The Executive Committee and Board of the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education creates an annual advocacy agenda directed toward the State Board of Education and the Missouri General Assembly.

In general, we encourage each of these entities to enact policies that support high quality arts education in Missouri.  

View Agenda Here

MAAE engages in arts advocacy by providing information and support for local level advocacy, maintaining communication with our colleagues engaged in national level work, and with a variety of arts advocacy work at the state level. From raising visibility, to gathering information and training, much of our work in arts advocacy is at the state level. This includes our signature advocacy programs: Fine Arts Education Day, Senate Student Arts Exhibit, and the Show-Me Arts Summit. Other activities include reporting to our allies about the activities of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the State Board of Education, pending legislation, and changes to administrative rules. We work with our allied organizations such as Missouri Citizens for the Arts, Missouri School Boards Association, and associations which support teachers, (MSTA, MNEA) school administrators, (MASA) principals (MAESP, MoASSP) and more to ensure arts education thrives in Missouri. 

The “Right to Read” statewide coalition supports Missouri’s libraries to remain as an open, accessible resource for books and other materials available free of charge to the public.

The coalition opposes attempts to restrict access to public libraries, including those at public schools.

The Coalition has the utmost confidence in trained, experienced librarians and educators to evaluate and select materials available to the public.

Show your support here

Recent Book Challenges has prompted discussion about the impact of suppressive actions regarding controversial subjects in arts education. A letter from the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education expressing support and solidarity has been delivered to our colleagues in the Missouri Association of School Librarians. A subcommittee from the Executive Committee of the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education has drafted the following document in support of Artistic Freedom.

We invite you to join us in personally endorsing this statement, or endorse on behalf of an organization, by visiting us online here.

The next session of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA) is scheduled for June 2-15, 2024 on the Springfield campus of Missouri State University. 

The Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA) is a two-week summer residential program for highly motivated sophomore, junior and senior high school student artists in the disciplines of visual arts/mixed media, theatre, dance, creative writing, and music (instrumental and vocal).

Missouri high school students interested in attending can apply starting Oct. 16, 2023. The application portal will be available through Jan. 28, 2024. Resident assistant and faculty applications are also being accepted. 

View more info here

Dear MO Fine Arts Teachers,

I wanted to make you aware of grant funding that may be possible for you and your school district. DESE, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has funds available for schools that demonstrate or intend to implement CBL, or competency-based learning. Since the premises of CBL often align with common fine arts teaching practice, this might be an opportunity where your department could find resources. Additionally, when fine arts can demonstrate a connection to State initiatives, this strengthens our ability to advocate for the validity and continuation of the Arts in student education in MO.

Links:

Competency-Based Education Grant Program | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (mo.gov) - describes the application process. Applications can be received by Nov.2nd or Jan. 18th .

Competency-Based Education Grant Application | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (mo.gov) – the application for the grant

SB33 - Establishes the Competency-based Education Grant Program and Competency-based Education Task Force, and allows school districts and charter schools to receive funding for high school students taking competency-based credits (mo.gov) – wording from the State bill. Notice it says,

“Under this act, school districts and charter schools shall receive state school funding under the foundation formula for high school students who are taking competency-based courses offered by their school district or charter school.”

Please understand I am not advocating for CBL coursework or more guidelines and paperwork on your already full schedules. What I am advocating for is you – the arts often need additional funds to implement the daily courses and outcomes that are expected of our students. If your school is implementing CBL in other subject areas already, then you may want to ensure they connect with your fine art as well. If your fine art area needs funds, and you feel that you are already implementing CBL practices, even if your school does not, then you may want to pursue this avenue. The director over the grant program visited with me about how they thought the fine arts teachers should contact them, realizing that because we teach skills, we may implement the CBL strategies in how our students learn. 

Below are listed Missouri’s framework and elements of CBL and another list of descriptors for CBL in education. If this grant is something you would like your fine art area to receive, I would encourage you to pursue this. If you have questions along the way, please feel free to contact me.

Helping Fine Arts to Flourish in MO,

Kendra Franks, Ph.D.
Director of Fine Arts, Office of College and Career Readiness
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Kendra.franks@dese.mo.gov
(573) 751-9610

Missouri Framework for Competency-Based Learning

The Missouri framework for competency-based learning (CBL) includes the seven elements that define a competency-based education system, plus an additional Real World Learning element, for a total of eight elements. 

1. Students are empowered daily to make important decisions about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning.

2. Assessment is a meaningful, positive, and empowering learning experience for students that yields timely, relevant, and actionable evidence.

3. Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.

4. Students progress based on evidence of mastery, not seat time.

5. Students learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing.

6. Strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education systems.

7. Rigorous, common expectations for learning (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable.

8. Students engage in Real World Learning experiences that support high school, college, career and workplace readiness.

Competency-based education is a system in which:

•Students are empowered daily to make important decisions about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning.

•Assessment is a meaningful, positive, and empowering learning experience for students that yields timely, relevant, and actionable evidence.

•Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.

•Students’ progress is based on evidence of mastery, not seat time.

•Students learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing.

•Strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education systems.

•Rigorous, common expectations for learning (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable.

A competency-based school should implement all seven elements of the definition. Strong implementation also requires policies, pedagogy, structures, and culture that support every student.

Source: https://aurora-institute.org/our-work/competencyworks/competency-based-education/

The UMSL Visual Arts Education Department sponsors ongoing professional learning opportunities for teachers who are in their first few years of teaching. Now this opportunity is open for all arts educators!

The the next First Five Professional Development session featuring TAB and Choice-Based Art on Thursday, November 16, from 5:30-6:30pm. MAEA Past-President, Hester Menier, will be presenting a Zoom live from her choice-based/TAB classroom! Hester will lead folks on a virtual tour of her classroom, leaving plenty of time for questions and conversation.

RSVP with Dr. Jennifer Fisher by emailing district8@maea.net 

Arts Intensives
Opera Theatre St. Louis will pair your classroom with a dynamic teaching artist in an 8-10 week residency to guide your students in creating an original musical work: from story to music to stage! Students will take on the roles of lyricists, composers, set and costume designers, performers, and more! This program can be combined with core content areas such as science, communication arts, history, English, math, etc. to create a multidisciplinary experience heightening students’ depth of learning! Ideal for grades 3 –12. Learn more here.

Trailblazers in Opera
Opera Theatre St. Louis’s interactive lesson series spotlights groundbreaking past and present Black opera singers and composers who blazed the trail both in opera and in American history. Each curriculum highlights the life and contributions of an individual singer or composer with lessons and activities keyed to state and national standards, supplementary video content, and the opportunity to host a visit in your classroom with a contemporary opera professional. The program is designed for middle and high school age students but can also be adapted for younger audiences. Learn more here.

The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), is now accepting submissions for the 2023-24 program, an opportunity for high school students to develop and showcase musical compositions that could be a part of a musical theater production. This year, even more resources and constructive critique opportunities will be available for participating students to cultivate their songwriting skills. 

Learn More Now

Strike Up the Band! celebrates 1,000 years of band music from around the world. During the last nine centuries, band music has been performed in virtually every possible setting including cathedrals, town squares, concert halls, athletic events, in schools and on the battlefield.

As a new feature of Strike Up the Band, we are offering you the opportunity to choose your favorite march from our shows. “Favorites” will be announced on air and this will be an opportunity to vote for your own favorite march and have your name mentioned on air. Recommendations for marches to include on future shows are encouraged. To cast your vote or recommend a particular march, CLICK HERE.

Visit Strike Up the Band! online here