Arts Ed NJ Issues 'September Forward Fall 2021 Guidance for Arts Education'

WARREN, N.J., Aug. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Arts Ed NJ, the performing arts affiliate for the National Association of State High School Associations (NFHS), has just released its September Forward Fall 2021 Guidance for Arts Education in Changing Conditions (https://www.artsednj.org/september-forward/), which provides the most up-to-date policy guide for administrators, K-12 arts educators, and the community at large to ensure that students can take part in arts education programs safely and effectively as they prepare to resume in-person learning this fall.

The guidance comes in the wake of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy's August 6 Executive Order mandating that all students, educators, staff, and visitors will be required to wear face masks indoors for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

Arts Ed NJ's recommendations for indoors include:

• Masks made of appropriate material should be worn; however, wind players should mask their instruments while playing. This allows them to remove their face masks during performance only. Social distancing of 3 feet is also recommended "when feasible."
• In spaces with good ventilation, indoor rehearsal time should be limited to 50 minutes, followed by one air exchange before resuming. If there are spaces with higher air change rates, teachers may consider longer rehearsal times.
• Proper hygiene ventilation strategies should be a priority at all times.

Currently, there are no mitigation requirements when outdoors.

While Arts Ed NJ is careful to note that its recommendations are subject to change based on the latest CDC and New Jersey Department of Health requirements, the organization believes that when these recommendations are followed the arts classroom is as safe as any other classroom. Students will benefit most if schools don't add unnecessary obstacles to learning dance, music, theater, or visual art in person.

"Mask requirements can be a challenge for education, yet conditions make them necessary. There are ways to reduce risk by masking our arts students, teachers and even wind instruments," said Arts Ed NJ director Bob Morrison. "Current CDC guidance is that students are safe three feet apart, when feasible—and that includes all arts students. However, inability to adhere to mitigation strategies should not be a reason to preclude instruction."

Arts Ed NJ is urging policymakers to adopt commonsense safety steps to keep classrooms open for dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Studies have shown the importance of these disciplines in providing a well-rounded education. Arts education is vital because it combines intellectual challenges with social emotional learning, which is essential for student development. To move forward, students need to be able to interpret their world and express their emotions, something that's more important now than ever.

But while all subject areas have suffered due to COVID over the last 16 months, arts education may have been hit hardest. Isolating students from their classmates and teachers negates the benefits that are unique to art education—the peer-to-peer learning that comes from shared experience; the ability of a teacher to work with students over multiple grades and to serve as role models for students; the tools for learning how subjective judgement plays a role in everyday life; a safe space to explore the gray areas that are ignored in subject areas where standardized testing thwarts creative reasoning; even the simple joy of creating something new.

September Forward 2021 emphasizes the importance of studying dance, music, theatre and visual arts collectively and in person. "Our data shows that students missed creating together more than anything else when forced to engage in remote learning," Morrison said. "We also believe that engaging with the community, whether by organizing field trips or bringing artists into the classroom, is both beneficial and motivating for students."

The recommendations outlined in September Forward 2021 build on work that began in 2020 with a taskforce of more than 100 of the state's leading arts educators and stakeholders, who met regularly throughout the school year and beyond to understand the challenges for students and teachers during the COVID era.

With its September Forward 2021 guidelines, Arts Ed NJ is urging school districts to provide teachers with the professional development and classroom resources and equipment they will need to meet the specific needs of their curricula and students, citing eight key points:

Sequential arts education must return for all students in all instructional models: New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts were affirmed in 2020 and continue to be a requirement for all learning methods.

Arts Education programs will require the proper staffing and support to ensure continuity of instruction. This includes maintaining certified arts educators to provide sequential instruction while providing them with materials, resources and equipment needed to meet health and safety requirements.

Arts educators and administrators must be part of district planning. No group has spent more time studying the challenges and solutions of teaching the arts in the COVID-era than arts educators themselves. Their collective knowledge will be a critical asset to school administrations and board members as they prepare to open schools this September.

Schools must prioritize making and creating the arts together. Students have identified the loss of time making art together as the thing they most missed when forced to study remotely. As districts return, when the students are in school, the emphasis should be placed on creating artistic works together.

Social and emotional learning needs of students, faculty, and staff must be addressed in all aspects of instruction. Arts Education plays a critical role in supporting the social and emotional needs of students, which New Jersey's Accelerated Learning Guide recognizes as important factors for effective education by influencing a teachers' ability to teach and students' ability to learn.

Schools must address learning delays and disruptions in the arts: As with other subject areas identified in the N.J. Department of Education's Learning Acceleration Guide, resources, including those available from the state and federal government (should be provided to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the visual and performing arts).

Professional development must be provided: In order to be most effectively meet the challenges of reopening during the pandemic, arts educators must be provided the opportunity and necessary resources to engage in professional development relevant to their respective fields.

New Jersey cultural community resources should be utilized for instructional support. From assembly programs and field trips to artist residencies and collaborative projects, New Jersey rich community of artists and cultural organizations plays a critical role in the education of our students. As schools reopen, they should look for appropriate opportunities to bring students into contact with artists and art in the community at large.

"An arts classroom is a classroom, period," Morrison said. "Sequential arts education is part of New Jersey's learning expectations for all students and must be maintained."

For more information about the September Forward Fall 2021 Guidance for Arts Education in Changing Conditions, visit https://www.artsednj.org/september-forward/

For more information about Arts Education and Social and Emotional Learning, visit https://artsedsel.org

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About Arts Ed NJ
Arts Ed NJ is the unified voice for arts education in New Jersey. The mission of Arts Ed NJ is to create the proper conditions for arts learning to take place in New Jersey. Formerly the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, Arts Ed NJ was founded in 2007 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Department of Education and Music for All Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional information is available at http://www.artsednj.org.

Media Contact

Peter Giles, Giles Communications, +1 914-318-2680, [email protected]

SOURCE Arts Ed NJ

Related Links

http://www.artsednj.org/