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Project Background

The project will boost student achievement, promote parent and community involvement, and improve teacher preparation by supporting the integration of fine arts in general education. Concord will use three strategies during the next two years to accomplish these objectives.

• Concord will mentor and assist three Michigan charter schools in the alignment and mapping of fully integrated fine arts curricula. Although each curriculum will be unique and tailored to the distinctive needs of the school in question, they will all share key characteristics. The integrated curricula will:
  • Be fully mapped and aligned to state content standards and benchmarks
  • See to engage communities by encouraging local involvement and participation in the arts and by establishing partnerships with area arts organizations
  • Incorporate appropriate technological resources
  • Build upon best practices to support high academic performance

West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics ("West Michigan"), Woodland Park Academy ("Woodland Park"), and Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts ("Winans") have each requested Concord's assistance in aligning and mapping their integrated fine arts curricula.

• Concord will develop and launch an interactive Internet resource that challenges teachers and curriculum designers to incorporate the fine arts into their regular course offerings. This Website will offer all of the following:
  • Practical, tested strategies for using the arts in both instruction and assessment. These strategies will emphasize best practices and be directed to educators and parents, nd should prove particularly useful to families that home school their children
  • Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of fine arts academic activities and partnerships
  • "Chat" opportunities and links to other successful programs and resources.

The Website also will offer solutions for schools that wish to offer a limited traditional fine arts component, s well as a full fine arts program. This project component will be completed with the assistance of the Mixhigan Association of Public School Academies ("MAPSA").

• A unique teacher preparation program will be implemented. Teacher instruction in the arts will be proviced in state colleges of education and in ongoing professional development opportunities, some of which will be ofered through MAPSA. Again, Concord will offer ideas and strategies for teachers that wish to offer a limited traditional fine arts component to their lessons, as well as a full fine arts program.