Educational Service District 105 (ESD 105) and its partners’ Professional Development for Arts Educators Program will enhance the connection of arts organizations to rural, isolated and poor schools, to improve standards-based instruction, training opportunities for teachers and student access to the arts. The ESD 105 will provide training in state standards, state assessments, integrated visual arts, early instrumental music, music notation software and peer coaching and mentoring. Student and parent arts opportunities include participation in Symphony performances, marimba bands, and arts exhibits. The ESD 105 will provide training and support to a professional cadre – who in turn will provide services, training and support throughout the region. The project objectives developed by the partners include:

1. Create a cadre of trained arts educators across the rural region on ESD 105
Objective: Provide sustained and intensive professional development to classroom, visual arts and music teachers from regional districts

1. Provide training in Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements for the arts, the Washington State Grade Level Expectations and Arts Classroom-Based Performance Assessments for regional teachers.

2. Provide training in integrated visual arts through the Arts Integration Mentors (AIM) program.

4. Disseminate teacher-created (pre-K-12) video tutorials on integrated arts and/or digital storytelling concepts via the ArtFusion website.

5. Provide training in marimba building and Sibelius Training to regional K-12 music teachers.

6. Provide Peer Coaching & Mentoring Training to regional K-12 teachers.

2. Expand arts access for low-income children and youth in the ESD 105 service region.
Objective: Provide students from regional districts with enhanced arts experiences through hands-on activities, technology and interaction with community arts organizations

1. Introduce the Yakima Symphony Orchestra to regional school buildings.

2. Implement marimba building/development in 3 elementary schools annually.

3. Disseminate 6 student-created performances via the ArtFusion website.

4. Implement Larson Gallery’s Cultural Education Extension Program (CEEP) with select regional high schools.

 

Excerpt from New Funding Press Release:
Educational Service District 105 has been awarded a three-year Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE) grant totaling $889,618 from the U.S. Department of Education that will boost arts education programs in the region’s schools.

The $889,618 grant will allow for continuation and expansion of visual and musical arts assistance to area schools provided under the ESD 105 ArtFusion program. The new grant is a follow-up to the original $1.04 million PDAE grant that launched the ESD 105’s ArtFusion in 2005. The grant will be used to augment art education offerings for students and instruction in the arts for classroom teachers through a partnership of the ESD, school districts, and several community arts organizations. The goal of the grant is to assist participating schools in helping their students reach grade-level expectations in the state’s Classroom-Based Assessments for the Arts.

The new PDAE grant will fund the following new programs and expansions of existing programs:

• A new “Art Integration Mentors” (AIM) program will be launched to augment the existing Artist-in-Residence program provided to schools through Allied Arts of Yakima and Gallery One of Ellensburg. Previously, the Artist-in-Residence program had artists conducting art lessons at schools in Yakima and Kittitas counties. The new AIM program, modeled on a system offered by Puget Sound ESD, will focus on professional development on art instruction for classroom teachers to help art programs become more sustainable within school districts. Under AIM, the artists will model an art lesson to classroom students, the artist and the classroom’s teacher will co-teach a lesson, then the classroom teacher will provide an arts-integrated lesson based on the training provided by the visiting artist. Five area artists have already attended a week-long training in this program, which is targeted to serve approximately 30 elementary teachers.

• The Yakima Valley Community College Larson Gallery’s Cultural Education Extension Program (CEEP)will be made available to two high schools each year, providing art gallery career experiences to local students.

• The Yakima Symphony Orchestra Ensemble visits to area 4th and 5th grade classes will be expanded to two more schools annually. Since 2006, the ESD 105 ArtFusion program has helped bring the YSO Ensemble visits to five previously unserved school districts (Highland, East Valley, Wapato, Toppenish, and Grandview), all of which have continued offering the Ensemble visits on their own. YSO Ensemble visits now occur at 22 area school buildings.

• Instruction in using Sibelius music composition software will be expanded to include trainings for 13 teachers each year, as well as posting six student-created Sibelius music compositions on the ESD 105 ArtFusion’s Web site.

• ArtFusion’s marimba band program will be added to three elementary schools each year. This offering has brought marimba bands to 15 area schools since 2006.

The new grant will also help fund ESD 105’s ongoing professional development programs in arts education for teachers in the region. The impact of the trainings and offerings funded by the grant will be measured through pre- and post-testing.

“Receiving this grant is a recognition of the successful arts programs we’ve put in place in our region over the last few years,” said Aurelio Garcia, Regional Arts Education coordinator at ESD 105. “It represents not only the teachers and thousands of students who have been exposed to the arts as a result of our work, but the new teachers and thousands of more students who are yet to experience the meaningful classroom arts experiences that will come about at as a result of this grant.”

For additional information regarding the ArtFusion project, contact Aurelio Garcia -Regional Arts Education Coordinator for ESD 105 at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 509.454.3133.