Fine Art Experience Essential Except As Indiana Graduation Requirement

Indiana Board of Education endorses fine arts experiences for pre-school children, but may develop policies from the Indiana Career Council that result in the decimation of K-12 fine arts programs across the state.

As written in the 2012 FOUNDATIONS to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children from Birth to Age 5, art and music are essential foundational experiences for the educational development of young children:

"Fine arts engage children’s minds, bodies, and senses and invite children to listen, observe, discuss, move, solve problems, and imagine using multiple modes of thought and self-expression." (pg. 207)

"Fine arts curricula provide ways for young children to learn and use skills in other content areas, such as literacy, math, social studies, science, social skills, and creative thinking." (pg. 207)

Offering fine arts as an "option" to fulfill graduation requirements, the State will situate the fine arts as a non-essential learning experience.

Administrators serving school districts with limited funding are further motivated to cut or eliminate educational programs not related to standardized high stakes testing.

In this era of austerity, placing music, visual arts, theatre and dance as provisional subject areas will further exacerbate the de-humanization of K-12 learning environments.

Fine arts experience is ok in Pre-K, but not K-12?

You can contact your Indiana State Board of Education here: http://www.in.gov/sboe/2423.htm