ArtsCenter carried out the focus school program at Central Elementary as a five years pilot; success with the pilot led to our current AIE expansion to serve all Orange County Title 1 schools beginning in FY2013-14. Funding in the amount of $1500 from the Orange County Arts Commission will specifically go towards teaching artists fees associated with 18 ABLE residencies at all four Title 1 schools in Orange County — Central Elementary, New Hope Elementary, Efland-Cheeks Elementary, and Partnership Academy— in the 2014-2015 school year.