Implementing Arts Education in Washington

1993 Washington’s Education Reform Act becomes law (RCW 28A.150.210), establishing goals for improving student achievement in core subjects including the arts

1994 Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) developed for arts disciplines (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts), indicating what students should know and be able to do in each discipline

1998 Arts EALRs revised and expanded

2001 Arts Frameworks Committee completes discipline-specific and grade-level-specific guidelines and frameworks in alignment with the Arts EALRs

2001 Arts Implementation Task Force (AITF), a consortium of arts educators, school administrators, local arts agencies, teaching artists, and organizations with arts programs, formed to support Washington State schools in implementing comprehensive, sequential, standards-based K-12 arts instruction

2002 The federal No Child Left Behind, Elementary and Secondary Education Act becomes law, requiring each state to determine which arts will be core academic subjects in their state. Washington State educators and OSPI deem K-12 dance, music, theatre and visual arts as core instruction for all students

2003 Arts Assessment Leadership Team (AALT), convened by OSPI Arts Program Supervisor, assists in the development of 60 classroom-based performance assessments (CBPAs), which measure student learning at the benchmark levels of grades 5, 8, and 10 in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts

2004 Legislature passes HB 2195, specifically requiring comprehensive, sequential, standards-based instruction in all arts disciplines, taught by highly qualified instructors, accessible to all students, and assessed in 2008–09 and beyond, with results reported to OSPI

2006 OSPI’s classroom-based performance assessments (CBPAs) in the arts become available for voluntary use in grades 5, 8, and 10

2007–08 High school graduation requirement in arts takes effect; students in the graduating class of 2008 and beyond must have one full year of study in the arts to graduate, with instruction set at benchmark three (grade 10) or above. (WAC 180-51-061)

2008–09 Elementary, middle, and high schools required to implement classroom-based performance assessments in the arts, with results reported to the state (HB 2195)

Further information on OSPI’s timeline:
www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/Arts