Models of Implementing Arts for Academic Achievement: Challenging Contemporary Classroom Practice

Abstract

The Minneapolis Public Schools’ Challenge Grant from the Annenberg Foundation focused on
\nthe arts as a means for overall academic improvement. To accomplish this goal, schools were to
\nincrease integration of the arts into the core curriculum and develop strong partnerships with
\nartists and arts organizations. The core of the Arts for Academic Achievement (AAA) project
\nwas “bottom up” innovation, with the precise nature of the intervention to be defined by the
\nschool and the arts partners working together.
\nSchools were at various levels of experience in working with visiting artists and arts organization
\npartners, and therefore, developed a variety of approaches to implementation. The arts
\nintegration models in elementary schools varied by what core curriculum was taught in and
\nthrough the arts, the number of disciplines (arts and non-arts) involved in the activity, whether
\nthe concepts taught during the activity focused on both the arts and non-arts areas, and what roles
\nwere played by the classroom teacher and arts partner. The five implementation models we
\nobserved are:
\n§ Residency Model
\n§ Elaborated Residency Model
\n§ Capacity Building Model
\n§ Co-Teaching Model
\n§ Concepts Across the Curriculum Model