Questions and answers from the VPA training
Q1. Could you reiterate the respective roles of the Instructional Materials Advisory Panel (IMAP) and Content Review Panel (CRP) members?
Answer: The IMAP and CRP both review all of the instructional materials submitted for adoption. However, the CRP members focus their review on content (i.e. category 1 of the evaluation criteria); whether materials reflect current and confirmed research, and are accurate.
Q2. What does “presentation of student work” mean in Category 1, #10?
Answer: The criteria statement calls for, “Guidelines for formal and informal presentations of student work and other artwork focused on demonstrating the artistic elements and principles in the content area, thereby aiding meaningful learning.” Thus the materials must contain direction for student presentations that focus not just on performance, but on “artistic elements and principles.” Former Curriculum Commissioner Roy Anthony, who supervised the creation of the Visual and Performing Arts Framework, was concerned that students would be directed to activities that merely focused on recitals, without including an understanding of the underlying artistic skills and knowledge. Therefore, teachers and students should be directed toward student presentations that include both.
Q3. Will cost of a publisher’s curriculum be included in the decision to recommend?
Answer: No. The IMAP and CRP members will not receive information about the price of materials, and should not take potential district purchase decisions into account when conducting their review. The sole determination used by the IMAP/CRP is whether the submitted program meets the evaluation criteria adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE).
Q4. What qualifies as “instructional materials” in arts, particularly music. We use sheet music. Can that term “instructional materials” apply to sheet music, or is it for books only? Can it be scripts, other arts supplies?
Answer: The Education Code (Section 60010[h]) defines “instructional materials” as, “all materials that are designed for use by pupils and their teachers as a learning resource and help pupils to acquire facts, skills, or opinions or to develop cognitive processes.” So in this case, sheet music and scripts would count as instructional materials, as would other components submitted as part of programs in this adoption. However, separate items that may be used in an arts classroom, such as musical instruments or computer hardware, may not meet the definition of instructional materials per this code section.Q5. Clarification: criteria category 1, #2.
Answer: The “list of evidence” is the standards map provided by the publisher. The criteria statement reads: “A list of evidence, with page numbers or other appropriate references, that demonstrates alignment with the standards (as detailed, discussed, and prioritized in Chapter 3 of the framework).” A standards map that does not accurately demonstrate alignment with the standards may not meet this criteria statement, but remember that IMAP/CRP members should not rely solely upon the standards map in determining standards alignment, but also conduct their own thorough review of the materials to see if the standards are met in other places in the program.
Q6. How did CDE decide to “adopt” art curriculum?
Answer: Education Code Section 60200(a) directs the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt instructional materials for kindergarten through grade eight in certain subjects, including,“(6) Any other subject, discipline, or interdisciplinary areas for which the state board determines the adoption of instructional materials to be necessary or desirable.” Education Code sections 51210 and 51220 outline the required course of study for grades one to six and seven to twelve, respectively; both sections require instruction in “visual and performing arts, including instructions in the subjects of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.” Finally, Education Code Section 60605.1 called for the SBE to adopt content standards in the visual and performing arts by June 1, 2001.Q7. Once adopted, what does CDE anticipate schools will do? Buy sets of art textbooks for every classroom?
Answer: Once an adoption of instructional materials is completed by the SBE, purchasing decisions are up to the local governing board of a school district or other local education agency. Districts may use a variety of funding sources for the purchase of instructional materials, including Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program (IMFRP) funds (once the district certifies that all students have materials in the four core academic subjects of reading, mathematics, science, and history-social science), Proposition 20 lottery funds, or other discretionary local funds.
Q8. For Universal Access, what are the requirements for publishers to provide adaptations for all students?
Answer: The Universal Access category of the evaluation criteria is intended to provide instruction that meets the needs of all students in a diverse heterogeneously grouped classroom.
Q9. It is interesting that we require English/language arts (ELA) activities in the Visual Performing Arts (VPA) curriculum. Do we also require VPA activities in the ELA criteria?
Answer: The evaluation criteria for reading/language arts/English language development materials do not require the inclusion of arts activities. Note, however, that the visual and performing arts evaluation criteria does not require ELA activities; rather, this criteria statement states that programs should include reading or writing activities that are at the proper grade level. Reading and writing recommendations in the instructional materials should align with the appropriate grade level requirements in the English-Language Arts Content Standards under the strands of “Reading”, “Writing”, and “Written and Oral English Language Conventions.”
