The ArtCore project is a multiyear model development and research initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination program and the Oregon Community Foundation’s Studio-to-School program. ArtCore joins community-based teaching artists and middle school teachers from across disciplines to customize arts-integrated teaching and learning to meet the goals of the school. Over the course of four years, the project aims to develop a comprehensive set of resources for schools. These supports, along with technical and strategic assistance, will allow school’s to plan, implement, evaluate, and sustain school transformation through creative engagement at every level.
By emphasizing critical habits of mind that transfer across academic and artistic disciplines, the creative process in ArtCore remains central to learning. To be effective, this approach requires ongoing development of metacognitive strategies through explicit modeling, instruction, and targeted assessments.
In concert with the model development project, our longitudinal mixed methods research design will investigate various dimensions:
- Effects on the growth trajectories of student outcomes (e.g., academic achievement, creativity, engagement)
- Effects on teaching practices, school policies and structures, and overall indicators of school climate
- Implementation levers and “catalytic” moments critical to successful and sustained system change
Visit ArtCore for more details and resources.
Other related resources include:
Kennedy Center’s Changing Education Through the Arts Report
President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities
Edutopia: Profile of Bates Middle School
