THE Teaching artist initiative                                             Professional Development and Training Opportunities for Teaching Artists

During 2004, at the initiative of the New York State Council on The Arts (NYSCA), Arts In Education Program, ATA collaborated with The New Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) on the first phase of the Teaching Artist Initiative. This first-ever mapping effort of professional development and training opportunities for Teaching Artists in New York State produced the statistics contained here along with surveys used to collect the information.
(Click here to read the surveys)

In addition, conversations about the Teaching Artists Initiative were held at Common Ground, the annual Arts In Education conference, and at the Empire State Partnership Summer Seminar.  Responses to the conversations are summarized below. 

We invite you to address some of the issues being raised by the Teaching Artist Initiative. What are your thoughts and opinions?  Please share them with us!  Watch for a town-hall meeting coming to a community near you.  ATA and NYFA will be facilitating discussions across New York State to develop a profile of basic capacities needed by all Teaching Artists.  This website will post a schedule of these meetings.  The first will occur at the Face-to-Face conference in New York City on October 29, 2004 at 1:30 p.m., hosted by the Arts In Education Roundtable.

Information Recorded During Conversations About The Teaching Artist Initiative

During the process of mapping what is available as Professional Development and Training Opportunities (PDTO) for Teaching Artists, it was uncovered there is a need for dialogue not only among Teaching Artists, but also among a variety of artistic, cultural, and educational organizations and Teaching Artists.  From dialogues at Common Ground on April 2, 2004 and during the Empire State Partnership Summer Seminar the following issues and concerns were discovered:

¨      There is a need for basic “nuts and bolts” professional development and for training opportunities for
Teaching Artists. There is also a desire for greater mentoring and peer exchange among Teaching Artists.  Networking and connecting are important. There is a long learning curve for artists entering the field of Arts In Education (AIE).  It has become more difficult to get into the field, and Teaching Artists need help with their development at early stages of their careers.

¨      There is a need for greater collaboration in planning and presenting professional development and training opportunities for Teaching Artists.  Teaching Artists wish to be asked about their needs.  Organizations need training on how to deliver effective PDTO.  There needs to be a deeper understanding of rights, responsibilities, and expectations between Teaching Artists and organizations working in the area of Arts In Education.  

¨      Teaching artists and organizations need to conduct long range planning for PDTO and how to get there.  Another facet of this issue is the need for organizations to partner in presenting PDTO. To avoid duplicating services more joint sponsorship is needed.

¨      There is a great need for funds to support PDTO.      

Basic Statistical Information from the Survey Process  

56% of Teaching Artist respondents were from New York City;  17% were from Western New York; 7% were from the Finger-lakes region; 13% were from the mid-Hudson region; and 6% were from Long Island.  63% of Teaching Artists access discipline-specific PDTO; 72% access general (e.g., multiple-discipline) PDTO;  32% access PDTO from the agency for whom they work; 13% access it from providers at large.  26% access PDTO on a mandatory basis; 42% access PDTO on an annual basis; 23% access it more frequently. 20% of Teaching Artist’s have been accessing PDTO for three years or less; 26% have accessed it between four and nine years; 16% have been accessing PDTO for more than ten years.  (Respondents were: 28% visual artists, 18% dancers, 20% musicians, 9% writers, 20% theater artists and 5% interdisciplinary artists.)

Organizations responded in this geographic breakdown:  2% were from the Adirondack region; 4% were from Western New York; 6% were from the Finger-lakes region; 18% were from the mid-Hudson region; 65% were from New York City; and 4% were from Long Island. 34% offer professional development and training opportunities annually; 48% offer both more frequently. 42% offer it to in-house Teaching Artists only; 46% offer it on a mandatory basis; 29% offer it to Teaching Artists at large.  15% of organizations have been offering professional development and training opportunities for three years or less; 30% have been offering both for between four and nine years; 31% have been offering both for more than 10 years.  11% of the organizations do not provide PDTO for Teaching Artists. 

The following table indicates how the PDTO is staffed and accessed.

Survey Content   

The survey asked both groups for detailed information about the content of the PDTO they provide or access.  The content is split into two sections: teaching / learning issues or pedagogy; assessment / evaluation issues. 

The survey asked organizations and Teaching Artists what was included in the PDTO presentations.  The Teaching Artist Initiative was interested in whether PDTO is presented for discipline-specific audiences, or mixed audiences.  It was found that 51% of organizations offer discipline-specific PDTO while 35% offer general/multidisciplinary opportunities.   72% of Teaching Artists accessed general/multidisciplinary PDTO and 63% accessed discipline specific PDTO.  

The survey asked if the following were included with PDTO:

Pedagogy 

For the residency planning process and overall ability to integrate the arts into academic curricula, the survey asked if organizations or Teaching Artists (% indicates number of total respondents that included these things or accessed these things in PDTO):                                                         

The survey asked if these aspects of teaching and learning were included in PDTO:  

Standards and assessment/evaluation

The survey also asked respondents about State Arts and Academic Standards and what they included in PDTO regarding evaluation and assessment of field work.  The specifics are: