Community Arts Organizations' Frequently Asked Questions

1. What current District initiatives might impact my work with Seattle Public Schools?
2. Where can I find out more information about the background and demographics of the Seattle School District?
3. How can my Community Arts Organization reach out to Seattle Public Schools?
4. What is the curriculum at Seattle Public Schools? How do I align a Community Arts Program with what the students are learning?
5. What are the SPS guidelines for planning and implementing Community Arts Organization programs?
6. What types of Community Arts Programs do schools want?
7. When is the best time of year to work with a school?
8. How do schools pay for Community Arts Programs?
9. Will SPS write a letter of support for my organization's grant application?
10. What are some other considerations when working with a school?

1. What current District initiatives might impact my work with Seattle Public Schools?

1. District's Strategic Plan Excellence for All is a five-year strategic plan created with the input of thousands of community members and unanimously approved by the School Board in June 2008. The plan will achieve excellence by:
   
   1. Ensuring Excellence in Every Classroom
   2. Strengthening Leaders Systemwide
   3. Building an Infrastructure that Works Well
   4. Improving Our Systems
   5. Engaging Stakeholders
   
   Embedded into the five strategies above are areas which community arts organizations are keenly positioned to address. These include:
   
   1. Approaching teaching and learning with cultural competency
   2. Building teacher capacity
2. New Student Assignment Plan reflects the policy of the Seattle School Board that students shall have the opportunity to attend an elementary, middle or high school in a designated attendance area based upon home address, unless the school designated by a student's home address does not have the appropriate services for the student's needs, as determined by the School District. The New Student Assignment Plan provides every student with access to a quality education that supports enhanced achievement for all students, including elimination of the achievement gap. Toward these ends, the new plan should enable stronger family engagement with schools, provide equitable access to programs, continue to offer opportunities for school choice, and foster diversity.
   
3. Curriculum Alignment is a coherent and consistent progression of content, instruction and assessment within and across a course of study. In an aligned system, common rigorous expectations for student learning in any one grade level are consistent across the District, grade level expectations build on the prior year's work and feed into the next year, and teachers have the materials and training to teach the content to their students. Curriculum alignment guides teachers in what to teach but not how to teach. Curriculum alignment places a high value on teacher creativity and passion, and does encourage appropriate acceleration, differentiation and curriculum integration. Information about the curriculum alignment process for Language Arts, Science, Washington State History, World Language and Visual and Performing Arts is available here.
   
4. Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs) are the state assessment models designed to help schools and districts determine whether students have met the Arts learning standards. SPS Visual and Performing Arts teachers are required to implement a CBPA at the 5th, 8th and 10th grades and report student data centrally. The CBPA that Seattle Public School teachers administer are listed on the OSPI Web site. One way that community arts organizations can support arts specialists is by reinforcing the concepts and skills that are measured in the CBPA items.

2. Where can I find out more information about the background and demographics of the Seattle School District?

1. Test and Summary Data
   Currently being updated for most recent data—check back for updates (12/12).
   
   Test and Summary Data reports for each school are available, include student demographics reports, student and staff surveys, and state test data.

3. How can my Community Arts Organization reach out to Seattle Public Schools?

1. Arts eNews is Seattle Public Schools' e-newsletter that goes out every other month. The Arts eNews provides listings of arts education programs, events, and activities available to the SPS community. In addition to finding programs, you can also learn about arts education funding opportunities, advocacy, resources, and research.

   If you would like to submit a program listing, you must be a non-profit community organization providing educational arts programs. Listings are submitted using an online form.

   Listings will remain online until the final date of the program or the program deadline. Any program updates need to be sent directly to cjcampbell@seattleschools.org

   
   Non-profit Organization Print Materials Distribution is a service provided by the District's Communications Department as part of Seattle Public Schools' commitment to community involvement. SPS will distribute information about non-profit, education-related community programs, services and events to parents and staff. Review the procedures for the approval of non-profit materials.
   
2. School Beat is the district's e-newsletter, produced twice a month during the school year. It provides highlights of academic initiatives, key developments, student and staff achievements, community events and other information. If a Community Arts Organization would like to submit a story to School Beat about an upcoming or past event it must involve Seattle Public Schools or SPS students or staff; or stories such as an opportunity for SPS students to perform at a professional venue or a special author visit to a school. Story submissions can be sent to goodnews@seattleschools.org
   
3. Benefits and Consideration Fact Sheet is a format for Community Arts Organizations to outline what their program offers, as well as the educational and logistical aspects that schools need to consider when deciding to engage in a community arts program. The Fact Sheet helps to clarify how the program aligns with District and school goals, which therefore makes it easier to advocate to a school for its inclusion in their school day or after-school offerings. An example of Benefits and Considerations Fact Sheets can be found here. (PDF)
   
4. Reach SPS Arts Specialists by sending a program or event description to the Visual and Performing Arts Manager, cjcampbell@seattleschools.org. The information will then be forwarded on to arts specialists through District e-mail. We can not give out teachers' individual e-mail addresses. When making this request, please specify to which arts discipline and what level (elementary, middle, or high school) teachers you want to the information sent.

4. What is the curriculum at Seattle Public Schools? How do I align a Community Arts Program with what the students are learning?

1. State Standards-based Curriculum - All curricula in Seattle Public Schools is based on the Washington State standards known as the Essential Academic Learning Requirements or EALRs. For many of the subject areas, Grade-Level Expectations which outline the specific benchmark achievements at each grade level, have also been developed. For more information, visit the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Web site @ http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/default.aspx
   
2. Curriculum Alignment and Adoption - As noted in the response to Question #1, Curriculum Alignment is a major District initiative. Subject areas are at different stages of curriculum mapping and adoption.

5. What are the SPS guidelines for planning and implementing Community Arts Organization programs?

At present, there are no specific central office guidelines for working with schools. The District Visual and Performing Arts Department does not place programs into schools. Schools make many of their decisions about whether to engage community arts partnerships at the individual school or "building level." Building-based decisions involve the principal, staff, and parents making the decisions together.

Community arts organizations who are already working within a school or schools are not required to "report in" to the District offices. The District's Visual and Performing Arts department can be a resource to guide your existing program so that it best meets school and district needs and/or facilitate connections to other schools if you are looking to expand an existing program.

Some general guidelines for working effectively with a school include the following steps:

1. Assess a school's need by familiarizing yourself with the school's academic and family and community engagement goals. School's Continuous School Improvement Plans  (or C-SIPs) provide an outline of these goals and the strategies schools plan to undertake to meet their goals.
   
2. Speak the same language as school-based educators and administrators. The Education Glossary of Terms for Community Arts Organizations (PDF) explains the terminology used by educators in their planning and teaching. If you are working to integrate the arts into another content area, information about the pedagogy and curriculum of each academic content area can be found through the Instructional Services Department web site.
   
3. Research, writing, and discussions on the topic of national best practice for Community Arts partnerships can be found at several arts education Web sites, including:
   • A Guide to Arts and Education Collaboration: Learning Partnerships
     @ http://www.aep-arts.org/files/publications/LearningPartnerships.pdf, (PDF), produced by the Arts Education Partnership
   • Partners in Excellence: A Guide to Community Schools of the Arts / Public School Partnerships @ http://www.nationalguild.org/programs/partners.htm produced by National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts
   • Revitalizing Arts Education through Community-Wide Coordination
      @http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG702.pdf (PDF) produced by RAND Education and commissioned by the Wallace Foundation
   • Learning and the Arts: Crossing Boundaries,
     @ http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/resources/artsed_publications/001.asp proceedings from meeting organized by Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundatin
   • Learning in and out of school in diverse environment: Life-long, Life-wide, Life-Deep@ http://cils.exploratorium.edu/cils/resource.php?resourceID=1224, produced by the Learning in Informal and Formal Environments Center, University of Washington, Stanford University, and SRI International
   • Community of Thinkers is a group organized by the Seattle Art Museum to increase knowledge of best practices in arts education and broaden the conversation and the vision for the future among local leaders. The goal is to create a community who thinks deeply about arts education and fosters best practices within their settings. Documents and other resources around best practice community arts partnerships are posted on the Community of Thinkers wiki site @ http://communityofthinkers.pbworks.com/

6. What types of Community Arts Programs do schools want?

The most successful collaborations between schools and community arts organizations occur when school needs are met and community arts organizations provide programs that are most authentic to the organization's vision, goals, and resources. Below is a list of the types of programs that have been offered to schools with links to any relevant and important district information.

1. School day programs for students:
   
   • Individualized student coaching or mentoring
   • Teaching artist residencies
   • School assemblies or performances
   
   Important District Information: By union contract rules, teachers must stay in the classroom when a teaching artist is working with students. If a course taught by a teaching artist is being offered for credit at the secondary level, a teacher certified in that arts area must be listed as the teacher of record. (e.g. a certified visual arts teacher must be the teacher of record for a ceramics class, not a music teacher.)
   
2. Out-of-School Time programs
   
   • Before or After-school programs at the Arts Organization site.
   • SPS Community Learning Centers are before and after-school programs sponsored by the District. Program operations are subcontracted to partner organizations.
   • Before or After-school programs on site at schools
   
   Important District Information: Afterschool Programs in Seattle Public Schools (PDF) is a list of before and after school providers and which they schools they work with.
   
3. Service Learning Opportunities
   
   • Opportunities to serve the community through the arts, as well as, mentorships with an arts professional can be offered for service learning credit.
   
   Important District Information: SPS students are required to complete 60 hours of service learning experience for graduation. For more information, download Service Learning Documentation (PDF).
   
4. Cultural Organization Study Visits
   
   • Many cultural organizations offer opportunities for students to extend their learning beyond the classroom by visiting a cultural organization venue, whether that is a study trip to a museum or attending a theatrical or musical performance.
   
   Important District Information:
   
   1. Funding - The ways in which visits are funded include: the cultural organization covers admissions/ticket fees through a grant, the school writes a grant to cover the costs, PTSAs raise the funds, or the school passes the costs onto the parents by charging them per child attending the visit. (See Question #8 for more information about how schools fund programs)
   2. Buses - Scheduling and paying for buses are another key component of organizing an off-site study visit. For more information about the cost of buses and bus schedules, click here.
   3. School daily schedules - Schools need to schedule visits to fit within their school day and for buses to travel when they are not in use for school pick up and drop off. For list of school start and end times as it relates to the bus runs schedule, click here. (PDF)
5. Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers
   Community Arts Organizations can provide professional development opportunities for teachers that are relevant to their teaching.
   
   Important District Information:
   
   1. Clock hours/Continuing Education Requirement - Certified teachers must participate in continuing education to maintain their certification. Clock hours are one way teachers meet this requirement. Offering clock hours will encourage SPS teachers' attendance at your workshops. To offer clock hours through Seattle Public Schools, a Clock Hour Proposal form (DOC) needs to be completed and submitted to SPS Office of Professional Development.
   2. Scheduling of Professional Development Opportunities - District Professional Development Days are be listed on the 2010-11 School year calendar which is finalized during the Seattle Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement process. Those days are usually filled with district-level or school-level Professional Development. Community Arts Organizations should consider scheduling workshops on weekend days or after school hours.

7. When is the best time of year to work with a school?

1. Planning Time
   Schools do their budgeting in February and March for the following school year. If your program costs, then you will need to approach the school before the budgeting period to begin planning and to determine how the program will be paid for. (See Question 8 for how schools pay for community arts programs.)
   
2. Program Time
   The 2012-2013 school year calendar is online. State-wide testing dates @ http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/StateTesting/default.aspx are determined by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Some schools will not schedule community arts programs during this period. 

8. How do schools pay for Community Arts Programs?

1. Programs that are outside of the district-adopted curricula are funded at the school level, not from central office budgets. Principals, along with their Building Leadership Teams, determine how to allocate funds for programs that enhance or extend the school's academic program. The common ways in which schools fund Community Arts Programs are through:
   
   • PTSA fundraisers
   • Arts booster clubs
   • Associated Student Body (ASB) funds at the secondary level for student clubs and after-school programs.
   • Fees charged to families (e.g. to cover cost of a study visit to a cultural organization or fees for an after-school class.)
   • Writing grants is often done by a parent volunteer, teacher or the principal depending on time and experience writing grants. Grant opportunities to support arts programs in the schools can are listed in the SPS Arts eNews
2. Community Arts Organizations can raise funds to provide the program to the school at low or no cost. It is highly recommended that Community Arts Organization staff contact the SPS Community Arts Liaison before submitting a grant proposal for either working with several schools or for a proposal that will consist of working with all of the teaching staff in a single school. The SPS Community Arts Liaison can facilitate connections to schools that will be most ready and benefit from the opportunity to work with an arts organization. Several of the grants listed in the SPS Arts eNews are open to both schools and nonprofit organizations to apply.
   
3. If a Community Arts Organization is interested in working on a District wide initiative, they will need to contact Courtney Cameron, Manager of School and Community Partnerships at cjcameron@seattleschools.org to discuss how the program aligns with the District initiatives (see Question #1). The District does not have funds to distribute directly to Community Arts Organizations for programs in the school, but will discuss strategies for seeking funds in collaboration with arts organizations.

9. Will SPS write a letter of support for my organization's grant application?

1. Begin by contacting the Visual and Performing Arts Manager at cjcampbell@seattleschools.org  (206) 252-0188 to discuss the program and how it aligns with District goals.
   
2. Clarify what types of support are being asked for in the letter of support and if they are feasible for the district at this time. Depending on the nature of the program, the types of support the District Visual and Performing Arts Department can provide include:
   
   
   1. Marketing of a program through the Arts eNews
   2. Facilitating connections to potential school partners
   3. Advising on program design and development
   4. Reviewing program materials, including Benefits and Considerations Fact Sheet.
   5. Offering guidance on conducting research or program evaluation in compliance with district's guidelines
   6. Offering Guidance on determining measurable outcomes which align with district's areas measurement - such as indicators for family engagement, teacher professional growth, etc.
   7. Collaborating on professional development opportunities that could benefit teachers District wide.
3. Follow the guidelines for requesting a letter of support (PDF), allowing 2 to 5 weeks given the funder and the level of sign-off for the requested letter.

10. What are some other considerations when working with a school?

1. Who to contact at a school - As you plan your program, it is important the principal is aware of and supports the program. Once you implement the program you will work on a more consistent basis with a lead teacher or staff person. When working in a school it is also important to introduce yourself and connect with administrative staff. Staff lists and contact information are listed on each school's web site.
2. Background checks and fingerprinting - Any adult, whether a contracted teaching artist or volunteer, needs to have completed a Screening Form (PDF). The results of background checks are sent to Seattle Public Schools Human Resources department. Schools will be contacted directly by Human Resources if there are any concerns regarding a background check.
3. Photography of students - If you will be taking photographs of students engaged in your organization's activities and you want to include them on any printed materials, Web sites, reports, etc. you need to ensure that a proper Photo Release form (PDF) has been secured for each student photographed. Schools normally gather these forms from families in the beginning of the school year and have them on file. It is recommended you let the school know you will be taking photographs of the students before you begin.
4. Working with teachers - Teachers are usually very willing to work with Community Arts Organization staff and teaching artists if they feel the program will enhance their students' learning. Please recognize that teachers have very little time during their regular work hours to collaboratively plan with outside organizations. It is recommended that arts organizations budget to pay teachers rates comparable to district "extra-time pay" if it is necessary for them to meet beyond their regular work day, which is 30 minutes before the student day and 30 minutes following the student day. The 2011-2012 District time pay (including the benefits rate) for work related to planning or curriculum development is approximately $44 per hour.
5. Renting space in Seattle Public Schools - Space can be rented at schools to outside organizations for events and/or programs after normal school hours. SPS Property Management website has the hourly building rentals and necessary procedures and forms.
6. Approval for art projects installed in or on a school building - Any projects in which art is installed inside or outside of school facilities and which is done by someone other than Seattle Public Schools staff, such as by an artist-in-residence or by parent volunteers, needs to be reviewed and approved by The Self Help Program of the SPS Facilities Departments. Access a project application (PDF), or contact Gretchen DeDecker, Senior Facilities Planner.

If you have a question that is not addressed on this Frequently Asked Questions page, please contact SPS Visual and Performing Arts Manager, Carri Campbell at cjcampbell@seattleschools.org or 252-0188.